Analyst, Senior Compensation

Posting number: 16674

Department: Human Resources and Talent

Job classification: Analyst

Posting type: Open

Categories: Administration, Accounting and Finance, Human Resources

Summary

Position Overview:
Serves as the organization's Senior compensation subject-matter expert, responsible for the full spectrum of compensation strategy, analysis, and administration. Performs a range of analytical and reporting functions in support of county-wide compensation programs, projects, and services. Gathers, consolidates, processes, and analyzes compensation-related data using automated systems to support informed decision-making. Utilizes data findings to develop recommendations related to compensation policies, procedures, and practices, and serves as a resource for compensation-related inquiries and issue resolution.

The incumbent is responsible for executing the duties and responsibilities listed below and other duties as assigned. Some positions may require working before, during, or after an emergency or disaster at the department's discretion.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Compensation Policy & Governance: Leads the development and ongoing maintenance of the Harris County Salary Administration Guide, establishing compensation policies, procedures, and governance standards to ensure equitable, consistent, and compliant pay practices across the organization.
• Strategic Compensation Analysis & Reporting: Leads the other compensation analysts in extracting, validating, and analyzing complex compensation datasets to evaluate pay equity, market alignment, and classification accuracy; develops and maintains multiple complex reports and queries; applies advanced statistical and exploratory analysis techniques to identify trends, support strategic initiatives, and deliver actionable insights for leadership decision-making.
• Market Benchmarking & Competitive Positioning: Leads and guides the other compensation analysts in researching and analyzing internal and external salary survey data to determine market trends, validate job classifications, and recommend competitive salary ranges—applying geographic, industry, and skill-based differentials to maintain market competitiveness.
• Enterprise Compensation Initiatives: Project manages compensation frameworks, including job architecture implementation, career pathway development, and pay equity initiatives to support workforce planning, talent retention, and long-term organizational alignment.
• Consultative Business Partnership: Serves as the senior subject-matter expert and trusted advisor to business units and leadership on compensation strategy, job evaluations, reclassifications, salary recommendations, and position control management—ensuring departmental structures align with organizational objectives and compensation parameters.
• Data Integrity, Budget Alignment & Compliance: Leads and develops the auditing and validation of compensation data to identify discrepancies and recommend corrective actions; ensures position salaries and budgets align with approved salary ranges and assigned budget amounts while maintaining audit readiness and regulatory compliance.
• Technology & Cross-Functional Collaboration: Leads projects with Universal Services and cross-functional stakeholders throughout the full IT project lifecycle—from initiation and planning through execution, testing, and closure—to implement county wide Commissioners Court-approved pay initiatives (e.g., COLAs, law enforcement increases, targeted salary adjustments). Prepares, validates, and reconciles complex data files (e.g., salary administration grades/plans, step structures, job codes, position reclassifications, employee data, budget maximums) and conducts rigorous testing across multiple environments to ensure system accuracy and successful deployment. In addition, conducts biweekly position management uploads in collaboration with county business units.
• Survey Administration & Peer Benchmarking: Leads and mentors other compensation analysts in designing, administering, and participating in compensation surveys with public-sector peers and cross-industry organizations throughout the United States; consolidates complex survey data into actionable insights that inform compensation strategy and maintain competitive market positionin