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NEOGOV · 14 hours ago

Classification and Compensation Advisor

Seattle, WA

Full-time

Onsite

Senior Level

$51.88/hr - $77.82/hr

5+ years exp

Seattle City Light, a department of the City of Seattle, is one of the nation’s largest municipally owned utilities. The Classification & Compensation Advisor leads and advances the organization's classification and compensation programs, providing strategic guidance and recommendations on pay and job classification matters while ensuring equitable and market-aligned decisions.

GovTechHuman ResourcesInformation TechnologySoftware

Responsibilities

Provide compensation guidance and recommendations for current employees, new hires, Out-of-Class assignments, and temporary staffing, consistent with City rules, labor agreements, and internal equity

Lead complex compensation analyses (e.g., equity/internal alignment, pay trends) and translate findings into clear, actionable recommendations

Provide compensation support for labor/contract negotiations, including cost modeling, pay comparisons, and scenario analysis for bargaining and implementation options

Lead salary studies and market pricing efforts, including survey participation, benchmarking, interpretation of results, and recommendations on market position and pay practices

Prepare decision-ready materials that communicate risks, tradeoffs, equity impacts, and implementation considerations

Support implementation of compensation program changes, including change management planning, communications, and outcome measurement

Conduct and support pay equity analyses aligned with Race and Social Justice (RSJ) principles; assess impacts and recommend actions to address identified disparities

Partner with workforce planning and career architecture efforts to ensure compensation and classification structures support career pathways and succession needs

Lead and/or oversee classification studies and complex job evaluations for Seattle City Light, developing well-documented, equitable recommendations for coordination and review with City Human Resources

Advise leaders on classification strategies, including impacts to organizational structure, career ladders, and job specifications

Coordinate reclassification requests with the City’s Department of Human Resources and advise on risks, precedents, and downstream impacts

Serve as the primary point of contact for classification questions across the utility, providing accurate, timely, and accessible guidance

Represent City Light’s interests in classification matters with internal partners and other City departments, maintaining alignment with Citywide standards while addressing utility-specific needs

Support the design and maintenance of career ladders and job architectures, ensuring classifications align with progression, skill development, and organizational readiness

Design, document, and continuously improve classification and compensation processes, tools, and guidance to promote consistency, transparency, and equitable outcomes

Lead or support cross-functional work to build resources for leaders and employees (e.g., templates, FAQs, decision guides, training materials)

Develop and maintain internal policies and documentation; translate complex rules and agreements into practical, user-friendly guidance

Ensure classification and compensation practices are well-documented, auditable, and defensible, including maintaining decision rationale, precedent awareness, and compliance records

Leverage HRIS, compensation tools, and analytics platforms to support market pricing, pay equity analysis, reporting, and decision-making, while identifying opportunities to improve processes and data quality

Supervise and develop a Classification & Compensation Trainee/Specialist through coaching, training, work planning, and feedback; assign and prioritize work to meet service needs and timelines

Foster a respectful, inclusive team culture and a customer-centered service model

Qualification

ClassificationCompensationJob Analysis/EvaluationMarket PricingPay Equity AnalysisAdvanced ExcelLabor NegotiationsHRIS SystemsSupervisory ExperienceAnalytical SkillsCustomer-Centered ApproachCoachingTrainingCommunication SkillsDiscretion with Confidential Information

Required

Bachelor's degree in Human Resources Management, Business Administration, Public Administration, Social Science, or a related field (or equivalent combination of education, training, and experience)

Five (5) years of progressively responsible professional experience in classification and compensation (or closely related total rewards work), including job analysis/evaluation, pay-setting guidance, market pricing/salary survey analysis, internal alignment or pay equity review; and experience providing work direction, coaching, training, or lead support to others (formal or informal)

Preferred

Progress toward or attainment of CCP, SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP, PHR/SPHR

Experience supporting labor/contract negotiations (costing, pay comparisons, scenarios)

Prior formal supervisory experience or demonstrated readiness to supervise and develop others

Experience developing and implementing compensation programs in a unionized and/or public-sector environment

Advanced Excel and strong analytical skills; ability to communicate findings to non-technical audiences

Demonstrated discretion with sensitive/confidential information and ability to partner effectively across all organizational levels

Experience conducting pay equity/internal alignment analyses and using HRIS or compensation management systems for analytics and reporting in a regulated or public-sector environment

Benefits

The City of Seattle offers a comprehensive benefits package including vacation, holiday and sick leave as well as medical, dental, vision, life and long-term disability insurance for employees and their dependents.