Benefits and Compensation Manager

What if you could walk into a 1,000-employee industrial company and build the compensation function from the ground up, with full ownership of an existing salary structure that no one currently owns?This is a true department-builder seat. The comp work has lived across the VP, the HR Director, and a senior HRBP. They want one Total Rewards owner to consolidate it. You're that person.Pave Talent is hiring on behalf of our client, an established industrial manufacturer headquartered in St. Louis with 1,000+ employees across roughly 10 US production sites. The largest plant sits about an hour south of St. Louis with ~650 employees; the rest are smaller and scattered. 24/7 production environment, US-only operations, ADP for HRIS and payroll.This is a stable, growing business with a long operating history, recent acquisitions expanding the footprint, and a workforce that includes salaried corporate employees, plant workers, and unionized populations.This isn't a "Manager" seat in the traditional sense. You'll report directly to the VP of Human Resources, manage two direct reports, and own a 50/50 split between benefits and compensation for a 1,000+ employee workforce. The salary structure exists but currently has no single owner. You become that owner.The hiring manager said it directly: "The bones are there, but we really want someone to come in, create it, and own it."If you've been a Senior Analyst doing 50/50 work without the title, a Comp Manager looking to round out into true Total Rewards, or a Benefits Manager ready to take on the comp side as the department's anchor, this is the seat.You'll report to the VP of Human Resources and lead a two-person team:• An HR Assistant based in the St. Louis corporate office who supports the benefits function across the company• A Benefits Administrator based at the largest plant site, dedicated to that population (~650 employees)Your peer group includes the HR Director and a senior HRBP who currently carry pieces of the compensation work. They stay involved as collaborators; you become the owner.The first 6 to 12 months are about consolidation. Expect to be hands-on at first, with delegation evolving over time as you build the function. The hiring manager described the early phase this way: "Very action-oriented, data-driven, number-savvy. Rolling up sleeves and applying all those things to get the ball rolling."• Run open enrollment across multiple plant sites in October and November (the heaviest stretch of the year, and a non-negotiable part of the role)• Take ownership of the existing salary structure: market pricing, job architecture, internal equity, merit and bonus cycles, incentive plan administration• Manage all benefits programs: medical, dental, vision (UnitedHealthcare carrier), 401(k), wellness programming, leave administration, and broker/vendor relationships• Lead employee communications and education around total rewards across a workforce that includes corporate, plant, and unionized populations• Ensure compliance with ERISA, ACA, COBRA, FMLA, and federal/state pay regulations• Partner with Finance, Legal, and HR leadership on planning, budgeting, and executive compensation work as needed• Analyze market data, program utilization, and KPIs to drive recommendations and maintain competitive positioning• Become the in-house subject matter expert that the VP, HR Director, and HRBPs route comp and benefits questions toA few things worth saying directly so the right candidates lean in and the wrong ones self-select out:???? ????????????. The role is ~20% travel. The predecessor goes to the largest plant one day per week. October and November are heavy because of open enrollment across plants; a second benefits person tag-teams that travel, so you're not gone for a month straight, but the cadence is real. Occasional quarterly travel for wellness meetings.???? ??????????. This is for a true Total Rewards subject matter expert. HR Directors and HR Generalists who've touched comp and benefits at a surface level will not be a fit and have already been screened out by the VP.• Bachelor's degree in HR, Finance, Business Administration, or related field• 8+ years of progressive experience across both benefits AND compensation (50/50 expected; pure benefits or pure comp candidates need meaningful exposure to the other side)• Hands-on open enrollment ownership in a prior role (non-negotiable, set by the VP HR)• Experience with salary structures, market pricing, merit cycles, and incentive plan administration• Compliance fluency across ERISA, ACA, COBRA, and FMLA• Advanced Excel• Comfortable being hands-on first, delegating later, in a function you're actively building• Experience in a 24/7 industrial environment (manufacturing, mining, chemical, or similar)• Union exposure• CCP (Certified Compensation Professional) certification; CEBS, CBP, or SHRM also welcomed• ADP HRIS experience???????? ????????????: $105,000 to $150,000 depending on experience??????????: 10% target annual incentive????????????????????: Lump-sum sign-on available for the right out-of-area candidate????????????????: Hybrid. Monday and Friday work-from-home; Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday in the St. Louis corporate office. Flexibility expected during open enrollment and travel weeks????????????: ~20% (weekly day trip to the largest plant; heavy October/November for open enrollment; occasional quarterly wellness travel)????????????????: Based at the St. Louis corporate HQ????????????????????: Medical, dental, vision (UnitedHealthcare)????????????????????: 401(k) with employer match??????????????????????: Tuition reimbursement available to all full-time employees, plus annual professional development support (a real plus for candidates pursuing CCP or CEBS)???????????? ????????????: Yearly merit increases in July??????????????: Stable, century-plus operating history; recently expanded through acquisition; strong commitment to safety, sustainability, and community serviceApply via LinkedIn and we'll reach out to schedule a conversation. Confidential search; your application is fully private and never shared with the client without your permission.

Created: 2026-05-09