Senior Associate, Field Compensation Systems and Operations

New York Life Insurance•White Plains, NY

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Senior Associate is a key member of the Field Compensation team responsible for supporting the administration, execution, and continuous improvement of New York Life's field compensation programs. This role serves as the primary resource for translating approved compensation plan designs into the Varicent Incentive Compensation Management (ICM) platform while ensuring accurate, timely, and compliant compensation administration. Working closely with Compensation Strategy, Technology, Finance, Delivery teams, and business stakeholders, the Senior Associate will configure and maintain compensation plans within Varicent, support compensation operations, perform testing and validation, and contribute to modernization initiatives that improve scalability, automation, and operational efficiency. The ideal candidate combines strong technical aptitude with analytical thinking and an understanding of incentive compensation administration.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Information Systems, Computer Science, Mathematics, or a related field.
5–7 years of professional experience in compensation operations, incentive compensation administration, financial systems, business systems analysis, or related analytical roles.
2+ years of experience configuring or supporting Incentive Compensation Management (ICM) systems, with Varicent experience strongly preferred.
Experience translating business requirements into system configurations, calculation logic, and technical specifications.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to interpret complex compensation plans and large data sets.
Experience performing system testing, regression testing, defect analysis, and production validation.
Advanced Excel skills and experience working with large datasets; familiarity with Python, SQL, Access, or other data analysis tools is a plus.
Excellent organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
Strong attention to detail and commitment to data accuracy, quality, and operational excellence.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to collaborate across business and technical teams.
Demonstrated ability to work independently while contributing effectively within a collaborative team environment.

Nice To Haves

Varicent Incentive Compensation Management (ICM) configuration experience.
Experience supporting incentive compensation programs within financial services, insurance, or other sales-driven organizations.
Experience with Agile project methodologies and change management practices.
Familiarity with data visualization and reporting tools such as Power BI or Tableau.
Experience with SQL or other query languages.
Experience using AI-enabled productivity or analytics tools to improve business processes.

Responsibilities

Configure, maintain, and enhance compensation plans within the Varicent Incentive Compensation Management (ICM) platform.
Translate approved compensation plan designs and business requirements into scalable system configurations and calculation logic.
Perform configuration changes, regression testing, user acceptance testing (UAT), and production validation to ensure accurate compensation calculations.
Support monthly, quarterly, and annual compensation processing activities, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and adherence to established controls.
Investigate, troubleshoot, and resolve compensation calculation issues in partnership with business and technology teams.
Develop and maintain documentation for system configurations, business rules, testing results, and operational procedures.
Support audit requests by maintaining appropriate documentation, controls, and reconciliation processes.
Participate in compensation modernization initiatives by identifying opportunities for automation, process optimization, and enhanced reporting.
Leverage AI-enabled tools and data analytics to improve testing, documentation, operational efficiency, and compensation insights.
Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives that strengthen governance, operational excellence, and the employee experience.