Compensation Benefits Specialist

The Compensation & Benefits Specialist will support the development, analysis, administration, and continuous improvement of company's compensation policies and programs. The position will focus on salary structure design, market benchmarking, annual compensation planning, internal pay equity, and compensation governance to support talent attraction, retention, and sustainable business growth. The role will also assess the competitiveness of employee benefits and recommend program improvements, while partnering with HR leadership, Finance, HR Business Partners, and Payroll. Routine payroll processing and day-to-day benefits administration remain with the existing operational teams.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

• Ensure that all company quality and safety procedures, rules, and regulations are followed and met.
• Develop, review, and recommend compensation policies, guidelines, and programs aligned with business objectives, workforce strategy, and talent competitiveness.
• Design, maintain, and periodically evaluate salary structures, job grades, pay ranges, and job evaluation methodologies across relevant employee groups.
• Conduct external compensation benchmarking and participate in salary surveys to assess market competitiveness by role, level, and critical skill.
• Analyze internal pay equity, salary compression, pay positioning, and compensation inconsistencies; recommend appropriate corrective actions.
• Support annual compensation planning, including merit increase guidelines, promotion increases, market adjustments, and applicable incentive programs.
• Develop compensation cost models and scenario analyses to evaluate salary adjustments, pay structure changes, and budget impacts in partnership with Finance.
• Provide compensation analysis and recommendations for new hires, promotions, transfers, retention cases, and exceptional pay requests in accordance with approval processes.
• Partner with HR Business Partners and business leaders to interpret compensation guidelines and provide consistent, data-informed advice.
• Collaborate with Workforce Planning and Talent Acquisition teams to align compensation assumptions with hiring plans, workforce demand, and labor market conditions.
• Assess the competitiveness, cost, and employee value of benefits programs, including health coverage and retirement benefits, and recommend improvements in coordination with benefits administrators.
• Coordinate with Payroll and Benefits Operations to support accurate implementation of approved compensation and benefits changes without assuming routine payroll processing responsibilities.
• Support compensation governance through documented policies, approval workflows, data controls, and periodic reviews of compensation practices.
• Work with Employee Relations, Legal, and relevant stakeholders to consider applicable wage and hour, pay transparency, equal pay, and collective bargaining requirements.
• Prepare compensation dashboards, salary analyses, management reports, and executive presentations highlighting trends, risks, and recommended actions.
• Perform other related duties as required and assigned.

COMPETENCIES

• Strong knowledge of compensation principles, salary structures, job evaluation, and market pricing.
• Excellent analytical and quantitative skills, including compensation modeling and data interpretation.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and experience with HRIS, compensation surveys, or reporting tools.
• Strong understanding of internal pay equity, compensation governance, and confidential data handling.
• Effective communication and collaboration with HR, Finance, Payroll, and business leaders.
• Strong attention to detail, problem-solving skills, and ability to translate analysis into practical recommendations.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILTY

No direct supervisory responsibilities.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

Environmental exposures are similar to those found in most heavy industrial settings and may include noise, heat, cold, vibration, dust, fumes, smoke, and may involve exposure to inclement weather conditions.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. A range of motion sufficient to perform general lifting, carrying, bending, extended standing, etc. is required.

POSITION TYPE/EXPECTED HOURS OF WORK

This is an onsite, full-time position. Standard days and hours of work vary by department, days and hours determined by department schedules.

PREFERRED EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Finance, Economics, or a related field preferred.
• 3+ years of experience in compensation analysis, compensation planning, total rewards, or a related HR analytical function.
• Experience with salary surveys, market benchmarking, job evaluation, and salary range development preferred.
• Experience supporting annual compensation review cycles and compensation budget modeling preferred.
• Experience in manufacturing, shipbuilding, or another labor-intensive environment preferred.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills; familiarity with HRIS, compensation systems, and data visualization tools preferred.

OTHER DUTIES

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time or without notice.