Deputy Head of Reward

Middlemore; Greater London; On-site; GBP 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Middlemore, a city-based Financial Services organisation, seeks an experienced Senior Reward Professional to lead compensation strategy and global reward governance as No.2 in Reward. You will partner with the Head of Reward and senior stakeholders to shape pay, benefits, data and HR tech roadmaps.

You’ll combine deep technical reward expertise with analytics to deliver salary reviews, benchmarking and governance, while driving data quality, insights and system improvements across HR processes.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in compensation and benefits.
• Advanced analytical skills for senior management reporting.
• Experience with HCM systems, data quality controls and process documentation.
• Strong governance, controls and data integrity in reward processes.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement and govern salary, incentive and share-based reward programmes.
• Lead annual salary review, bonus, and incentive cycles.
• Lead salary benchmarking and market surveys; provide pay recommendations.
• Own HR data quality and reporting standards for reward & analytics.
• Synchronise reward initiatives with HR tech roadmap and governance.

Skills

Compensation design

Incentive plans

Reward governance

Benchmarking

Analytics

Stakeholder management

Tools

Sage People

Salesforce HR

HCM systems

Job description

A truly exciting opportunity for an experienced Senior Reward Professional looking to join an outstanding city-based Financial Services organisation. Due to some recent company succession this fantastic role has opened up. As the No2 within Reward, you will play a key role delivering the Group reward strategy, people insight and HR technology roadmap.

Working closely with the Head of Reward, you’ll combine strong technical reward expertise with analytical capability, systems knowledge and commercial insight. You’ll have the opportunity to influence the approach compensation, benefits, people data and HR technology, while working closely with senior stakeholders across the wider business.

This is a broad and influential role for someone who enjoys working at the intersection of reward, data, technology and business decision-making.

Scope of the role:

Reward & Compensation

• Support the design, implementation and governance of salary, incentive and share-based reward programmes.
• Play a key role in delivering annual salary review, bonus and incentive cycles.
• Lead salary benchmarking, market survey participation and pay recommendations across recruitment, promotion and other HR processes.
• Provide expert reward advice and insight to HR, Finance and business leaders.
• Ensure reward processes are well governed, documented, compliant and aligned with market best practice.

People Insight, Reporting & Analytics

• Lead the production of high-quality people reporting, analytics and insight for senior stakeholders.
• Develop consistent reporting standards, data definitions and HR MI.
• Deliver analysis on pay positioning, internal equity, workforce trends, headcount and reward risks.
• Lead Pay Gap reporting, pay equity analysis and other regulatory or cyclical reporting.
• Support budgeting and forecasting through workforce analytics and cost modelling.

HR Systems & Data

• Act as product owner for the HCM system across reward, benefits, employee data, interfaces and reporting.
• Lead system enhancements, reporting improvements and data quality initiatives.
• Maintain robust testing, documentation, controls and audit trails for system changes.
• Own the HR data quality framework for reward and reporting, including reconciliations and exception reporting.
• Support the Head of Reward in delivering the HCM development roadmap, reporting automation and AI-enabled process improvements.
• Support the delivery and continuous improvement of global benefits programmes, including pensions, healthcare, insurance and wellbeing.
• Support benefits renewals, provider reviews and employee communications.
• Use data and insight to assess the competitiveness, cost-effectiveness and relevance of our benefits offering.
• Identify opportunities to simplify and improve reward and HR processes.
• Reduce manual activity, improve data quality and enhance the experience of employees and stakeholders.
• Ensure improvements are sustainable, documented and embedded into team ways of working.
• Deputise for the Head of Reward when required.

Experience/background:

You’ll bring significant experience acrosscompensation and benefits, reward analytics, people insight, HR data and reward systems, together with the confidence to provide technical advice and influence senior stakeholders.

• Strong technical knowledge of compensation structures, benchmarking, incentive plans and reward governance.
• Extensive experience managing annual reward cycles.
• Advanced analytical skills and experience producing senior management reporting.
• Experience with HCM systems, reporting tools, data quality controls, system testing and process documentation.
• Experience managing, coaching or developing colleagues and contributing to high-performing teams.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills, with the ability to work effectively across HR, Finance, IT, Payroll and external providers.
• Excellent attention to detail and a disciplined approach to governance, controls and data quality.
• Strong systems experience, particularly Sage people or Salesforce-based HR systems.
• Exposure to employee share plans, long-term incentive plans and payroll processes.
• Experience applying automation or AI to HR reporting or operational processes.

Why this role?

This is an opportunity to take a broad and highly visible role within a reputable Reward team, helping drive reward, data and technology to support better people and business decisions.

You’ll have the autonomy to make recommendations, solve complex problems and drive meaningful improvements, while working closely with senior leaders and specialist teams across the organisation.

If you’re a technically strong reward professional who enjoys turning data into insight, improving systems and processes, and making a tangible impact, we’d love to hear from you.