Salary : $77,422.00 - $149,082.00 Annually
Location : Office of Human Resources, Ascend One Building, Columbia, MD
Job Type: Full Time
Job Number: 26-00457
Department: County Administration
Division: County Admin - Human Resources
Opening Date: 07/23/2026

POSITION SUMMARY/CLASS DESCRIPTION

POSITION SUMMARY:
The Office of Human Resources is seeking a highly skilled Classification & Compensation Analyst to assist in the administration of the classification and compensation programs for Howard County under the direction of the Deputy Administrator over Classification & Compensation.

The position will work in a team to perform various classification and compensation work including but not limited to participating in job evaluation projects such as the County-wide classification and compensation study; conducting ad-hoc studies (classification studies, salary analysis, development of new classification and/or job descriptions, etc.) and market analysis for a variety of compensation and classification-related subjects; conducting salary analysis and various other compensation data analysis; processes classification and compensation actions using various systems including HRIS and in-house position management system; ensuring compliance with federal and state law, the County Charter, County Code, guidelines, and policies; and assists in recommending and drafting new policies and guidelines as needed.

The position will also assist with proposed changes to classification plans, classification specifications, compensation structures, collective bargaining agreements, business processes and systems, preparing and maintaining official documents for publication and distribution, including the Howard County Pay Plan, Classification Plan, and Pay Schedules.

CLASS DESCRIPTION:
Performs intermediate professional level administrative work, which may include supervisory responsibility, under general supervision from an administrative or technical superior. Work includes administrative support of a functional program and professional level analysis and coordination of functional office programs and activities.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Include the following. Other related duties may be assigned.

• Conducting position classification studies, including analysis of written documentation; conducting online and on-site interviews with incumbents, supervisors, and/or managers as needed to clarify and verify data pertaining to classification studies; and reviewing organizational structures to determine appropriate class and salary levels according to County compensation guidelines and policy.
• Conducting various compensation reviews and analyses ensuring internal pay equity.
• Evaluating position descriptions submitted by County departments for conformity with the requirements of the applicable classification and maintaining approved revisions within the NeoGov applicant tracking system database.
• Participating in multiple classification and compensation ad hoc projects at both the Office of Human Resources and County-wide levels.
• Creating and maintaining HR Classification and Compensation governance guides.
• Preparing new or revising existing job class descriptions and specifications.
• Revising, updating, and maintaining official classification and compensation reference documents (e.g., Pay Plan, Classification Plan, and salary schedules) for publication and distribution.
• Monitoring, tracking, and reporting Class & Comp study completion and recommendation data.
• Analyzing Class & Comp project study outcomes to evaluate consultant recommendations and to assist in creating short and long-range plans for their implementation; assisting with position management, control, and making recommendations regarding position allocation.
• Developing presentations on recommendations of the study and other classification areas identified by the Chief of Classification and Compensation Division.
• Present classification and compensation and related findings and analysis recommendations to management, leadership, and other stakeholders.
• Other duties as assigned.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:
There are no supervisory responsibilities associated with this position.
MINIMUM REQUIRED EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE

Bachelor's degree and two (2) years of related experience or equivalent combination of education and experience.

PREFERRED EDUCATION, KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Bachelor's degree in industrial/organizational psychology, human resource management, or related field.
• Minimum of three (3) years of experience conducting job analysis and evaluation, reclassifications, and compensation work for a large government organization.
• Experience with public sector classification and compensation.
• Strong skills in Microsoft Excel and data analysis.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT:
The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear.
• The employee frequently is required to sit and use hands to finger, handle, or feel.
• The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, and reach with hands and arms.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.
• The employee must be able to travel independently to attend meetings, events, and to perform other job-related functions.
• The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet to moderate.

LANGUAGE SKILLS, MATHEMATICAL SKILLS AND REASONING ABILITY:

• Knowledge and aptitude in the areas of compensation merit planning and administration, compensation survey methodology and participation, analysis of base pay and incentive design and programs, and job evaluation.
• Strong analytical, critical thinking, presentation and writing skills.
• Ability to conduct research, compile data and prepare statistical and narrative reports.
• Strong data analysis and office software (Excel, Access, Word, Power Point) skills and ability to quickly obtain proficiency with enterprise applications, systems, and reporting tools.
• Skill in leading compensation design processes and in leading organization-wide initiatives involving analysis and validation of large and complex dataset.
• Thorough knowledge of labor laws and HR-related court decisions as they relate to compensation, and their impact on the County's compensation policy and practice
• Considerable knowledge of local government laws, rules, regulations, and practices, particularly those governing the administration of compensation programs.
• Broad HR knowledge in addition to compensation and classification (i.e., knowledge of recruitment and staffing, labor-management relations, training, and benefits practices).
• Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of executives and leadership members, managers, clients, customers, and the general public.
• Ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships.
• Ability to solve problems and take initiative on any issues that arises within the assigned work area.
• Ability to travel to and move around job sites independently to attend/conduct meetings, trainings, and provide assistance to field personnel.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

TO APPLY: You must complete an employment application online to be considered for this recruitment. Resumes cannot be substituted for completion of the job application work history. No paper applications will be accepted.

Selected candidates may be subject to drug screening, background screening, and reference checks.

At time of application, please submit a copy of any college degree, coursework, licenses, or certifications that you have referenced on your application. Applicants who have education obtained outside of the U.S. may need to provide proof of the equivalent U.S. education as determined by a foreign credential evaluation service, such as the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (http://www.naces.org) or World Education Services: International Credential Evaluation (https://www.wes.org/).

Howard County Government is not sponsoring employees in application of the H-1B Visa or providing an extension of an existing H-1B Visa. All applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States under the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986.

The following is a summary of the benefits available to Howard County employees who hold full-time benefit-eligible positions. Employees in positions covered by a bargaining agreement should consult their union contract for other specific benefits. Additional details are also available in the Employee Manual and in summary plan descriptions which are available in the Office of Human Resources or at

FLEXIBLE BENEFITS PLAN: Under the County's flexible benefits plan called CountyFlex, employees may elect to enroll in medical insurance plans, dental insurance plans, optional life insurance, dependent life insurance, and healthcare and dependent care flexible spending accounts. Employee contributions to these benefits are made on a pre-tax basis. Information concerning enrollment options, plan rates and a benefits comparison chart are available in the Office of Human Resources.

GROUP TERM LIFE INSURANCE: Employees receive a group term life insurance benefit equal to 2 times their annual salary at no cost. Accidental death and dismemberment coverage is included. The County pays the entire cost for this benefit. Employees may purchase additional coverage under the CountyFlex benefits plan.
PAID LEAVE BENEFITS: Annual and Disability Leaves are accrued over 24 pay periods each year. Personal leave is credited on January 1st each year. Use of Annual, Disability and/or Personal Leave requires supervisory approval.

ANNUAL LEAVE: During the first 5 years of employment, employees accrue the equivalent of 13 days per year. From years 6 through 10, the accrual is the equivalent of 16 days per year. From years 11 through 20, the accrual is the equivalent of 19 days per year. From year 21 on, the accrual is the equivalent of 21 days per year. Annual leave may not be used during the first 6 months of employment. A maximum of 40 days may be carried over from one fiscal year to the next.
DISABILITY LEAVE: Employees accrue the equivalent of 1 day per month (12 days per year). There is no maximum accrual. This leave may be used for the disabling illness/injury of the employee, spouse or minor child or for a serious medical condition approved under F.M.L.A. Absences of over 3 days must be substantiated by a physician's certificate.

PERSONAL LEAVE: Employees receive 6 personal leave days each calendar year to be taken during the calendar year. Employees hired after April 30th receive 4 days of personal leave that year; those hired after August 31st receive 2 days; and those hired after November 30th receive no personal leave for that year. Personal leave may not be carried over.

HOLIDAYS: Employees are paid for the following holidays: New Year's Day; Martin Luther King Day; President's Day; Good Friday; Memorial Day; Juneteenth; Independence Day; Labor Day; Columbus Day; Veteran's Day; Thanksgiving Day; Friday after Thanksgiving Day; Christmas Day.

OTHER PAID LEAVE: Other paid leave