Senior Compensation Analyst

Role Description

We’re searching for a Senior Compensation Analyst to join the People team in a remote or hybrid capacity out of our Chicago office. We’re in the middle of a multi-year compensation roadmap built around high-impact, employee-centric initiatives, and you will be a driving force behind it. As a Senior Compensation Analyst, you’ll own meaningful work across our full compensation spectrum: job architecture, market pricing, variable pay programs, and the annual planning cycle.

To keep us headed in the right direction, we're looking for people who see compensation as a lever for fairness and retention, not just a formula to administer, someone who welcomes complexity and brings a point of view. If you thrive in a lean, high-visibility environment where your work makes a real impact, we want to hear from you.

What You’ll Do

• Drive the development and administration of compensation and job architecture frameworks that keep Applied both internally equitable and externally competitive.
• Own the annual compensation planning cycle from start to finish, including system configuration, UAT, budgeting, cycle execution, and hands-on training and consultation with People Team Partners and leaders.
• Partner with People Team to evaluate roles, navigate job placement, and ensure consistent, accurate job documentation across the organization.
• Build compensation models that bring salary grades, pay equity analyses, and variable pay targets to life. Translate what you find into near- and long-term cost and benefit decisions.
• Serve as the team’s compensation systems expert. You will own system administration, identify opportunities to automate, and drive the efficiency gains that free the team up for higher-impact work.
• Support the administration of equity programs, including analysis and recommendations to inform grant decisions, refresh cycles, and candidate equity packages.
• Conduct compensation benchmarking for international markets, including India, with the ability to independently research statutory requirements, interpret market dynamics, and make data-driven pay recommendations.
• Stay ahead of emerging AI and data analytics trends and actively apply them to modernize compensation processes, reduce manual lift, and sharpen accuracy.
• Stay current on compensation-related laws and regulations, translating legislative changes into clear guidance and ensuring our programs and practices remain compliant.
• Bring others along. Share what you know with junior team members and help build compensation literacy across the People function.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of progressive compensation experience covering base pay, variable pay, and job architecture.
• Advanced Excel skills: combined functions, pivot tables, queries, and the ability to turn that analysis into a clear, compelling story.
• A track record of administering full compensation planning cycles, including system configuration, UAT, reporting, and stakeholder support.
• Hands-on experience with third-party compensation surveys (Radford/Aon, Culpepper, WTW) and conducting market pricing analyses.
• A natural consultative style. You build trust with People Team partners and leaders and know how to make complex comp topics accessible.
• Familiarity with pay equity analysis and evolving multi-jurisdictional pay transparency and reporting requirements (e.g., state pay data reporting, EU legislation).

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience required.
• Certified Compensation Professional (CCP) certification preferred.
• Proficiency with HRIS and compensation platforms (such as UKG, Bettercomp, Pequity, or similar).
• Background in a company that was scaling through a high-growth phase.
• Experience supporting or administering compensation programs across multiple countries or regions, including familiarity with international statutory requirements and market dynamics.
• Experience building enablement resources and training for HR partners and People Leaders.

Benefits

• Medical, Dental, and Vision Coverage
• Holiday and Vacation Time
• Health & Wellness Days
• A Bonus Day for Your Birthday

Company Description

We know that talent comes from all backgrounds and experience levels. We encourage military members and their spouses as well as candidates without a degree or a background in tech to apply!

When You Join Team Applied, You Can Expect:

• A culture that values who you are and recognizes that you aren’t just an employee; you are a teammate, and you matter.
• We flex our time together, collaborating remotely and in-person to empower our teams to work in the ways that work best for them.
• A comprehensive benefits and compensation package that centers our teammates and helps them to bring their best to work every day.