Analyst, Compensation

Panera Bread

168d

About The Position

Panera Bread is a specialty concept with unparalleled people and quality products, offering careers as diverse as our breads. We are seeking a Compensation Analyst to join our Total Rewards and HR Technology team, supporting the design, execution, and continuous improvement of our compensation programs. This role will be a key contributor to the day-to-day operations of our compensation function, with a strong focus on market pricing, salary structure maintenance and market alignment, and process automation. The ideal candidate will bring analytical rigor, technical fluency, and a continuous improvement mindset to a team that supports both strategic initiatives and core compensation processes. This role follows a hybrid work model. Candidates must reside within 50 miles of Newton, MA, and are required to work onsite three days per week.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resources, Finance, Business, or a related field required.
• 2+ years of compensation experience strongly preferred; other analytical experience will be considered.
• Advanced Excel skills required, including experience with formulas, pivot tables, and data visualization.
• Proficiency with macros and Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) strongly preferred.
• Experience with Workday and DocuSign preferred.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with a high level of accuracy and attention to detail.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, evolving environment with shifting priorities.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to collaborate effectively across teams and levels.

Responsibilities

• Maintain and update compensation structures for support center roles, ensuring alignment with internal frameworks and external market data.
• Lead market pricing activities, including job matching, benchmarking, and analysis of survey data to support pay decisions and structure design.
• Own the submission of compensation surveys, ensuring accuracy, completeness, and timely delivery.
• Analyze and distill complex compensation data into clear insights; experience with reporting dashboards and executive summaries preferred.
• Support the administration of bonus programs, including eligibility tracking, calculations and calculation audits, and coordination with Finance and Payroll.
• Maintain automation tools (macros, VBA) to streamline manual processes and improve reporting efficiency.
• Explore and potentially apply AI-driven solutions to enhance compensation processes, including automation, data validation, and predictive analytics for improved efficiency and insight.
• Build and audit reports in Excel and Workday to support compensation cycles, ad hoc requests, and leadership decision-making.
• Partner with HR and business leaders to provide compensation guidance and support during the annual increase process and other key moments.
• Contribute to compensation-related projects and transformation initiatives, including process redesign and system enhancements.

Benefits

• Competitive compensation and benefits packages
• Career and personal growth opportunities
• Community involvement through Panera Cares community cafes
• Day-end donations at bakery-cafe locations
• Partnership with local non-profit organizations

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Bachelor's degree