Compensation Manager

At CAVA we make it deliciously simple to eat well and feel good every day. We are guided by a Mediterranean heritage that’s been perfecting how to eat and live for four thousand years. We prioritize authenticity, curiosity and the pursuit of excellence in everything we do. We are working towards something big, together.

We foster a culture built on five core values:

· Generosity First, Always: We lead with kindness. Our best work happens when we act in of others.

· Constant Curiosity: We are eager to learn, grow, and explore beyond the obvious.

· Act with Agility: We welcome change; it’s the only constant. We embrace, adjust, adapt.

· Passion for Positivity: We greet each day with warmth and possibility.

· Collective Ambition: We have high aspirations that are achieved when we work together with a shared purpose.

Manager of Field Compensation:

As the Manager of Field Compensation, you will own the strategy, governance, and day-to-day administration of compensation programs for CAVA's field organization. This includes hourly restaurant pay, restaurant leadership, multi-unit leadership, and field incentive programs. You will translate market data, operating needs, and internal equity considerations into practical recommendations that support attraction, retention, performance, and pay consistency across the field. You will work closely with Field Operations, People & Culture, Finance, Payroll, Talent Acquisition, and other business partners, and will prepare and present regular field compensation analyses and recommendations to ELT stakeholders.

What You'll Do:

· Own Field Compensation Strategy and Governance: Lead the end-to-end field compensation process and maintain clear, consistent practices across restaurant and field leadership populations.

· Lead Hourly Pay and Wage Reviews: Manage market pricing and recurring wage reviews for restaurant hourly roles, including analysis of local market conditions, competitor pay, internal equity, compression, hiring conditions, and business needs.

· Manage Field Leadership Compensation: Oversee compensation structures and recommendations for restaurant leadership and multi-unit leadership roles, including new hires, promotions, transfers, new markets, retention situations, and other pay actions.

· Administer Field Incentive Programs: Own the administration of field short-term and long-term incentive programs, including plan documentation, eligibility, goal setting, calculations, payout recommendations, payroll coordination, and employee communications.

· Oversee Executive Field Bonus Programs: Coordinate the analysis, administration, and reporting for executive field bonus programs, ensuring accurate calculations, appropriate approvals, and timely payout recommendations.

· Prepare and Present Field Compensation Analysis: Develop recurring, executive-ready materials on market position, wage rates, pay equity, compression, turnover, hiring trends, incentive performance, and compensation spend; present findings and recommendations to ELT stakeholders, Field Operations leadership, and other partners.

· Develop Data-Driven Recommendations: Conduct benchmarking, scenario modeling, and financial analysis to recommend competitive, equitable, and operationally practical compensation solutions.

· Partner on Talent and Employee Decisions: Collaborate with Talent Acquisition, People & Culture Business Partners, Field Operations, and leaders to advise on offers, promotions, pay adjustments, retention actions, and other compensation decisions.

· Lead Field Compensation Cycles: Plan and execute field compensation activities throughout the year, including annual merit, quarterly wage reviews, incentive planning, budgeting, forecasting, and year-end reporting.

· Maintain Compensation Data and Tools: Maintain accurate compensation data, reports, systems, and documentation; improve processes and controls to support reliable analysis, approvals, payroll processing, and audit readiness.

· Ensure Compliance and Consistent Governance: Monitor applicable federal, state, and local wage and compensation requirements, including pay transparency and wage-and-hour considerations, and partner with Legal and other stakeholders as appropriate.

· Provide Backup Compensation Coverage: Provide backup support for corporate compensation and CAVA Foods compensation matters as needed while maintaining primary ownership of field compensation.

The Qualifications:

· Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business, Finance, Statistics, or a related field.

· 5+ years of progressive compensation experience, including experience supporting hourly, field-based, retail, hospitality, restaurant, or other distributed workforces preferred.

· Demonstrated experience owning compensation processes or programs, including market pricing, wage structures, incentive plans, pay actions, and payroll coordination.

· Advanced Excel skills and proficiency with HRIS, compensation systems, survey data, and data visualization tools such as Tableau or Power BI.

· Strong analytical, financial modeling, and communication skills, with the ability to translate complex data into clear recommendations and present materials to senior stakeholders.

· Experience analyzing pay equity, internal equity, compression, market competitiveness, and compensation trends to support business decisions.

· Working knowledge of federal, state, and local compensation requirements, including wage-and-hour and pay transparency considerations.

· Ability to manage multiple priorities, exercise sound judgment, and work effectively with Field Operations, Finance, Payroll, Talent Acquisition, People & Culture, and other cross-functional partners.

Physical Requirements:

· Ability to maintain stationary position to be able to operate a computer and other office equipment

· Must be able to identify, analyze and assess details

· For certain positions, must be able to occasionally move or transport items up to 50 pounds

· Ability to communicate with others and exchange information accurately and effectively

· Constantly positions self and move about to support ordinary restaurant or food production support or office operations, as applicable

· Ability to work in a constant state of alertness and in a safe manner

What we offer:

· Competitive salary, plus bonus and long-term incentives*

· Early Wage Access!

· Unlimited PTO, paid parental leave, plus paid opportunities to give back to the community

· Health, Dental, Vision, Telemedicine, Pet Insurance plus more!

· 401k enrollment with CAVA contribution

· Company-paid STD, LTD, Life and AD&D coverage for salaried positions*

· Free CAVA food

· Casual work environment

· The opportunity to be on the ground floor of a rapidly growing brand

· All exempt and non exempt employees are eligible for benefits. Benefits are effective the 1st of the month following 30 days of service and you have until the day before the effective date to enroll. A new hire can enroll in our benefit program by selecting a link that is emailed directly to the new hire at their personal email address once hired.

· The posting range is an all cash range.

*Indicates qualifying eligible positions only

CAVA – Joining “A culture, not a concept”

As an equal opportunity employer, CAVA considers applicants for all positions without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, disability, age, height, weight, marital status, sexual orientation, familial status, genetic information or any other characteristic or protected classes as defined by federal, state, or local law. This job description is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all the duties and responsibilities of the position and such duties and responsibilities may change without notice.