Compensation & Benefits Specialist

We are looking for a Compensation & Benefits Specialist for a Contract position. This role will lead a detailed review of pay practices for instructional and transportation staff, using market data and internal analysis to identify opportunities for stronger competitiveness and fairness. The specialist will translate findings into practical compensation recommendations that support hiring, retention, and long-term workforce planning.

Responsibilities:

• Examine salary ranges, wage schedules, stipends, and related pay practices for teaching and bus driver roles to determine how current programs are structured.
• Study historical pay movement and employee progression patterns to identify trends that influence compensation decisions over time.
• Evaluate internal equity, compression concerns, and alignment across comparable positions to highlight areas where pay relationships may need adjustment.
• Perform external benchmarking against peer school divisions, nearby districts, government employers, and transportation organizations competing for similar talent.
• Compare total rewards elements such as base pay, overtime potential, benefits, retirement contributions, paid time off, and supplemental earnings.
• Collect and interpret compensation data from public sources, salary surveys, and other market intelligence to support sound analysis.
• Review workforce metrics including vacancies, turnover, staffing levels, and hiring challenges to connect compensation findings with talent outcomes.
• Meet with leadership and human resources stakeholders to gather context, validate assumptions, and understand recruitment pressures affecting key employee groups.
• Develop recommendation packages that include pay structure updates, market-based adjustments, implementation options, and estimated budget impact.
• Prepare executive-level summaries and present findings to district leadership and, when needed, governing stakeholders.

Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Public Administration, Finance, Economics, Statistics, Accounting, or a related field. Minimum of three (3) years of experience in compensation analysis, human resources consulting, workforce analytics, or classification and compensation studies. Demonstrated experience conducting salary surveys and compensation benchmarking studies. Strong analytical, quantitative, and problem-solving skills. Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and data analysis software. Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications Experience conducting compensation studies for K-12 school divisions, local governments, or public-sector organizations. Certified Compensation Professional (CCP) credential a plus! Knowledge of Virginia public school compensation systems and salary scales. Experience evaluating educational and transportation workforce compensation programs. Experience presenting findings to leadership.