25-21326, Deputy Director, Compensation Practices

At the MBTA, we envision a thriving region enabled by a best-in-class transit system. Our mission is to serve the public by providing safe, reliable, and accessible transportation. MBTA’s Core Values are built around safety, service, equity, sustainability, and culture. Each employee that works for the MBTA performs their roles based on our vision, mission, and values. This includes attendance, participation, and contribution in local safety committee meetings as needed.

Job Summary

The Deputy Director, Compensation Practices leverages deep expertise in compensation strategy, analytics, and industry knowledge to lead the design, delivery, and communication of the MBTA’s compensation framework and programs. The role ensures alignment between role definitions, leveling, and compensation structure to meet complex business needs, and is responsible for designing, building, and/or re-building job family architecture to support organizational structure. The role collaborates across all levels of the organization—including HR and senior leadership—to gain alignment and support for market-competitive strategies. The Deputy Director oversees data collection and analysis related to market trends, pay equity, and other compensation studies, and ensures all programs comply with local, state, and federal compensation regulations.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Leads the analysis, design, and administration of the MBTA’s compensation programs - including base pay strategies to drive recruitment, retention, and employee engagement in alignment with organizational goals.
• Oversees the design, implementation, and communication of pay structures, salary grades, compensation budgets, and related guidelines.
• Collaborates with key stakeholders to ensure pay decisions support employee engagement while aligning with compensation policies and budgetary constraints.
• Supports Compensation Partners by evaluating jobs and leading initiatives to develop, maintain, and refine job family architecture, ensuring alignment between role definitions, leveling, job descriptions, and compensation structure.
• Prepares financial models and conducts in-depth data analysis to inform strategic compensation recommendations for leadership.
• Leads compensation survey participation and conducts research and analysis on market competitiveness, pay equity, and industry compensation trends.
• Serves as the administrator for compensation management systems (e.g., Salary.com), overseeing configuration and daily operations.
• Perform all other duties and projects that may be assigned.

Supervision

• No direct reports.

Minimum Requirements & Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.
• Five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in Human Resources with a specialization in Compensation, which must include:
  • Developing financial models and compensation analyses to support management decisions;
  • Designing, building, and/or re-building job family architecture to support organizational structure;
  • Developing and maintaining compensation structures that align with organizational goals and pay equity principles.
    
• Two (2) years of managerial, supervisory, and/or leadership experience.
• Experience presenting compensation data and influencing data driven decision making with stakeholders at all levels.
• Expert knowledge of compensation platforms/systems.
• Demonstrated experience with end-to-end process thinking, including ability to understand holistic approach to achieve optimization, efficiency and strategic goals.
• Skilled in utilizing advanced Excel functions including pivot tables and queries for data analysis, automation, and effective presentation of insights.
• Understanding of collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) as it relates to compensation.
• Excellent oral and written communications skills.
• Advanced knowledge of PC applications and Microsoft Office applications required.
• Strong ability to work independently and manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent consulting, influencing and communication skills.
• Strong attention to detail.

Substitutions Include

• A High School Diploma or GED with an additional seven (7) years of directly related experience substitutes for the bachelor’s degree requirement.
• An associate degree from an accredited institution and an additional three (3) years of directly related experience substitutes for the bachelor’s degree requirement.
• A master’s degree in a related subject substitutes for two (2) years of experience.
• A nationally recognized certification, or statewide/professional certification in a related field substitutes for one year of experience.

Preferred Experience and Required Skills

• Ten (10) or more years of experience as a compensation professional in a large HR department.

Job Conditions:

• Ability to effectively read, comprehend, communicate, and respond to instructions, orders, signs, notices, inquiries, etc. in English.
• Be at least eighteen (18) years of age, except if participating in an approved high school internship / co-op program.
• Ability to commute to assigned work locations in the Boston, MA metro area, as required by the role.
• Ability to provide internal and external customers with courteous and professional experiences.
• Ability to work effectively, independently, and as part of a diverse workforce team (or supervise, if required).
• Ability to uphold the rights and interests of the MBTA while building and maintaining effective relationships with employees and co-workers.
• Ability to adhere to rules, regulations, collective bargaining agreements (if applicable), and policies of the MBTA, including the EEO, anti-discrimination, anti-harassment, and anti-retaliation policies.
• Have a satisfactory work record for the two (2) years immediately prior to the closing date of this posting (unless if current student or recent graduate), including overall employment, job performance, discipline, and safety records (infractions and/or offenses occurring after the closing of the posting and before the filling of a vacancy may preclude a candidate from consideration for selection).
• Ability to pass a Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) check, comprehensive background screening, and / or medical Clinic screening, potentially including physical examination and drug and alcohol screenings.
• Ability to work all shifts and / or locations assigned, directed, or necessary for this position, including (for some transit / operations roles) up to twenty-four (24) hours per day, seven (7) days per week as necessary to accommodate severe weather conditions, emergencies, or any other circumstances that may potentially impact service or the safety of service.
• Intern / co-op staff must be enrolled full or part-time in an accredited educational program and maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 2.5 for the entire duration of the internship / co-op. Additionally, interns / co-ops must have valid work authorization and U.S. Social Security Number prior to starting their positions and throughout the duration of their program.

Disclaimers and Definitions: