Manager, Compensation Operations

About Our Company

We’re a diversified financial services leader with more than $1.5 trillion in assets under management, administration and advisement as of year-end 2024. Our team of 22,000 people across 19 countries, serves more than 3.5 million individual, small business and institutional clients. We are a longstanding leader in financial planning and advice, a global asset manager and an insurer. Our unwavering focus on our clients and strong financial foundation connects each of our unique businesses – Ameriprise Financial, Columbia Threadneedle Investments and RiverSource Insurance and Annuities. Here, we foster meaningful careers, invest in the future, and make a difference for clients, institutions and communities around the world.

Job Description

Ameriprise has an exciting opportunity for a Manager of Compensation Operations to join our team! In this role, you will lead the day-to-day execution of Compensation Operations while providing hands-on leadership, coaching, workload management, and development for a team of Compensation Operations professionals. You will oversee the delivery of compensation administration, annual compensation cycles, audits and controls, compensation systems support, operational readiness, and issue resolution, ensuring accurate, timely, and compliant execution. This role is responsible for driving operational excellence through effective capacity planning, continuity readiness, process improvement, and team development while building a scalable, sustainable, and high-performing Compensation Operations function.

The ideal candidate brings experience supporting compensation administration, annual compensation cycles, compensation systems, operational controls, or related compensation operations activities.

Key responsibilities:

Compensation Operational Leadership & Daily Oversight
Lead and participate in compensation operations activities, ensuring accurate, timely, and consistent execution while reinforcing operational standards and resolving complex issues. Partner across Compensation, Payroll, HR Systems, and business stakeholders to drive operational efficiency and execution excellence.

Team Leadership, Coaching & Employee Development
Provide day-to-day leadership, coaching, and development for Compensation Operations team members. Manage workload distribution, capacity planning, performance, and prioritization to maintain service levels and support operational excellence across workstreams.

Workload Management & Operational Continuity
Oversee workload planning, resource allocation, cross-training, and continuity readiness across Compensation Operations activities. Identify and mitigate capacity risks to ensure sustainable service delivery and high-quality execution.

Controls, Audits & Operational Risk Management
Support a strong control environment through audit, SOX, compliance, validation, and operational risk activities. Ensure documentation, approvals, and governance requirements are met while maintaining accuracy and compliance across compensation processes.

Annual Compensation Cycle & Year-End Support
Lead operational readiness and execution activities for annual compensation cycles and year-end programs. Coordinate resources, validations, issue resolution, and key operational dependencies to ensure timely and accurate delivery.

Cross-Functional Partnership & Issue Resolution
Build strong relationships across Compensation, Payroll, HR Systems, HR Services, Finance, and other stakeholders. Coordinate dependencies, support issue resolution, communicate effectively, and escalate risks as appropriate to ensure seamless execution.

Documentation, Process Improvement & Operational Excellence
Drive process consistency, documentation standards, training, and continuous improvement initiatives. Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, scalability, and execution quality through standardization, knowledge sharing, and process enhancements.

Required Qualifications

- Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience

- 5+ years of experience in Compensation Operations, HR Operations, Payroll Operations, HR Systems, or a related operational function

- Experience leading teams, coaching employees, managing workloads, and delivering results in a fast-paced environment with competing priorities

- Experience supporting annual compensation cycles and leading operational initiatives, projects, or workstreams

- Strong workload management, prioritization, capacity planning, and stakeholder management skills

- Knowledge of operational risk management, controls, and compliance practices

- Strong communication, collaboration, and problem-solving skills

- Advanced Excel skills

Preferred Qualifications

- 7-10 years of Compensation Operations, HR Operations, or related experience

- Experience leading teams through change, process improvement, and operational transformation initiatives

- Workday and/or compensation systems expertise

- Experience with annual compensation cycles, audits, SOX, controls, and operational risk management

- Demonstrated success coaching and developing employees

- Experience leveraging reporting, dashboards, and operational metrics to drive decision-making and efficiency

- Experience creating SOPs, training materials, and scalable operational processes

In-Office Collaboration

We are a client-centric, relationship-based business. Working together, in-person, is foundational to how we achieve results. By fostering a culture of face-to-face collaboration, idea sharing, productivity and personal connection, we deliver for our stakeholders — clients, advisors, employees and shareholders. Our employees work in the office at least four (4) days per week, with flexibility to work from home one (1) day per week. Some roles may require additional in-office time or different in-office expectations, and specific requirements will be discussed during the hiring process.

Visa Sponsorship

Applicants must have a valid work authorization that does not now, or in the future, require visa sponsorship for employment in the United States (e.g., H-1B, F-1 CPT, F-1 OPT, TN).

Base Pay Salary

The estimated base salary for this role is $93,400 - $128,400 / year. We have a pay-for-performance compensation philosophy. Your initial total compensation may vary based on job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and geographical work location. In addition, most of our roles are eligible for variable pay in the form of bonus, commissions, and/or long-term incentives depending on the role. We also have a competitive and comprehensive benefits program that supports all aspects of your health and well-being, including but not limited to vacation time, sick time, 401(k), and health, dental and life insurances.Full timeExemptHuman CapitalHR Human Resources

Ameriprise Financial is an equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, ancestry, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy, military status, veteran status, genetic information, citizenship, disability status, marital status, family status or any other basis prohibited by law.

We are committed to fostering an inclusive and accessible recruitment process for individuals with disabilities. If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate in the application or interview process, speak to your recruiter to discuss how we can support you.