Senior Compensation and Classification Analyst

Wesleyan University•Middletown, CT

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

Wesleyan University is seeking a Senior Compensation and Classification Analyst for a four-year term-limited role within the Office of Human Resources. This position will report to the Director for Talent Acquisition and Employment and will play a key role in supporting the university’s compensation, classification, job architecture, and organizational design initiatives. The analyst will conduct analysis, research, and provide technical expertise to develop recommendations and support various HR functions. This inaugural role is crucial for implementing, documenting, and ensuring the long-term sustainability of the university’s staff job architecture, compensation structures, classification standards, and related governance practices. The position will also involve conducting compensation benchmarking, evaluating and classifying positions, and collaborating with academic and administrative leaders to provide consultation and analysis on a range of HR-related matters.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Economics, Public Administration, Organizational Development, or a related field, and at least five years of progressively responsible experience in compensation, classification, job architecture, HR analytics, or a related field; or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
Demonstrated experience evaluating and classifying positions including determining job levels, salary grades, and job family placement.
Demonstrated knowledge of FLSA exemption standards and wage and hour regulations.
Experience conducting compensation benchmarking and salary analysis using compensation survey data or labor market data.
Demonstrated experience preparing, analyzing, or participating in compensation surveys or labor market benchmarking processes.
Strong analytical and critical thinking skills with the ability to interpret compensation data and identify internal equity or compression issues.
Demonstrated ability to analyze organizational structures, reporting relationships, or workforce data to support classification and compensation decisions.
Experience working with HRIS systems and workforce data, including job catalog structures (job profiles, job families, and position management frameworks), to support job classification, compensation programs, and data-driven analysis of compensation trends.
Demonstrated experience evaluating position scope or reviewing promotion, reclassification, or job design requests within a structured classification framework.
Demonstrated ability to communicate compensation and classification concepts clearly to a variety of audiences.
Demonstrated ability to consult with managers and HR colleagues regarding compensation and classification decisions.
Demonstrated ability to exercise sound professional judgment and maintain confidentiality when working with sensitive compensation data.
Demonstrated ability to independently manage complex projects and priorities while collaborating effectively with leaders across multiple organizational levels.

Nice To Haves

Experience conducting compensation benchmarking using multiple compensation surveys.
Experience supporting compensation analysis in unionized environments or collective bargaining negotiations.
Experience using benchmarking compensation platforms such as MarketPay or similar tools.
Experience with enterprise HRIS systems such as Workday.
Experience conducting pay equity analysis, organizational structure reviews, or job architecture development.
Experience presenting analytical findings and recommendations to senior leaders or executive stakeholders.
Professional certification such as Certified Compensation Professional (CCP), SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP, or PHR or SPHR.

Responsibilities

Support the administration and continuous improvement of the staff job classification framework, ensuring consistency in job families, titles, grading structures, and classification standards across the university.
Evaluate and classify staff positions including determination of job families, salary grades, and FLSA exemption status in accordance with federal and state wage and hour regulations.
Review and analyze FLSA classification requests related to new positions, position revisions, or reclassification requests and maintain supporting documentation for classification determinations.
Maintain documentation supporting classification and FLSA determinations to ensure consistency and defensibility.
Provide recommendations regarding job classification, compensation levels, and titling practices.
Conduct compensation analysis and parsonage allowance determinations for eligible roles in accordance with applicable tax regulations and university policy.
Administer and maintain the MarketPay compensation platform, including loading survey data, managing benchmark job matches, and conducting benchmarking analysis.
Prepare and submit institutional compensation data for participation in external compensation surveys and analyze survey results to inform benchmarking.
Conduct compensation benchmarking using multiple compensation surveys and labor market data sources.
Develop blended market comparisons when roles do not align with a single survey benchmark.
Prepare reports on compensation trends, internal equity, and market competitiveness.
Develop and maintain benchmark matching methodologies and documentation standards to support consistent compensation analyses.
Conduct classification analyses for unionized staff positions in alignment with collective bargaining agreements and institutional classification frameworks.
Maintain documentation of union job classifications and assist with classification reviews or disputes.
Prepare compensation analyses and workforce reports to support collective bargaining negotiations.
Review and standardize staff job titles across the university and align titles with established job architecture.
Audit and update position descriptions to ensure consistency, clarity, and alignment with job classification standards.
Support the implementation and maintenance of job families, career ladders, and titling conventions across the institution.
Analyze organizational structures, spans of control, and reporting layers to identify inefficiencies or title inflation and provide recommendations that support sustainable organizational design.
Provide analysis and recommendations regarding organizational structure, reporting relationships, workforce alignment, and position design decisions across the university.
Support departmental organizational reviews and restructuring initiatives.
Review independent contractor and temporary worker classification requests to ensure compliance with employment regulations and university policy.
Partner with HR leadership, Payroll, and HRIS on worker classification and position management processes.
Evaluate and designate essential employee status for positions in collaboration with institutional leadership.
Provide consultation, analytical support, and subject matter expertise to HR staff, department leaders, and senior administrators regarding compensation, classification, job design, organizational structure, and workforce planning matters.
Present compensation analyses, classification recommendations, organizational design findings, and workforce data to support HR and institutional decision-making.
Evaluate promotion and reclassification requests to ensure alignment with institutional classification frameworks and internal equity.
Maintain documentation of the university’s job architecture, classification standards, and compensation frameworks.
Develop procedures, reference materials, and implementation guidance to support ongoing administration of compensation and classification programs.
Develop recommendations and supporting documentation related to position reclassification and promotion guidelines.
Perform other duties as assigned.