Compensation Analyst

WPP Media•New York, NY

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

As the Compensation Analyst for WPP Media North America, you will play a pivotal role in designing, implementing, and managing strategic reward programs that attract, retain, and motivate our diverse workforce across the US and Canada. This manager-level position requires a highly analytical and proactive individual who is not only adept at utilizing advanced analytical tools like Power BI but also possesses a deep understanding of compensation philosophy. You will act as a trusted advisor to HR Business Partners and business leaders, driving compensation initiatives, ensuring data integrity, and contributing significantly to the strategic direction of total rewards for WPP Media's 6,000+ employees in North America. This role demands a self-starter who can independently lead complex projects and translate compensation data into actionable business insights.

Requirements

Undergraduate degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Management, Human Resources, or a related field.
5+ years of progressive experience in compensation analysis and program management, with at least 2 years demonstrating manager-level responsibilities or leading significant compensation projects.
Expert proficiency in Microsoft Excel for complex data manipulation, modeling, and analysis.
Advanced experience in data visualization and business intelligence tools, specifically Power BI, is essential.
Demonstrated understanding and ability to articulate compensation philosophy and its application in program design and execution.
Deep understanding of compensation best practices, market trends, and regulatory compliance across North America (US, Canada).
Proven ability to thrive and drive initiatives within a complex, matrixed global organization.
Exceptional stakeholder management and influential communication skills, with a proven ability to partner effectively with senior leaders and HR Business Partners.
Highly analytical and strategic thinker, with the ability to translate complex data into actionable insights and strategic recommendations that inform business decisions.
Demonstrated self-starter with exceptional initiative, sound judgment, and a proactive approach to problem-solving and continuous process improvement.
Superior written and verbal communication and presentation skills, capable of influencing and articulating complex concepts to diverse audiences, including executive leadership.
Advanced problem-solving capabilities, with a track record of developing innovative and effective compensation solutions to complex organizational challenges.
Energy, enthusiasm, and confidence.

Responsibilities

Lead the development, communication, and ongoing refinement of GroupM NA's compensation philosophy, ensuring strategic alignment with business objectives, market competitiveness, and talent attraction/retention goals.
Serve as a subject matter expert and strategic advisor to HR Business Partners and business leaders on complex compensation matters, including job evaluations, market pricing, pay equity, and incentive plan design.
Drive the design, evaluation, and maintenance of comprehensive job architecture frameworks and job descriptions, ensuring consistency, clarity, and market alignment across the organization.
Conduct in-depth job evaluations, determine appropriate FLSA exemptions, and accurately level positions within established pay structures, providing well-reasoned justifications.
Develop and present complex compensation recommendations for new hires, promotions, organizational changes, and special pay actions to senior stakeholders.
Design, develop, and maintain sophisticated compensation analytics, predictive models, dashboards, and reports using Power BI to provide actionable insights into compensation trends, costs, and program effectiveness.
Proactively identify data anomalies and implement robust data governance best practices to ensure the highest level of data integrity and analytical reliability across all compensation systems and reports.
Serve as a subject matter expert and lead for HRIS (e.g., Workday) compensation module configurations and optimization, driving the development of advanced reporting and predictive analytics capabilities, particularly within Power BI.
Manage and optimize the end-to-end annual compensation review processes (merit, variable pay, long-term incentives), ensuring seamless execution, adherence to budget, and alignment with the overarching compensation philosophy.
Develop comprehensive salary recommendations, detailed reports, and compelling presentations for senior leadership and business partners, articulating key insights, strategic implications, and potential risks/opportunities.
Manage relationships with external compensation survey providers and strategically lead the participation in relevant market surveys.
Conduct in-depth analysis of market data to assess external competitiveness, identify pay trends, and proactively propose adjustments to base pay structures, incentive plans, and overall compensation programs to maintain a competitive edge.
Develop and deliver comprehensive compensation education plans and training sessions for HR, Recruitment, Managers, and Employees, fostering a deeper understanding of compensation programs, policies, and their strategic impact.