Director of Compensation (Immediate Opening

Director of Compensation

The Director of Compensation is responsible for assessing and maintaining the organization's compensation functions, overseeing more than 700 position types and 11,000 employees from a Total Rewards perspective. Under the guidance of the Vice President of Compensation and Benefits, the Director collaborates with departmental and organizational leadership, utilizing their expertise and knowledge of compensation best practices both within and outside of educational settings.

This role ensures that our compensation strategy is fair, competitive, and aligned with our goals to attract, motivate, and retain staff at IDEA Public Schools.

This is a full-time remote position based in Texas, with preference given to candidates who live in Austin, El Paso, Houston, Permian Basin (Midland/Odessa), Rio Grande Valley, San Antonio, and Tarrant County (Fort Worth), or who are willing to relocate. Travel to IDEA or external training events and team step-back retreats is expected.

Essential Duties:

• Enhance Employee Value Proposition:
  Develop and maintain a compelling Employee Value Proposition that effectively attracts, retains, and motivates staff at IDEA Public Schools. Regularly assess employee preferences and simplify program offerings based on insights from exit surveys, Annual Employee Experience surveys, and other employee feedback.
• Competitive Compensation Management:
  Ensure competitive and equitable compensation for IDEA staff while maintaining Total Rewards costs within established budgets. Lead the external benchmarking process, monitor compensation data and market trends to inform decision-making, and collaborate with Finance and Talent Acquisition to maintain position control.
• Ensure Compensation Compliance and
  
  Risk Management:
  
  Monitor FLSA and other applicable federal, state, and local wage-and-hour laws and regulations across all states of operation, ensuring job classifications, exemption status, and pay practices remain compliant. Partner with Legal and HR on compensation-related audits and wage claims, and maintain documentation to support the defensibility of pay decisions.
• Lead Compensation Initiatives:
  Drive execution of organization-wide strategic compensation priorities, inclusive of the 2035 a Brighter IDEA strategic plan, the JD/JDQ audit and Workday migration, annual market analysis that is inclusive of all years, stipend structure reviews, recognition program alignment, and development of strategic compensation frameworks for school administration and teaching roles.
• Engage Leadership and Others:
  Serve as the organization's compensation subject-matter expert in strategic planning, presenting compensation analyses, market recommendations, and strategic proposals to Senior Leadership, the Executive Team, and, on occasion, the Board committees. Create and execute communication and change management strategies for compensation revisions, engaging senior leaders in strategic discussion.
• Streamline Compensation Processes:
  Design and implement efficient processes that guarantee all IDEA staff receive accurate and timely compensation. Lead and implement efficiencies by leveraging Workday functionality. Oversee all compensation functions including, but not limited to, the merit increase process, counteroffers, market analysis, job descriptions, and collaborating with Payroll, Employee Information Systems, and other cross-collaborative teams to achieve seamless execution.
• Team Leadership, Development, and Service Excellence:
  Foster a high-performing Compensation team by establishing clear goals and individual development plans. Provide coaching, regular feedback, and training to improve competencies, while ensuring strong evaluations of customer service and integrity from key stakeholders.

Additional

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Provide access to compensation data, reports, and records as needed.
• Contribute to and facilitate cross-functional task forces and committees related to compensation.
• Support local and regional needs by offering guidance to teams and leadership on workforce planning and organizational design.
• Perform additional duties as assigned.

Knowledge and Skills –

Compete…