University Human Resources

Compensation and Career Pathways Initiative (CCPI)

The CCPI modernizes Brown’s approach toward compensation and career development.

The Compensation and Career Pathways Initiative (CCPI) is a multi-year phased initiative focused on redesigning Brown’s job levels and pay structure for non-union staff members to provide pay that is more consistent, transparent, market-driven and competitive, and to foster a greater understanding of career pathways within the redesigned structure.

We are dedicated to ensuring that Brown continues to be a great place to work where talented people can build productive and rewarding careers in support of Brown's mission of advancing knowledge and understanding.

Message from the Executive and Project Sponsors Sarah Latham, EVP of Finance and Administration and Marie Williams, VP of Human Resources

What Is the Compensation and Career Pathways Initiative?

Brown University is committed to ensuring that compensation packages are reflective of the value talented staff bring to the University, and to continuing to attract, develop and retain an exemplary workforce that is integral to Brown’s success. With that in mind, University Human Resources launched the Compensation and Career Pathways Initiative (CCPI) in April 2024, with the expectation that the project will be completed in fall 2026.

Together with representatives from Mercer, a leading global Human Resources consulting firm with extensive experience in higher education, the CCPI project team is analyzing market trends, industry standards and internal benchmarks to ensure Brown’s compensation packages are fair, competitive, agile and sustainable, and to provide clear pathways for career development.

Project Goals

The goals of Brown’s Compensation and Career Pathways Initiative include the following:

  • To establish a compensation philosophy to drive pay equity and consistency
  • To analyze University salaries compared to those of the external market
  • To redesign Brown’s non-union staff job levels, titles and compensation structure to be more consistent, transparent, market-driven and competitive
  • To create and refine job groupings (job families and subfamilies) to align similar positions into common market jobs to ensure employees are compensated fairly and equitably
  • To develop standard job descriptions where applicable
  • To provide accessible compensation and career tools and resources for managers and staff
  • To empower staff to embark on their career planning by creating clear pathways for growth and development that are aligned with Brown’s needs
  • To improve communications around compensation at Brown

Outside the Project’s Scope

While the Compensation and Career Pathways Initiative is focused on redesigning Brown’s compensation structure for non-union staff, it will not result in a general increase or automatic increase in pay for employees. The initiative does not include review of individual raises or promotions and will not result in a change to any employee’s currently assigned job duties or responsibilities or changes to employee benefit programs. The initiative is not part of a budget savings initiative.

Learn More About the Initiative

Launched in April 2024, the Compensation and Career Pathways Initiative consists of four phases, including planning and discovery, leveling and mapping, pay structure development, and implementation.
The Compensation and Career Pathways Initiative (CCPI) is led by several committees composed of senior leaders, University Human Resources (UHR) staff and others at Brown who will provide direction and support for the project.
Explore some of the terms and concepts as they relate to each phase of the Compensation and Career Pathways Initiative (CCPI).

If you have questions about the initiative, please reach out to ccpi@brown.edu.