Senior Compensation & Classification Specialist

Type of Appointment: Full Time, Probationary

Job Classification: Confidential Administrative Support III

Anticipated Hiring Range: $5,357 - $7,000 per month

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday; 8am-5pm


THE DEPARTMENT:

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.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Position Classification, Job Analysis & Salary Administration

• 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.

Policy Interpretation, Advisory Support & Compliance

• 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.

Independent Contractor (IC) Program Review & Determination

• 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.

Contracting Out for Services & Union Impact Analysis

• 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. Background-Check Compliance & Written Case Com