Compensation Manager

Who We Are

Founded in 1926, the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation is a private, not-for-profit educational, historic, and cultural institution that owns and operates one of the largest and best-known museum complexes in the world. Our mission is “that the future may learn from the past” through preserving and restoring 18^th-century Williamsburg, Virginia’s colonial capital. We engage, inform, and inspire people to learn about this historic capital, the events that occurred here, and the diverse peoples who helped shape a new nation.  

Today, Colonial Williamsburg is the largest living history museum in the U.S. The Historic Area is the 301-acre restored colonial capital with 89 original buildings and 525 buildings reconstructed to how they appeared in the 18th century through extensive archaeological, architectural, and documentary research. The Historic Area is staffed by highly trained, historically dressed interpreters and expert tradespeople who bring the 18th century to life. The Foundation also owns and operates two world-class museums, the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum, and the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum, The Bob and Marion Wilson Teacher Institute, and a renowned research library, the John D Rockefeller Jr Library.

Additionally, Colonial Williamsburg is home to five world class accommodations at the Williamsburg Inn, Williamsburg Lodge Autograph Collection, the Griffin Hotel, the Williamsburg Woodlands Hotels and Suites and the unique Colonial Houses in the Historical Area. Visitors may also indulge in food and drink at our many on site restaurants and taverns that blend a historically inspired dining experience with today’s evolved tastes. Each year over 5 million people visit Williamsburg and another 20 million engage with us digitally.

About the Position

The Compensation Manager is responsible for supporting and advancing the organization’s compensation strategy through the development, implementation, and maintenance of competitive and compliant pay programs for both exempt and non-exempt roles. This position leads and executes end-to-end compensation initiatives, including program design, planning cycles, data collection and analysis, presentation development, and cross-functional communication. The role manages the compensation team and partners closely with HR, Finance, Accounting, Legal, IT, Operations, and other stakeholders to ensure compensation programs support business objectives and are administered consistently. Key responsibilities include managing annual merit and bonus processes, market pricing, job evaluation, maintaining job architecture integrity, and participating in compensation surveys. The position also drives process improvements, enhances reporting and compliance practices, supports training and communication around compensation philosophy, and develops new policies and procedures. This role plays a critical part in ensuring competitive, equitable, and legally compliant compensation practices across the organization.

***Must reside in or be ready to relocate to Virginia***

Main Duties:

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:
•Support compensation strategy by developing, recommending, implementing, andmaintaining exempt and non-exempt pay programs across all functional areas.
•Lead end-to-end compensation initiatives that include compensation design and planningcycles, including data collection, data analysis, presentation development, communication,and program implementation.
•Influence HR and other cross-functional business partners including but not limited toAccounting, Finance, Legal, Operations, Communications, and IT to achieve desired businessoutcomes and through data driven presentations.
•Responsible for annual compensation processes including merit and bonus planning.
•Manage various compensation-related projects which involve revision, development, and/orre-design of existing compensation programs and modeling cost of incentives and programs.
•Assists in designing job architecture, levels, and pay grades in conjunction withcompensation team, management and HRBPs.
•Maintain the integrity of the job architecture ranges as new positions are created andrevised.
•Participate in large-scale compensation surveys to collect and analyze competitive salaryinformation to determine the company’s competitive position for Salary Planning and SalaryStructure recommendations.
•Manage market pricing and job evaluation activities, including matching internal positions toexternal data and formulating recommendations to ensure competitive pay supportingrecruitment and retention efforts.
•Identify opportunities for process improvement, application of technology, and programsimplification.
•Enhance HR Reporting and Auditing pay practices Data Integrity to ensure compliance withfederal and state legislation applicable to wage and hour laws and regulations. Initiatechanges when appropriate.
•Assist in the development of manager training, communication strategies, and materials tocreate clarity and understanding around the organization’s compensation philosophy toensure that key organizational messages are integrated and to facilitate consistent programadministration and adherence to pay policies.
•Write and launch new compensation policies and procedures as necessary, educating allimpacted parties and ensuring compliance.
•Proactively stays abreast of industry trends and new technologies. Make appropriaterecommendations to enhance, develop and innovate to better serve the evolving needs ofthe businesses and stay in legal compliance.

This job description reflects the general responsibilities of the position and is not intended to be an exhaustive list. Duties and responsibilities may evolve over time based on operational needs.

Required Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Finance, or a related field or equivalent experience.
• Minimum of 7 years progressive compensation experience, including job architecture, pay structures, annual pay cycles, budgeting, analytics, and incentive/bonus programs.
• 2 or more years of people management/leadership experience.
• Hands-on experience with various HR technology platforms such as UKG, Workday, Pay factors, or similar.
• Proven experience designing compensation solutions across executive, exempt, and non-exempt populations.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in human resources, Business Administration, Finance, or a related field.
• Professional certifications such as CCP, PHR, SPHR, and/or SHRM-SCP.
• Experience in large, multi-state organizations is strongly preferred.

Key Skills / Competencies:

•Deep expertise in compensation principles and regulations, including job evaluation, FLSAclassification, job leveling, and pay band development.
•Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint.
•Strong business acumen and strategic mindset, with the ability to synthesize complexquantitative data into clear recommendations and actionable insights for senior leadership.
•Advanced analytical, mathematical, and problem-solving skills, with experience developingand presenting reports, analyses, and proposals to executive audiences.
•Exceptional project management and prioritization skills, with a track record of deliveringcomplex, cross-functional initiatives on time.
•Highly effective consultative and collaborative leader, capable of influencing, buildingconsensus, and fostering strong partnerships across teams.
•Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to navigate sensitiveand confidential matters with discretion and sound judgment.

Budget Responsibilities:

•Developing compensation spend for merit, market increases, promotions, equity, etc.
• Budget of approx 2.8M

Supervisory Responsibilities:

Direct supervisor of the Compensation Team (2 full-time exempt Specialist 3 roles)

Physical and Environmental Demands:

• The work performed in this role is primarily sedentary and conducted in a standard office environment.
• The position requires the ability to sit for extended periods while working at a computer, analyzing data, and preparing reports or presentations.
• Regular use of hands and fingers is required to operate a keyboard, mouse, and other office equipment.
• The role involves frequent communication—both verbal and written—with internal and external partners; therefore, clear speech, active listening, and the ability to present information effectively are essential.
• Occasional standing, walking, and light lifting of materials up to 10–15 pounds (such as files, binders, or equipment) may be necessary.
• The position may require periods of concentrated focus, especially during compensation planning cycles, audits, or system implementation activities such as Workday configuration and testing.
• Work is typically performed in a well-lit, climate-controlled environment with minimal exposure to hazards.
• Some extended hours may be required during peak cycles to meet deadlines and ensure timely completion of compensation.

Typical Work Schedule:

M-F 8:00 -5:00