Classification and Compensation Manager (Manager III, Grade M3)

WHO WE ARE
We are a motivated, agile, human-centric, diverse group of people dedicated to serving our community by hiring, developing, and retaining a well-qualified, high-performing, diverse, and inclusive workforce. We serve over 10,000 employees across 35 departments who deliver government programs and services to a community of over 1 million residents. In addition, we strive to foster positive management/union relationships in coordination with our four union organizations. We value diversity, inclusion, and equity for all employees.

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR
The Office of Human Resources (OHR) is seeking a Classification and Compensation Manager (Manager III) to supervise and lead our Classification and Compensation team and play a critical leadership role in developing, maintaining, and implementing our classification plan and compensation philosophies. This role requires exceptional program leadership and functional expertise in administering an organization’s classification and compensation program. If you are a compensation professional who combines deep technical expertise with a passion for equity and public service, we want to hear from you.

This job is for you if:

• You are passionate about salary structure design and organizational analysis. 
• You thrive on turning complex information into easily-understood guidance and rules.
• You love to develop, apply, and teach methodologies and frameworks.
• You can leverage strong communication skills and robust analytic and writing skills in creating meaningful and digestible guidance and policy.     
• You are looking for an opportunity to grow professionally while making a real difference in your local government and community. 

As the Classification and Compensation Manager, you will provide strategic leadership and day-to-day direction for the County’s classification and compensation programs. Reporting to the Division Chief of Policy, Practice, and Strategic Communications, you will be responsible for ensuring that the County’s pay structures, job classifications, and compensation policies are equitable, competitive, legally compliant, and aligned with the County’s strategic priorities and merit system principles. This is a high-visibility leadership position that requires both analytical rigor and the ability to communicate complex compensation concepts to executives, labor representatives, and employees at all levels. You will:

• Lead the design, implementation, and ongoing administration of the County’s classification and compensation programs, ensuring alignment with merit system principles, applicable laws, collective bargaining agreements, and organizational equity goals.
• Supervise and develop a team of classification and compensation analysts, setting performance expectations, providing coaching, and building individual and team capability.
• Direct the evaluation and classification of positions across all County departments, applying standardized job evaluation methodologies to assess work complexity, scope of responsibility, and market alignment.
• Manage comprehensive salary surveys and labor market analyses to assess the competitiveness of the County’s compensation structure and provide data-driven recommendations for pay adjustments, salary range revisions, and total compensation enhancements.
• Develop, review, and update compensation policies, pay plans, salary schedules, and classification specifications in response to organizational changes, legal requirements, and workforce trends.
• Partner with department leaders and HR Liaisons on position reviews, reclassification requests, and reorganizations, providing expert guidance and formal written determinations.
• Provide leadership and oversight to salary offers during the recruitment process to support the recruitment and retention of qualified personnel.
• Prepare and present analytical reports, decision memos, and briefings for senior departmental and County leadership.
• Collaborate with HRIS and workforce analytics teams to leverage compensation and classification data, ensuring data integrity and supporting the development of dashboards and workforce reporting tools.
• Serve as the subject matter expert on compensation and classification matters in collective bargaining support, responding to information requests and advising on the compensation implications of proposed contract language.
• Ensure compliance with federal and state wage and hour laws, pay equity statutes, and other applicable regulations; proactively identify and address risk areas.
• Lead or participate in special projects and strategic HR initiatives as assigned by OHR leadership, including compensation system modernization, pay equity analyses, and workforce planning efforts.

Education: Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor’s Degree.

Experience: Five years of progressively responsible professional experience in human resources management.

Equivalency: An equivalent combination of experience and education may be substituted. 

*NOTE: Telework availability is not guaranteed during the 12-month probationary period. Telework may be permitted at the discretion of the supervisor and based on operational needs.

There are no preferred criteria for this position. Applicants meeting the minimum qualifications will be placed on the eligible list with a rating of Qualified and will be eligible for interview. Selection for interview will be based on the following criterion:

1. Certification as a Certified Compensation Professional (CCP) and/or SHRM-SCP. 
2. Previous experience in supervising classification and compensation staff members.
3. Substantive experience in classification and compensation within a local, state, or federal government.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

The Office of Human Resources (OHR) reviews the minimum qualifications of all applicants, irrespective of whether the candidate has previously been found to have met the minimum requirements for the job or been temporarily promoted to the same position. This evaluation is based solely on the information contained in the application/resume submitted for this specific position.

Montgomery County Government(MCG)  is an equal opportunity employer, committed to workforce diversity. Accordingly, as it relates to employment opportunities, the County will provide reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities, in accordance with the law. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should email OHR at Hiring@montgomerycountymd.gov. Individual determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made in accordance with all applicable laws.

MCG also provides hiring preference to certain categories of veterans and veterans/persons with a disability. For more information and to claim employment preference, refer to the Careers webpage on Hiring Preference.

All applicants will respond to a series of questions related to their education, relevant experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities required to minimally perform the job. The applicant's responses in conjunction with their resume and all other information provided in the employment application process will be evaluated to determine the minimum qualifications and preferred criteria or interview preference status. Based on the results, the highest qualified applicants will be placed on an Eligible List and may be considered for an interview. Employees meeting minimum qualifications who are the same grade will be placed on the Eligible List as a "Lateral Transfer" candidate and may be considered for an interview.

This will establish an Eligible List that may be used to fill both current and future vacancies.

If selected for consideration for this position, you may be required to provide evidence that you possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities indicated on your resume.

Montgomery County Ethics Law: Except as provided by law or regulation, the County's "Public Employees" (which does not include employees of the Sheriff's office) are subject to the County's ethics law including the requirements to obtain advanced approval of any outside employment and the prohibitions on certain outside employment. The outside employment requirements of the ethics law can be found at 19A-12 of the County Code. Additional information about outside employment can be obtained from the Ethics Commission website.