California Public-Agency Compensation and Benefits Specialist

AlphaHire is seeking an experienced California Public-Agency Compensation and Benefits Specialist for project-based consulting assignments. This professional will support compensation studies, benefit valuations, labor-cost analysis, report review, and presentations to executive teams and public-agency Boards. The ideal consultant has direct experience working with California public agencies and understands the compensation, retirement, benefit, and labor-relations considerations affecting special districts and public utilities. This is an independent contractor or subconsultant engagement—not an employee position or legal-counsel role. Key Responsibilities Conduct and review compensation and benefits studies for California public agencies. Analyze salaries, classifications, premiums, allowances, and total compensation. Evaluate CalPERS retirement costs and provisions for classic members and PEPRA members. Value employer-provided health benefits, deferred-compensation contributions, leave programs, and premium-pay practices. Review compensation surveys, market-comparison methodologies, data sources, and findings for accuracy and defensibility. Develop fiscal-impact calculations and clearly explain underlying assumptions. Support meet-and-confer preparation through compensation analysis, costing, scenario modeling, and presentation materials. Provide technical support during labor discussions without acting or presenting as legal counsel. Review draft reports and help convert complex findings into clear, decision-ready recommendations. Prepare executive summaries, staff reports, presentations, and supporting materials for management and Board review. Present findings or respond to technical questions during executive, stakeholder, or public Board meetings when requested. Coordinate effectively with agency management, human resources, finance, labor-relations professionals, consultants, and legal counsel. Required Qualifications Demonstrated experience conducting or supporting compensation and benefits work for California public agencies. Working expertise in CalPERS classic-member and PEPRA retirement provisions. Experience valuing health benefits, deferred compensation, paid leave, and premium pay as components of total compensation. Familiarity with the Meyers-Milias-Brown Act and California public-sector meet-and-confer processes. Experience supporting meet-and-confer activities through analysis, costing, research, or technical consultation. Strong quantitative, analytical, report-writing, and quality-review skills. Ability to explain technical findings clearly to nontechnical audiences. Experience preparing materials for executive or Board-level review. Ability to work independently, meet deadlines, and handle sensitive information professionally. Preferred Qualifications Direct experience with California special districts, municipal utilities, public utilities, or similarly structured public agencies. Experience conducting classification and compensation studies, total-compensation surveys, or labor-cost analyses. Familiarity with public-agency salary schedules, memoranda of understanding, personnel rules, and publicly available compensation data. Experience presenting study findings during Board meetings or public proceedings. Prior consulting or subconsulting experience supporting public-sector engagements. Engagement Expectations The selected consultant must maintain independent professional judgment, produce accurate and well-supported work, and clearly document methodologies, assumptions, and limitations. Assignment scope, schedule, deliverables, and compensation will be established for each engagement. This role may provide analytical support related to labor relations and meet-and-confer activities. It does not provide legal advice and will not substitute for the agency’s labor counsel. How to Apply Please submit: A current resume or professional biography. A brief description of your California public-agency compensation and benefits experience. Examples of relevant special-district, utility, or comparable public-agency assignments. A description of your experience with CalPERS, PEPRA, benefit valuation, and meet-and-confer support. Your availability and proposed hourly or project-based rate. One or more professional references. Confidential or client-identifying work samples should not be submitted without authorization.