Compensation Manager

About the Role

Title: Compensation Manager

Location: Glen Allen, Virginia, 23060, United States

Department: Human Resources

Job Description:

Schnabel is an employee-owned, professional engineering and consulting firm that focuses on solving problems related to the earth and environment through specialization in dam safety, geotechnical, and tunnel engineering.  Schnabel’s high standards for quality, business ethics, and concern for the communities in which we live are a vital part of who we are. Schnabel is an ENR Top 500 Design Firm with 700+ employees in 31 offices throughout the United States.

Recognized by CE News as one of the Best Engineering Firms to Work for, Schnabel provides employees with a competitive benefits package including maternity leave, tuition reimbursement for continuing education, health, dental, life and disability insurance and a wellness program. As an employee-owned company, through the Employee Stock Ownership Plan, Schnabel employees directly benefit from the success of our growing firm.

Benefit options include:

• Employee stock ownership plan (ESOP)

• Medical insurance

• Dental insurance

• Flexible spending accounts

• Employee life & ADD insurance (100% company-paid)

• Short-term disability (100% company-paid)

• Long-term disability

• Supplemental life insurance

• 401(k) and profit-sharing plan

• Bonus program

• Paid time off

• 9 Paid Holidays

• Wellness program

• Professional development and tuition reimbursement

Job Description:

The Compensation Manager leads the design, administration, and continuous improvement of the firm’s compensation programs. This role plays a key part in supporting the organization’s ability to attract, retain, and reward talent in a competitive industry, while helping to lay the foundation for a broader total rewards strategy over time. In collaboration with HR Operations, senior leaders, and HR functional teams, the Compensation Manager ensures compensation practices align with the firm’s core values—including integrity, accountability, and stewardship—and support overall business objectives, with a forward-looking focus on the future integration of total rewards.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Specialist

• Serve as a subject matter expert on compensation strategies, collaborating and advising leadership on trends and best practices that drive desired goals and support a “One Schnabel” mindset.

• Articulate, refine, and champion the firm’s compensation philosophy to support business objectives and enhance employee experience.

• Lead and/or participate in cross-functional initiatives to evolve total rewards strategy and offerings in a geographically distributed, professional services environment.

• Demonstrate adaptability in responding to changing business needs, market conditions, and workforce expectations while maintaining strategic alignment.

• Partner with HR and operational leadership to provide strategic planning and thought leadership, ensuring compensation programs support long-term organizational goals.

Compensation Strategy

• Bring deep, hands-on expertise in compensation design and execution, including base salary structures, variable pay programs, and incentive plans.

• Serve as a trusted advisor to leadership on complex compensation decisions, balancing competitiveness, equity, and fiscal responsibility.

• Drive end-to-end annual compensation strategy execution, including salary increase cycles, market benchmarking, and pay equity analysis.

• Conduct FLSA job evaluations and ensure compliance with federal and state wage and hour laws.

Data & Analytics

• Provide actionable insights through compensation analytics, dashboards, and reporting.

• Monitor market trends and conduct regular benchmarking to inform program design and decision-making.

• Identify and execute opportunities to optimize compensation tools and infrastructure

• Manage vendor relationships and performance

Collaboration & Communication

• Partner with HR leadership, Finance, and executive stakeholders to align compensation with organizational goals.

• Communicate complex compensation and benefits concepts clearly and effectively to diverse audiences.

• Support change management and communication strategies related to compensation initiatives.

• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business, Finance, related field, or commensurate experience.

• 8+ years of progressive experience in compensation and benefits management, with depth in compensation strategy and design.

• 3+ years of experience interfacing with senior leadership on compensation matters

• Proven ability to influence and collaborate with senior leaders and cross-functional teams.

• Demonstrated adaptability and ability to lead through change in a dynamic business environment.

• Commitment to ethical compensation practices and aligning compensation with business goals.

• Strong analytical and statistical skills and proficiency with compensation tools and HRIS platforms.

• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, distributed environment.

• Experience in a firm that includes fully onsite, hybrid, and fully remote teams.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree, GRP or CCP (WorldatWork) certification, or other compensation/benefits credentials a plus

• Experience in an engineering or professional services environment.

• Experience in an employee-owned (ESOP) firm.

• Advanced Excel, PowerBI, and/or data modeling capabilities.

• Experience with compensation and benefits platforms (e.g., MarketPay, Mercer, Payfactors).

Other Requirements:

• Ability to pass a background check which may include criminal history, motor vehicle record and credit check

• Ability to pass a pre-employment screening

The compensation range for this position is between $100,000 to $130,000. Compensation for this position may vary based on geographic location and other factors. We remain committed to providing competitive and equitable compensation to all employees, regardless of their location.