Compensation & Total Rewards Lead (14825)

Compensation & Total Rewards Lead

Location: Preferred Boston, MA or New York, NY; open to remote candidates across the U.S.
Duration: Contract opportunity through year-end with potential for extension or conversion based on business needs and performance
Work Arrangement: Hybrid preferred for candidates located near an office location (approximately 3 days onsite per week)

Our client is seeking an experienced Compensation & Total Rewards Lead to support a high-impact compensation and rewards initiative within a specialized actuarial consulting environment. This individual will play a critical role in evaluating market competitiveness, developing compensation frameworks, and assessing internal pay structures across actuarial consulting practices in the United States and Canada.

This is a highly analytical, project-driven role ideal for a compensation professional who can operate independently, work comfortably with large datasets, and translate complex market data into actionable recommendations for senior leadership.

Strong Preference for Actuarial Industry Experience

Candidates with actuarial industry exposure will be strongly prioritized for this role. Because this position focuses specifically on compensation and total rewards for actuarial consulting talent, the ideal candidate will understand the nuances of actuarial career paths, including:

• Actuarial exam progression
• Credential structures such as ASA and FSA
• Compensation increases tied to exams and credential attainment
• Practice-specific actuarial talent markets across Life, Health, and Property & Casualty (P&C)
• Competitive dynamics within actuarial consulting and insurance organizations

Experience supporting actuarial, insurance, consulting, or other highly specialized professional services environments is highly preferred and will take precedence over location considerations for many candidates. The ability to understand and benchmark compensation within these unique talent markets is considered a major differentiator for success in this role.

Key ResponsibilitiesMarket Benchmarking & Compensation Research

• Conduct comprehensive compensation benchmarking analyses across actuarial consulting markets, including Life, Property & Casualty (P&C), and Health practices
• Evaluate salary structures, incentive programs, bonuses, and total rewards offerings against market competitors
• Identify and leverage appropriate compensation surveys, benchmarking sources, and external market data
• Partner with external vendors or survey providers to validate and enhance compensation benchmarking efforts
• Analyze compensation trends tied to actuarial credentials, exam progression, years of experience, and specialized practice areas
• Develop insights into evolving compensation dynamics within actuarial and consulting talent markets

Compensation Framework & Salary Structure Development

• Build structured compensation frameworks and salary guidelines across:
  
  • Practice areas
  • Job families
  • Experience levels
  • Geographic markets
  • Actuarial exam progression and credentials (ASA, FSA, etc.)
• Develop compensation grids and pay progression models aligned to both market competitiveness and internal equity
• Create recommendations for base salary positioning and broader total compensation strategy
• Support the development of scalable compensation management tools and processes

Internal Compensation Analysis

• Review and analyze internal compensation data across practices, levels, and geographies
• Assess alignment between employee compensation and external market benchmarks
• Identify compensation outliers, compression concerns, and inconsistencies
• Evaluate internal pay progression and equity considerations
• Partner with HR leadership and business stakeholders to prioritize compensation adjustments and recommendations
• Maintain a high level of confidentiality and discretion when handling sensitive compensation information

Total Rewards Evaluation

• Assess broader total rewards offerings, including:
  
  • Incentive programs
  • Benefits
  • Exam support programs
  • Study time allowances
  • Credential-related bonuses and salary increases
• Recommend enhancements to improve attraction, retention, and market competitiveness
• Evaluate how rewards programs compare against peer organizations and evolving market standards

Stakeholder Engagement & Reporting

• Present findings, analyses, and recommendations to HR leadership and senior business stakeholders
• Translate complex compensation data into clear executive-level presentations and reports
• Develop dashboards, compensation banding tools, and actionable documentation to support ongoing compensation management
• Collaborate cross-functionally while independently managing project timelines and deliverables

Required Qualifications

• 5 years of experience in compensation, total rewards, HR analytics, finance, or related HR functions with significant compensation exposure
• Strong experience conducting compensation benchmarking and market analysis
• Advanced Microsoft Excel proficiency required, including:
  
  • Pivot tables
  • Data modeling
  • Large dataset manipulation
  • Quantitative analysis
• Strong PowerPoint and executive presentation skills
• Ability to work independently and manage projects with minimal day-to-day oversight
• Excellent analytical, organizational, and problem-solving capabilities
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills
• High attention to detail and ability to handle confidential information appropriately

Preferred Qualifications

• Direct actuarial industry experience strongly preferred
• Experience within actuarial consulting, insurance, consulting, or professional services environments highly desired
• Familiarity with actuarial credentialing structures and compensation progression models
• Experience utilizing multiple compensation data sources and market survey platforms
• Experience working with external benchmarking vendors or commissioning market studies
• Knowledge of compensation practices across U.S. and/or Canadian markets
• Workday experience is a plus, though not required

Ideal Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate is a highly analytical compensation professional who thrives in a fast-paced, collaborative environment and can independently drive a complex compensation project from strategy through execution. Candidates who understand actuarial compensation structures, credential-based pay progression, and specialized actuarial talent markets will be especially well-positioned for success in this role.