Administrative Skills, Analysis Skills, Benchmarking, Budgeting, Business Administration, Calibration, Certified Compensation Professional, Communication Skills, Compensation Analysis, Compensation Management, Compensation and Benefits, Consulting, Decision Support, Documentation, Employee Retention, Establish Priorities, Finance, Human Resources, Leadership, Market Tracking, Mentoring, Pricing, Process Improvement, Professional Services, Promotional Programs, Risk Analysis, Scalable System Development, Student Financial Services, Student Loans, Team Lead/Manager, Trend Analysis, Workforce Planning
We are seeking a Compensation Manager to lead the firm’s compensation function, with primary responsibility for salary administration, governance, and decision support. This role partners closely with firm leadership to shape and maintain a compensation approach that is competitive, equitable, and aligned with business priorities—while remaining closely involved in execution.
This is a hands-on role that balances leadership, judgment, and day-to-day ownership of key compensation processes, with a focus on building scalable practices as the function grows.
Kimley-Horn is looking for a Compensation Manager to join our Raleigh, North Carolina (NC) office. This is not a remote position.
Responsibilities:
- Own and lead the firm’s compensation function, including salary administration frameworks, policies, and governance
- Serve as the primary compensation partner to senior leadership, providing clear, data-driven recommendations and guidance in partnership with our external consultant.
- Administer and evolve the salary structure, including job mapping, pay positioning, and range management
- Lead and actively manage compensation decisions, including offers, promotions, and off-cycle adjustments
- Serve as the escalation point for complex or high-impact pay decisions, providing clear, defensible recommendations
- Lead the annual salary review process, including planning, guidance, and calibration across the firm
- Support bonus administration and ensure alignment to overall compensation programs
- Oversee market pricing and benchmarking to maintain competitive, market-aligned salary ranges
- Analyze compensation data to identify trends, risks, and opportunities (e.g., equity, compression, market gaps)
- Partner with Finance on budgeting, workforce planning, and compensation cost impacts
- Establish and maintain consistent processes, documentation, and controls to support audit-ready, defensible decisions
- Drive process improvements to increase consistency, efficiency, and scalability of salary administration
- Serve as a trusted advisor to HR and office leadership, translating data into practical, actionable guidance
- Mentor and develop compensation analysts while helping build the structure and capabilities of the team over time
Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Finance, or related field
- 10+ years of experience in compensation, with strong focus on salary administration
- Proven experience managing salary structures, market pricing, and compensation cycles
- Experience advising senior leaders on compensation decisions and trade-offs
- Strong analytical skills with advanced Excel and data interpretation capabilities
- Demonstrated ability to operate at both a strategic and hands-on level
- Strong communication, judgment, and stakeholder management skills
Preferred Qualifications - Certified Compensation Professional (CCP)
- Experience in a professional services environment
- Experience mentoring or leading team members
Why Kimley-Horn?:
At Kimley-Horn, we do things differently. People, clients, and employees are at the forefront of who we are. Clients know we prioritize achieving their goals and growing their success. Employees know our culture and approach to business are built on a desire to provide an environment for everyone to flourish. Our commitment to quality is only as good as the people behind it— that’s why we welcome and develop passionate, hardworking, and proactive employees. We take pride in how our employee retention, robust benefits package, and company values have led to Kimley-Horn’s placement on the Fortune “100 Best Companies to Work” list for 19 years!
Key Benefits at Kimley-Horn
- Exceptional Retirement Plan: 2-to1- company match on up to 4% of eligible compensation (salary + bonus) and additional profit-sharing contribution.
- Comprehensive Health Coverage: Low-cost medical, dental, and vision insurance options.
- Time Off: Personal leave, flexible scheduling, floating holidays, and half-day Fridays.
- Financial Wellness: Student loan matching in our 401(k), and performance-based bonuses.
- Professional Development: Tuition reimbursement and extensive internal training programs.
- Family-Friendly Benefits: New Parent Leave, family building benefits, and childcare resources.
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Kimley-Horn
Kimley-Horn keeps two groups of people at the center of its business: its clients and its staff. Past president Ed Vick said, "We have no reason to exist except to serve our clients." That intense focus on providing quality to the people we serve has made Kimley-Horn one of the nation's top consulting firms in every discipline we practice.
But the firm's core purpose, articulated by its leadership and lived out daily, is "to provide an environment for our people to flourish." We know that people are fulfilled, motivated, and challenged in different ways. In order to foster our individual aspirations, we support our people as they grow into roles and take on responsibilities that are important to them. Growing professionally, having fun with our colleagues, and finding satisfaction in our work are central to our way of life.
To that purpose we add core values: "honesty, integrity, and ethics; exceptional client service; high expectations; sharing and caring; sustained profitability." Our core values and core purpose provide a foundation for the way we approach our business. Our vision is long-term and our expectation is always to perform with quality, for the sake of both groups at the center of our firm.
Through their work, our people discover untapped talents and interests. At Kimley-Horn we work hard to allow that to happen. We have college students who started as traffic engineers now working on ITS projects. We have former administrative assistants who are now human resources professionals and former marketing coordinators who are now transportation planners.
We provide the environment. We want you to take advantage of it and flourish!