Penn State Job Catalog

Additional levels that exist for this job profile can be seen below.

The defined natural career progression within or between job profiles.

Employee Compensation

Compensation Analysts are responsible for developing, implementing, and managing compensation programs to ensure they are competitive, equitable, and aligned with the University’s goals. This role involves conducting market research, analyzing compensation data, and providing strategic insights to support salary decisions; works closely with human resources partners and management teams to ensure compensation practices comply with regulatory requirements and support employee attraction and retention; performs salary benchmarking, job evaluations, and maintains compensation data integrity.

• Provide guidance to human resources partners, managers, and executives on compensation-related issues, including job evaluations, salary recommendations, and pay equity
• Conduct market research and salary benchmarking to ensure competitive and equitable compensation practices
• Analyze compensation data to identify trends, discrepancies, and areas for improvement
• Collaborate in the development and administration of compensation programs; ensure programs are designed to attract, retain, and motivate employees
• Prepare and maintain documentation related to compensation practices, including policies, procedures, and compensation structures
• Conduct job evaluations and create job descriptions to determine appropriate compensation levels
• Maintain and update compensation databases, ensuring data accuracy and integrity; generate reports and dashboards to support decision-making and strategic planning
• Execute annual compensation processes (annual salary increases, job profile reviews, market/equity reviews, etc.)
• Ensure compensation practices comply with federal, state, and local regulations
• Participate in salary surveys and benchmarking studies
• Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of compensation programs and make recommendations for enhancements or adjustments based on performance metrics and feedback
• Ensure programs, policies, and procedures support and enhance the goal of achieving a diverse workforce
• May supervise staff members, including hiring, development, and performance management

Level:

– Principal Professional

Base Description:

– Completes activities, tasks, and/or projects of a functional nature.

Level Summary:

– Displays mastery of defined skill areas/applications, principles, theories and practices. Evaluates and enhances existing practices. Recognizes emerging trends in area of expertise. Works independently on complex or strategic assignments. Directs and delegates appropriate tasks to others. Implements strategies to ensure achievement of initiatives. Prepares written and/or verbal presentations or proposals on complex issues and deliver to broad audiences. Identifies and implements innovative solutions to important, highly complex strategic and/or operational issues.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

– Indirect supervisor for other full–time employees
– May serve as direct supervisor for part–time, student, and/or temporary workers, volunteers, or a full–time employee

Fiscal Responsibilities:

– Validates and pays invoices
– Monitors and tracks budgets and funding
– May plan and forecast budgets

Problem Solving:

– Encounters complex and novel problems
– Applies policies, practices, specialized knowledge, and skills to resolve problems
– Understands benefits, limitations, and impact of potential solutions
– Anticipates potential problems and recommends possible solutions within general guidelines

Independence of Action:

– Works independently on complex or strategic assignments
– Uses existing practices as guidelines as well as working knowledge to determine specific work methods
– Carries out work activities independently, with supervisor available to resolve problems
– Reviews work of others to verify technical soundness

Communication and Collaboration:

– Communicates with both internal and external audiences
– Collaborates closely with team members and area leads across the University
– Prepares written and/or verbal presentations or proposals on complex issues and delivers to a broad variety of audiences
– Establishes and maintains networks to facilitate successful communication among units

• Comp Grade – 14
• Minimum – $97,100.00
• MidPoint – $121,400.00
• Maximum – $145,700.00