Compensation Manager

Milwaukee Tool•Brookfield, MT

About The Position

INNOVATE without boundaries! At Milwaukee Tool we firmly believe that our People and our Culture are the secrets to our success -- so we give you unlimited access to everything you need to provide…. Behind our doors you'll be empowered every day to own it, drive it, and do what it takes to support the biggest breakthroughs in the industry. Meanwhile, you'll have the support and resources of the fastest-growing brand in the construction industry to make it happen. Your Role on Our Team: As a Compensation Manager, you will oversee compensation program execution for the Sales and Manufacturing/Distribution organizations of Milwaukee Tool, ensuring competitive, equitable, and scalable pay practices. You’ll lead planning and program design, modeling compensation scenarios and evaluating options to address market competitiveness and retention risks. You’ll partner closely with Talent, Finance, and business leaders to deliver programs that attract, retain, and reward top talent, while leveraging market insights to continuously improve compensation programs and optimize processes. You’ll apply established frameworks and provide insights and recommendations to help leaders understand trade-offs and financial impacts, enabling informed decisions. You’ll be DISRUPTIVE through these duties and responsibilities:

Requirements

5–7 years of progressive compensation experience, including program ownership.
Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business, or related field
Expertise in compensation principles, salary structures, market analysis, and incentive structures.
Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and experience with compensation survey and planning tools.
Ability to communicate complex concepts clearly and influence decisions across diverse stakeholders.
Collaborative mindset with proven success partnering across HR, Finance, and business teams to achieve shared outcomes
Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment and adapt to changing business needs.
Strong business acumen and analytical skills, with a focus on insight-driven recommendations.

Nice To Haves

Compensation experience supporting a multi-site manufacturing company or experience supporting sales organizations preferred.
Experience evaluating and revamping wage scales for hourly roles.
Workday HCM and Payfactors experience is a plus.

Responsibilities

Compensation Planning & Program Design Lead the strategy and execution of the semi-annual compensation planning process for hourly manufacturing and distribution employees, including design, communication, and delivery.
Assist the Sales and Operations Talent Business Partners with the annual compensation planning process, focusing on calibration and audit support to ensure accuracy, internal equity, and pay for performance.
Design and maintain salary structures and pay guidelines, including evaluating hourly wages scales for manufacturing/distribution sites, to ensure local market competitiveness and retention.
Develop scenario modeling, salary structure alternatives, and cost analysis to address compensation concerns impacting talent attraction or retention and present recommendations.
Perform more complex job evaluations, large-scale benchmarking studies and pay structure reviews, ensuring consistency and compliance.
Program Execution & Optimization Execute and optimize compensation programs, incentives, and pay policies.
Provide offer recommendations to Talent Acquisition that balance internal equity and external competitiveness, including guidance on appropriate levels and trade-offs.
Maintain and regularly evaluate effectiveness of cost of living / cost of labor programs.
Revamp compensation structures to align with talent objectives as needed.
Collaborate with internal Talent teams to optimize Workday functionality for compensation processes, driving efficiency and accuracy.
Compliance and Reporting: Oversee pay compliance strategy for assigned areas, partnering with compliance to develop frameworks to assess regulatory risk and implement corrective actions.
Develop and present compensation reports to inform business decisions and identify trends.
Ensure adherence to pay equity standards and regulatory requirements.
Training & Change Management: Provide guidance and mentorship to compensation analysts to strengthen capability.
Provide guidance and training to Talent Business Partners and managers on compensation programs, policies, and practices.
Model transparency and resilience during change management moments, fostering trust and alignment across stakeholders.