Compensation Manager

At Wipfli, people count.
At Wipfli, our people are core to everything we do-the catalyst behind our ability to create exceptional impact and extraordinary results.
We believe in flexibility. We focus on relationships. We encourage each individual to follow their own path.
People truly matter and they feel it. For those looking to make a difference and find a professional home, Wipfli offers a career-defining opportunity.
Job Summary: Under the direction of the Director of Total Rewards & HR Systems, the Manager, Compensation is responsible for leading and delivering broad-based compensation administration across the organization. This role oversees the development, implementation, and ongoing administration of compensation programs, including job pricing, job evaluations, annual compensation cycles, and incentive and commission plan support. This is a hands-on leadership role that balances people management with direct execution. The Manager, Compensation will play a critical role in strengthening compensation processes, documentation, and infrastructure while supporting a growing and evolving team in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.
Essential Responsibilities:
Compensation Leadership & Administration

• Lead the design, implementation, and administration of broad-based compensation programs, including merit cycles, job pricing, job evaluations, and market benchmarking.
• Perform internal and external compensation analyses to assess competitiveness, internal equity, and retention.
• Support the administration, analysis, and ongoing improvement of incentive and commission plans, partnering closely with variable compensation team members and members of the growth team.
• Provide guidance to leaders and hiring managers on pay decisions, policy interpretations, job evaluations, and compensation-related questions.
• Support compensation-related activities tied to M&A, organizational changes, and job architecture initiatives.

Team Leadership & Development

• Provide direct leadership to the compensation team, including onboarding, coaching, training, and ongoing development.
• Set clear goals and expectations, monitor progress, and ensure effective workload distribution across the team.
• Foster a team-first mindset focused on collaboration, shared ownership, and collective success.
• Lead by example by balancing delegation with hands-on execution when needed.

Process Improvement & Infrastructure

• Identify gaps in compensation processes, documentation, and tools, and lead efforts to build scalable, best-in-class practices.
• Drive process streamlining and efficiency improvements in a highly manual environment.
• Develop and maintain documentation for compensation processes, systems, and workflows.
• Partner on compensation system strategy, including evaluating tools, benchmarking platforms, and future-state capabilities.

Systems, Analytics & Compliance

• Leverage HR systems and external tools to support compensation administration and decision-making.
• Provide input into the design, configuration, and optimization of HR systems related to compensation.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory requirements, including pay transparency and reporting initiatives.
• Prepare, analyze, and present compensation data with a high level of accuracy, confidentiality, and attention to detail.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Finance, Business, Economics, or a related field, or equivalent relevant experience.
• 7+ years of experience in compensation analysis, design, and/or administration.
• 3+ years of direct people management experience, including responsibility for coaching, development, and performance management.
• Hands-on experience supporting incentive and/or commission plans (bonus- or performance-based).
• Advanced Excel skills, including pivot tables, complex formulas, lookups (XLOOKUP/VLOOKUP), and comfort working with large data sets.
• Experience using HRIS systems such as Workday or UKG

Preferred Qualifications

• Certified Compensation Professional (CCP) designation.
• Experience with external compensation benchmarking tools (e.g., Payfactors or similar).
• Familiarity with commission management platforms such as CaptivateIQ.
• Experience with Microsoft Forms or similar tools for data collection and reporting.
• Exposure to job architecture or career framework initiatives.

Skills & Abilities

• Ability to lead, motivate, and develop a team within a collaborative, matrixed organization.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to turn complex data into clear, actionable insights.
• Proven ability to balance strategic thinking with hands-on execution.
• Comfortable working in environments that require building structure, improving processes, and creating documentation from the ground up.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and relationship-building skills, particularly in virtual settings.
• High level of accuracy, confidentiality, and accountability when handling sensitive compensation information.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, meet deadlines, and remain adaptable during peak workload periods.

Req# 2026-7964
Tiffany Farnsworth, from our recruiting team, will be guiding you through this process. Visit her LinkedIn page to connect!
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Additional Details:
Wipfli is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All candidates will receive consideration for employment without regards to race, creed, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identify, veteran status, disability, or any other characteristics protected by federal, state, or local laws.
Wipfli is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities. If you require a reasonable accommodation to complete an application, interview, or participate in our recruiting process, please send us an email at [email protected]
Wipfli values fair, transparent, and competitive compensation, considering each candidate's unique skills and experiences. The estimated base pay range for this role is $117,000 to $170,000 with offers typically not made at the maximum, allowing for future salary increases. The actual salary at the time of offer depends on business related factors like location, skills, experience, training/education, licensure, certifications, business needs, current associate pay, and relevant employment laws.
Individuals may be eligible for an annual discretionary bonus, subject to participation rules and based on a variety of factors including, but not limited to, individual and Firm performance.
Wipfli cares about our associates and offers a variety of benefits to support their well-being. Highlights include 8 health plan options (both HMO & PPO plans), dental and vision coverage, opportunity to enroll in HSA with potential Firm contribution and an Employee Assistance Program. Other benefits include firm-sponsored basic life and short and long-term disability coverage, a 401(k) savings plan & profit share as well as Firm matching contribution, well-being incentive, education & certification assistance, flexible time off, family care leave, parental leave, family formation benefits, cell phone reimbursement, and travel rewards. Voluntary benefit offerings include critical illness & accident insurance, hospital indemnity insurance, legal, long-term care, pet insurance, ID theft protection, and supplemental life/AD&D. Eligibility for all benefits programs is dependent on annual hours expectation, position status/level and location.
"Wipfli" is the brand name under which Wipfli LLP and Wipfli Advisory LLC and its respective subsidiary entities provide professional services. Wipfli LLP and Wipfli Advisory LLC (and its respective subsidiary entities) practice in an alternative practice structure in accordance with the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct and applicable law, regulations, and professional standards. Wipfli LLP is a licensed independent CPA firm that provides attest services to its clients, and Wipfli Advisory LLC provides tax and business consulting services to its clients. Wipfli Advisory LLC and its subsidiary entities are not licensed CPA firms.