The Compensation Analyst is responsible for the administration, oversight, and continuous improvement of compensation programs, with a primary focus on collective bargaining agreement (CBA) pay structures and step progressions, Workday day-to-day support, and operational service delivery.
This role serves as a subject matter expert (SME) for compensation processes and systems, provides day-to-day support to the organization, and offers functional (dotted-line) guidance to two hourly Compensation Coordinators. The analyst also plays a key role in advancing compensation operations through automation and AI-enabled solutions to improve efficiency, accuracy, and scalability.
Key Responsibilities
CBA Oversight & Step Progression Administration
- Serve as the primary resource for union compensation structures, including step progressions and contract-driven pay rules
- Oversee and validate step increases based on eligibility criteria (e.g., tenure, hours worked, contract milestones)
- Ensure accurate configuration and maintenance of step plans and union pay structures in Workday
- Partner with Operations, Labor Relations, HR, and Payroll to interpret agreements and resolve pay-related issues and grievances
- Support contract negotiations and implementations by modeling and testing pay scenarios
Operational & Day-to-Day Compensation Support
- Provide daily support for compensation activities including promotions, pay adjustments, job changes, and market pricing
- Support and execute annual compensation cycles (merit, bonus, incentives) within Workday
- Review and approve complex or high-risk compensation actions
- Ensure consistent application of compensation policies, guidelines, and internal equity practices
Help Case & Service Delivery Leadership
- Oversee Workday help case intake and resolution for compensation-related inquiries
- Ensure cases are resolved accurately and within established SLAs
- Handle escalated or sensitive cases requiring deeper analysis or judgment
- Analyze case trends to identify process gaps and recommend improvements
Team Coordination (Dotted-Line Oversight)
- Provide day-to-day functional guidance to two hourly Compensation Coordinators
- Prioritize and allocate workload to ensure timely completion of transactions and cases
- Review work for quality, accuracy, and compliance
- Coach and train coordinators on Workday processes, CBA rules, and best practices
- Support onboarding and documentation of standard operating procedures
Automation & AI Enablement
- Identify opportunities to streamline and automate compensation processes using AI and digital tools
- Partner with Workday Team and Sr Manager Compensation to implement:
- Automated workflows and approvals
- Intelligent case routing and response suggestions
- Data validation and anomaly detection
- Develop automated reports, dashboards, and tracking tools (e.g., step progression trackers)
- Leverage AI/analytics tools to support:
- Pay equity analysis
- Market insights
- Operational efficiency improvements
Data Analysis & Reporting
- Conduct analyses on compensation trends, step progression activity, and pay equity
- Produce standard and ad hoc reporting for HR, Finance, and leadership
- Support audits, compliance reporting, and data validation activities
Compliance & Governance
- Ensure compensation practices align with CBAs, company policies, and regulatory requirements
- Maintain clear documentation and audit trails for decisions and transactions
- Support internal and external audits related to compensation programs
Qualifications
Education & Experience
- Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business, Finance, or related field
- 2–5+ years of experience in compensation, HR operations, or HRIS
- Strong experience with Workday Compensation required
- Experience supporting union environments and CBA administration preferred
Skills & Competencies
- Expertise in Workday configuration, transactions, and reporting
- Understanding of CBA step progression structures and pay administration
- Analytical mindset with strong problem-solving capabilities
- Experience with automation tools and AI-driven solutions (e.g., Power BI, Power Automate, Workday tools, or similar platforms)
- Advanced Excel skills (data analysis, auditing, tracking)
- Strong attention to detail and data accuracy in high-volume environments
- Ability to lead work and provide direction without formal supervisory authority
- Excellent communication, collaboration, and stakeholder management skills
- High level of discretion with sensitive compensation data