Senior Compensation & Classification Specialist

Cal Poly Pomona • Pomona, CA

6d • $5,357 - $7,000 • Onsite

About The Position

The Classification & Compensation Department supports the university by managing position classification, job evaluation, and compensation programs. The team ensures equity, market competitiveness, and compliance with policies while providing guidance to departments and managers on organizational structure, job design, and salary administration.

Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree - or professional training program specific to the position (e.g. Certified Public Accountant) and directly related work experience, or a combination of education and experience which demonstrates the ability to perform the essential functions of the position.
• Three (3) to five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in classification, compensation, or closely related HR functional area.
• Demonstrated experience reviewing, analyzing, and documenting compliance determinations in a regulatory, employment law, or policy framework.
• Experience interpreting and applying employment laws, administrative policies, and/or collective bargaining agreement provisions to individual cases.
• Strong analytical and writing skills with experience composing formal business determinations, compliance communications, or written policy analyses.
• Incumbents at this level work almost completely independently on the most complex problems and work assignments. They possess an advanced and comprehensive knowledge pertinent to the classification and are able to apply this extensive expertise as a generalist or specialist. Experts are proactive and understand problems from a broad, interactive perspective and are able to develop solutions that combine information and ideas in new, unprecedented ways. Incumbents at this level are capable of leading teams and implementation efforts for assigned projects, using advanced communication and listening skills.
• Employees assigned to position skill levels II and III of the Confidential Support Series may be assigned work coordination responsibilities that include: evaluating and setting work priorities; scheduling and assigning work; reviewing work against standards and providing performance feedback; and determining training needs and training staff.
• Knowledge of: California independent contractor law, including AB 5 (Dynamex ABC Test), AB 2257 professional services and business-to-business exemptions, and the Borello multifactor test. CSU Technical Letter HR/Salary 2021-07 and Public Contract Code Sections 10831–10832 governing CSU employee contracting restrictions. CSU classification standards and the whole-job classification method as applied to contracting-out union impact determinations. Applicable collective bargaining agreements (CSUEU, Teamsters, APC) and contracting-out notice requirements under HEERA. CSU Background Check Policy (HR 2017-17), including sensitive position criteria and background check requirements for independent contractors and contracted-services employees. Administrative policy analysis, compliance documentation, and audit-defensible record-keeping practices.
• Skills and Abilities to: Independently evaluate IC requests and apply the Dynamex ABC Test to determine appropriate worker classification, documenting analysis with specific reference to questionnaire responses and applicable law. Conduct classification-anchored union impact analysis using CSU classification standards, correctly distinguishing classification-driven from document-driven bargaining unit identification. Interpret and apply federal and state employment laws, CSU policies, and collective bargaining agreement provisions to individual cases with accuracy and consistency. Exercise sound judgment, discretion, and confidentiality in handling sensitive contractor and personnel records in compliance with IPA, FCRA, and ICRA. Communicate compliance determinations and legal rationale clearly in writing to campus departments, ELR, Procurement, and campus counsel. Manage a concurrent caseload of IC and contracting-out submissions in a deadline-driven environment with attention to detail and procedural accuracy. Use HR and procurement systems effectively, including Smartsheet, CSUBuy, PeopleSoft, JDXpert, and Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint).

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree in Human Resources, Public Administration, Business, or a related field.
• Experience in a higher education, public sector, or unionized environment.
• Knowledge of CSU systemwide policies, classification standards, and labor agreements.
• Certification in compensation or HR (e.g., CCP, PHR/SPHR, SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP).
• Advanced Excel skills or experience with HR data analytics and reporting.

Responsibilities

• Independently researches, analyzes, and evaluates the most complex position descriptions, reorganizations, and classification studies to determine appropriate CSU classification, salary placement, and FLSA status, applying the whole-job method and CSU Classification & Qualification Standards.
• Conducts reclassification, in-range progression, and equity-adjustment reviews across multiple bargaining units, resolving escalated or sensitive cases involving significant pay-equity considerations and competing classification interpretations.
• Performs internal and external market analysis using CSU salary schedules, systemwide data, and external salary surveys; analyzes salary equity, pay differentials, and workforce trends to recommend fair and competitive compensation actions.
• Prepares detailed, confidential reports and recommendations with defensible rationale for management decision-making, ensuring consistency, accuracy, and audit-readiness across actions.
• Interprets and applies CSU policies, procedures, collective bargaining agreements, and state/federal wage-and-hour law to individual classification and compensation actions with accuracy and consistency. Provides high-level consultation to managers, HR partners, and campus leadership on organizational structure, job design, workforce planning, and the compensation implications of proposed actions.
• Ensures classification and compensation practices comply with CSU standards, bargaining agreements, and applicable law; maintains confidential documentation and prepares complex reports for audits, systemwide reporting, and labor-relations purposes.
• Assists in developing policy updates, process improvements, and guidelines that strengthen program effectiveness, pay equity, and compensation competitiveness.
• Serves as a co-primary C&C contact for IC and contracting-out matters; independently evaluates IC request forms and questionnaires, applying the Dynamex ABC Test (codified by AB 5) across all three prongs to determine whether a proposed worker may lawfully be classified as an independent contractor, and documents findings against specific questionnaire responses and applicable law.
• Determines applicability of AB 2257 exemptions (Business-to-Business, Professional Services, Performer); applies the Borello multifactor test where an exemption is claimed; coordinates with campus counsel for formal exemption analysis where appropriate.
• Verifies compliance with Public Contract Code Sections 10831–10832, including current-employee screening, the two-year cooling period for former employees, MPP/policymaking restrictions, and contract-funded position restrictions.
• Approves or denies IC requests based on legal and policy requirements; manages the request workflow through submission, review decision, background-check coordination, conflict-of-interest referral to ELR, and approval forwarding to Contracts & Procurement; documents each analysis in an audit-defensible record.
• Reviews contracting-out submissions in accordance with Title 5 CCR Section 43500, CSU Contracting Out Policies and Procedures, and applicable collective bargaining agreements; verifies documentation completeness including justification memo, cost-benefit analysis, and scope of work.
• Conducts the classification-anchored union impact review, distinguishing classification-driven from document-driven bargaining unit identification, and issues the determination in the required fixed-format output; refers determinations to Employee & Labor Relations for notice review and maintains complete audit artifact sets.
• Applies CSU classification standards using the whole-job method; does not rely on trade labels, vendor titles, or equipment used to establish bargaining unit alignment.
• Applies CSU Background Check Policy (HR 2017-17) to IC and contracted-services engagements; determines when background checks are required, confirms completion before forwarding approval, and maintains confidentiality in compliance with IPA, FCRA, and ICRA.
• Composes written communications addressing case-specific determinations, status updates, and compliance requirements; clearly articulates the legal or policy basis for each determination and identifies required corrective action.
• Leads or participates in special projects such as systemwide classification studies, market surveys, salary-program rollouts, or HRIS/system enhancements; represents the campus in CSU workgroups or committees as assigned.
• Identifies opportunities to streamline workflows, enhance data integrity, and improve service delivery; responds to surveys and audits and prepares related reports.
• Performs other job-related duties as assigned, adapting guidelines and procedures to meet new needs and coordinating with other functional work groups to resolve problems with discretion and excellent customer service.
• Partner with Talent Acquisition, Labor/Employee Relations, HRIS, and Payroll to ensure integrated HR practices.
• Provide input on campus workforce planning initiatives, diversity and equity efforts, and strategic HR projects.
• Serve as a liaison between campus leadership and the Chancellor’s Office on classification and compensation matters.

Benefits

• The California State University (CSU) system is a network of twenty-three public universities providing access to a quality education through the support of California taxpayers.
• As an agency of the State of California, the CSU’s business operations almost exclusively reside within California.
• Cal Poly Pomona hires only individuals lawfully authorized to work in the United States.
• We provide reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities.
• Cal Poly Pomona provides equal opportunity in employment without unlawful discrimination or preferential treatment based on race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin.
• As a federal contractor, Cal Poly Pomona complies with the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA) and requests priority referral of protected veterans for our job openings.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior