As part of the Compensation and Pay Equity Project, the County is taking a step-by-step approach to reviewing and updating how roles are defined and evaluated across all departments. One of the most important steps in this process is clearly understanding what each role does and the level of responsibility it carries.

The section below explains Role Levels and Role Types, which are used during the role evaluation phase of the project. Together, they describe a role’s responsibilities, complexity, and primary focus. This step helps ensure that similar work is evaluated consistently across the organization—regardless of job title, department, or reporting structure—and provides a foundation for aligning roles to the appropriate pay ranges.

• Role Levels describe how complex a role is and how much responsibility it carries, including decision-making authority, independence, and organizational impact.
• Role Types describe the nature of the work being performed, such as whether the role is focused on individual contribution, functional leadership, or organizational leadership.

Both are based on the role itself—not the individual in the role.

How Role Levels and Role Types fit into the new pay structure

Role Levels and Role Types are key inputs into the compensation framework.

• Role Levels help determine where a role falls within the pay structure based on scope and complexity.
• Role Types help ensure roles are compared to the right market benchmarks and internal peers.

Together, they support accurate pay grade placement and help ensure compensation is aligned with the responsibilities and expectations of each role—rather than titles, tenure, or department.

What This Means for Employees

• Your role is evaluated based on what the job requires, not who holds the position.
• Similar roles across different departments are reviewed using the same criteria, helping ensure consistency and fairness.
• Role Levels help explain how much responsibility and complexity a role carries.
• Role Types help describe the kind of work the role focuses on, such as individual contribution or leadership.
• Pay ranges are aligned to these role definitions, so compensation is tied to the scope of the role, not titles, tenure, or department.