# California Public-Agency Compensation and Benefits Specialist

> AlphaHire · United States (Remote) · — · Posted 2026-07-22

**Workplace:** remote

## Description

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.

## Apply

[Apply at AlphaHire](https://apply.workable.com/alphax/j/26129E37EA/apply)

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