The Compensation Senior Manager provides enterprise leadership for the firm’s compensation strategy, programs, governance, and operations. This role leads the design, implementation, and ongoing evaluation of competitive and equitable compensation programs; and serves as a trusted advisor to senior leaders on complex compensation matters. The Senior Manager partners closely with HR Business Partners, business leaders, Talent Acquisition, Finance, Payroll, HRIS, and other stakeholders to translate business priorities into scalable compensation solutions.

What You Will Do:

Own and advance the firm’s enterprise compensation strategy, ensuring alignment with business priorities, talent objectives, market practices, and the firm’s pay philosophy.
Serve as the firm’s senior compensation subject matter expert and trusted advisor to executive leaders, business leaders, HR Business Partners, and other key stakeholders.
Lead the design, implementation, administration, and ongoing optimization of base pay, incentive compensation, recognition, and other compensation programs.
Direct annual compensation planning processes, including merit increases, promotions, market adjustments, and variable compensation awards, with responsibility for governance, communications, training, and execution.
Develop and maintain compensation frameworks, salary structures, job architecture, career levels, and related policies that support internal equity, external competitiveness, and career progression.
Lead enterprise market-pricing and benchmarking strategies across employee populations, including executive and other specialized roles, and translate findings into actionable recommendations.
Provide strategic consultation on complex compensation matters, including offers, retention arrangements, incentive design, organizational changes, and other business-specific pay decisions.
Evaluate the effectiveness, competitiveness, and financial sustainability of compensation programs and recommend changes based on business priorities, workforce trends, and market intelligence.
Oversee job analysis, job evaluation, market pricing, and pay-equity reviews, ensuring consistent application of compensation standards and sound judgment in complex or sensitive situations.
Develop executive-ready analyses, models, dashboards, and recommendations that enable informed decision-making by senior leadership.
Participate on the firm’s Compensation Committee, including establishing agendas, preparing decision materials and recommendations, facilitating discussions, documenting decisions, and ensuring timely follow-through.
Establish and maintain compensation governance, controls, documentation, and approval processes that promote consistency, transparency, compliance, and operational discipline.
Ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations governing compensation programs, including evolving pay transparency and pay equity requirements.
Lead complex, cross-functional compensation initiatives and system enhancements, partnering with HRIS, Payroll, Finance, Talent Acquisition, and other stakeholders to deliver scalable solutions.
Monitor emerging compensation practices, regulatory developments, and market trends; assess implications for the firm and advise senior leadership accordingly.
Provide leadership, coaching, and quality oversight for compensation work, building strong capabilities, clear accountability, and effective partnerships across the organization.

Minimum Qualifications:

8 or more years of progressive compensation experience, including significant experience leading enterprise compensation strategy, program design, governance, and execution in a complex organization.
Demonstrated ability to advise senior executives and lead decision-making forums or governance committees on complex, high-impact compensation matters.
Deep expertise in base pay, incentive compensation, market pricing, job evaluation, job architecture, pay equity, salary structures, and annual compensation planning.
Experience working in a large, multi-location organization with operations across the United States; experience navigating varied business models or employee populations is strongly valued.
Proven success leading complex, cross-functional initiatives and influencing outcomes across HR, Finance, Payroll, HRIS, Talent Acquisition, and business leadership.
Exceptional analytical and business acumen, with the ability to interpret complex data, assess risk and tradeoffs, and translate findings into clear, executive-ready recommendations.
Strong executive presence and communication skills, with demonstrated judgment, discretion, and credibility in handling sensitive compensation matters.
Advanced Excel and data-modeling skills, with experience using compensation technology and HR systems to support scalable processes and decision-making.

Preferred Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree in human resources, business, finance, or a related field.
CCP (Certified Compensation Professional) certification; PHR or SPHR certification is also valued.
Experience leading compensation strategy in a professional services or similarly complex, matrixed organization.
Experience supporting executive compensation and preparing materials for senior leadership or governance committees.
Experience working in a global capacity.
Experience using Workday compensation management tools.

Forvis Mazars

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Compensation Senior Manager