Senior Specialist

Overview of role:  Reporting to the Senior Manager, Compensation, this individual contributor is a role for an experienced, technical compensation professional. The Senior Specialist, Compensation will be responsible to provide consultation, analysis, strategic insights, and recommendations to the business regarding market competitiveness, incentive plans and management of compensation working collaboratively with Senior HR Business Partners. This role will also have indirect/informal leadership of one or more Advisor, Compensation to mentor and guide their colleagues to execute on the re-design, development and implementation of compensation programs that are in alignment with WestJet Group strategic priorities.   Serving as a key corporate consultant and compensation expert, the Senior Specialist, Compensation will develop strong cross-functional relationships with senior leaders and influence a compensation culture and philosophy that will successfully scale WestJet’s near and long-term growth.   The Senior Specialist, Compensation will work closely with the Director, Total Rewards, and peers across the Finance, Legal, People Operations (HR Business Partners), People Services and Organizational Design teams in the facilitation, delivery, and communication of the re-designed programs, policies, and practices.     Key deliverables include: Participate in and lead project work which may involve the development or re-design of compensation programs to support WestJet's growth plans, integration planning or meet governance requirements. Deliver the strategic assessment (modelling/budgets), development, implementation and communication of WestJet’s compensation projects, programs, and practices. Manage complex administrative requirements for compensation program execution across multiple teams (e.g., annual compensation planning cycle). Identify current compensation opportunities and create comprehensive strategies and programs to effectively address re-design/automation of processes. Indirect leadership, training and coaching of Advisor, Compensation, providing guidance and consulting to assist them in solving highly complex problems for various business units. Leverage the capabilities of the compensation team, strengthen credibility and partnerships with WestJet’s business units, including People & Culture team and business. Serve as subject-matter-expert in the design and implementation of compensation programs within a Total Rewards framework. Assess and continuously improve compensation related processes to ensure consistent interpretation and administration of the programs. Effective communication of compensation programs/policies to ensure HR Business Partners and leaders understand the impact of their decisions. Conduct and review cost and financial analyses in partnership with the broader People and Finance teams, and translate analysis into actionable information for Director, Total Rewards, the executive/Board of Directors audience. Through collaboration, uncover business challenges/needs, and interpret Compensation philosophy and guardrails as needed. Prepare data for analysis & decision-making with the expertise to know the source of meaningful data, prepare presentations for leadership decision making, including conducting market analysis by participating in surveys and networking to research the external market. Digital literacy in compensation-specific tech and tools and participate in its development, (e.g., support HCM/Dayforce implementation). Be dialed into market trends for compensation through data and networking groups. Support, as needed the implementation of the Federal Pay Equity Act within the organization. Stay informed of legislative requirements that affect compensation policies and develop action plans to ensure compliance and implementation (i.e., pay transparency legislation).     Experience and qualifications: A bachelor’s degree in a related discipline (Human Resources, Finance), CCP designation is an asset. Minimum seven years of progressive compensation experience in a large, multi-faceted organization. Experience with both privately held and publicly traded enterprises, in a Federally regulated environment, along with respective compensation elements pertaining to each, is preferred. Highly advanced knowledge of Microsoft applications such as Excel, Word, PowerPoint. Experience with labour (unionized environment) and operationalizing/understanding the impacts of collective agreements from a total rewards perspective, an asset. Demonstrated ability to build collaborative working relationships at all levels of the organization. Demonstrated track record of transforming and implementing new compensation programs within a complex employee structure, consisting of hourly and salaries, and unionized employee groups. Excellent analytical and critical thinking skills, with a proven record in completing complex data analysis and transforming it into actionable insights and strategic recommendations. Ability to work in a time-sensitive environment with great attention to detail. Well-developed communication skills along with tact and diplomacy to deal with sensitive matters. Exceptional professional acumen. Dedicated team player, highly organized, ability to take initiative and be independent.   The benefits of being a WestJetter:   WestJet provides all WestJetters with a competitive total rewards package.  On top of that, we offer:    A fun and friendly culture with colleagues who work together to win   Travel privileges for you and your family, effective from your start date Savings and Benefit programs that are flexible to meet your specific needs