Compensation Consultant

POLITICO is seeking an experienced Compensation Consultant to oversee and enhance our compensation strategies across our North America operations.

Based in Arlington, VA, this role will be critical in ensuring our practices align with local labor laws, market trends, and our organizational objectives, while supporting talent attraction, retention, and engagement. As a trusted advisor, the Consultant will provide strategic and operational expertise in the design, implementation, and evaluation of compensation programs, ensuring competitive positioning across the North America region.

What You'll Do:

• In coordination with EU operations, design, implement, and manage compensation structures, including salary benchmarking, job grading, and pay scales to align with local market practices
• Conduct regular market analyses to ensure the organization remains competitive in attracting and retaining talent
• Provide expertise on annual salary reviews, merit increases, and bonus plan administration
• Oversee compliance with local and regional labor regulations regarding minimum wages, pay equity, and compensation reporting requirements
• Ensure compliance with US and state-specific labor laws, tax regulations, and reporting requirements related to compensation
• Maintain and update compensation policies, ensuring they are consistent with best practices and organizational objectives
• Serve as the primary point of contact for audits, regulatory filings, and internal reviews related to compensation
• Partner with HR, Finance, and leadership teams to align compensation programs with broader business strategies
• Provide guidance to managers and employees on compensation policies, practices, and issues
• Deliver training and communication materials to employees regarding compensation programs
• Process Optimization and Reporting
• Streamline compensation processes to enhance efficiency and accuracy
• Organize compensation data and enhance reporting and analytical capabilities
• Leverage HRIS and other tools to maintain accurate employee data and generate insightful analytics
• Prepare reports and presentations for leadership, including recommendations for program improvements

What You'll Need:

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Finance, or a related field; a Master's degree is preferred
• Minimum of 3-5+ years of experience in compensation, with a focus on US markets
• Strong knowledge of US labor laws and regulations
• Experience with salary benchmarking tools (e.g., Mercer, Korn Ferry, or Radford)
• Proven ability to manage multiple projects and stakeholders in a fast-paced, dynamic environment
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills with a high level of attention to detail
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills

Preferred Qualifications:

• Certification in Compensation and Benefits (e.g., CCP, GRP, or similar) is a strong advantage
• Experience with Workday or similar HRIS platforms
• Background in media, publishing, or related industries

We are driven by our values. We are relentless contributors, disruptors of the status quo, collaborators, talent cultivators and DEI stewards. Our culture is defined by grit, total integrity and a prioritization on innovation.

We value our people. Click here for more on what we offer and what it’s like to work for POLITICO.

Let’s keep in touch. You can view our list of open positions here and email us careers@politico.com. We hope to see your application soon!