Interim Director of Compensation Consultant

HR Knowledge Source•Washington, DC

9d•Hybrid

About The Position

HR Knowledge Source (HRKS), a woman-owned, minority-owned HR consulting firm, is recruiting an experienced Total Rewards leader for an interim consulting engagement with a confidential higher education institution in the Washington, DC region. The client serves approximately 2,900 faculty, staff, and retirees. The consultant will provide immediate leadership of the comprehensive compensation function, with a team primarily supporting approximately 1,700 staff employees and collaborating with other departments to support faculty, student employees, and retirees. The Director will provide strategic leadership and oversight of the compensation function, supervise and prioritize the work of three Analysts, and advise executive leadership, HR, cabinet-level stakeholders, and department leaders. The consultant will design, administer, and evaluate compensation programs; lead annual compensation initiatives; maintain salary structures, job analyses, market pricing methodologies, policies, and procedures; and conduct executive compensation benchmarking and higher education market analysis. The role also partners across HR, Finance, Information Technology, and business teams, supports organizational and workforce planning, monitors compliance, delivers training and communications, and supports labor and employee relations initiatives. The engagement includes process improvement, documentation, and knowledge transfer. This is an independent contractor (1099) engagement for approximately 4–6 months. The role is hybrid in the Washington, DC region, with three days on-site per week and Tuesday as a core in-office day. Standard hours are 9:00 AM–5:00 PM. The position reports on a solid line to the Interim HR Executive Consultant and on a dotted line to the Associate Vice President of Financial Operations. Offers are contingent on successful professional reference and background checks. Confidentiality is strictly maintained.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Finance, or a related field.
At least 8 years of progressively responsible compensation leadership experience, or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
Demonstrated expertise in compensation program design, implementation, administration, market pricing, salary structures, and executive compensation analysis.
Strong consultation, stakeholder management, executive coaching, communication, collaboration, and leadership skills.
Advanced financial analysis, modeling, budgeting, data analysis, and Microsoft Excel capabilities.
Experience leading merit cycles, organizational design efforts, and executive compensation analyses.
Knowledge of federal and state employment laws and compensation compliance requirements.
Experience supervising compensation professionals and building effective teams.
Ability to build credibility quickly and operate with urgency and responsiveness.

Nice To Haves

Master's degree preferred.
Experience with Workday preferred; Advanced Compensation experience preferred.
Experience with compensation systems and tools such as Payscale/MarketPay, JDXpert, or similar platforms strongly preferred.
Higher education experience preferred.
Experience supporting unionized workforces or labor negotiations preferred.

Responsibilities

Provide strategic leadership and oversight of the compensation function, including supervision, work prioritization, and escalation support for compensation matters.
Lead and direct a compensation team of three Analysts.
Consult with executive leadership, HR, cabinet-level stakeholders, and department leaders on compensation actions, reorganizations, position management, and organizational design.
Design, administer, and evaluate compensation programs that support recruitment, retention, engagement, and organizational objectives.
Lead annual compensation initiatives, including merit planning, salary reviews, market adjustments, and budget projections.
Establish and maintain salary structures, job analyses, market pricing methodologies, compensation policies, and procedures.
Conduct executive compensation benchmarking and higher education market analysis using CUPA and other compensation data sources.
Partner with HR, Finance, Information Technology, and business leaders to administer compensation programs and systems effectively.
Provide guidance on job architecture, workforce planning, and organizational restructuring.
Monitor and ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, and local employment laws and compensation regulations.
Develop and deliver compensation-related training and communication programs for leaders, managers, and HR partners.
Support labor and employee relations initiatives, including compensation analysis related to union negotiations when applicable.
Drive process improvements, maintain documentation, and facilitate knowledge transfer throughout the engagement.