Global Equity Compensation Lead

Hitachi Vantara Corporation; Stone Cross, Slough, Datchet; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job description

Description

Our Company

Hitachi drives Social Innovation Business, creating a sustainable society through the use of data and technology. We are a climate change innovator, partnering with cities, governments and companies to cut carbon. We are working to connect solutions with the help of Hitachi’s Green Energy and Mobility both physically and digitally to deliver net-zero. The company’s consolidated revenues for fiscal year 2023 (ended March 31, 2024) totalled 8,564.3 billion yen, and approximately 268,000 employees worldwide. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company's website at https://www.hitachi.com.

What you’ll be doing

The successful candidate will report to the head of global equity compensation. This role requires candidates with substantial experience in launching and managing equity compensation plans, including policy design and communications, process and procedures, and compliance with the applicable tax and legal obligations globally.

The selected candidate will be part of the Global Equity Compensation team under Hitachi’s Global Total Rewards (GTR) function, which comprises approximately 30 people. The Global Equity Compensation team is new and may grow to 5-6 people over time, depending on business needs.

Specific responsibilities:

• Manage the grant cycle according to the prevailing legal and tax compliance obligations, including the shares versus cash-settlement grants for each country.
• Manage the implementation of legal and tax compliance changes impacting the grant cycle.
• Prepare grant resolutions or deeds for the compensation committee or delegates to approve.
• Work with HR colleagues from each subsidiary to align the grant cycle process and timeline.
• Draft and organize the grant communications process with the plan administrator and subsidiaries.
• Manage the monthly or quarterly equity compensation buyout and grant process for new joiners.
• If any, manage the buyout and grant process related to joint ventures, mergers, and acquisitions.
• Be flexible about rotating or expanding responsibilities according to business demands.

Regular responsibilities:

• Manage equity compensation according to policy.
• Maintain robust governance frameworks and controls to fulfill tax and legal compliance obligations.
• In collaboration with internal and external counterparties and vendors, ensure timely and correct execution of equity compensation events.
• Prepare equity compensation data analytics for cost and strategy planning purposes.
• Manage the equity plans buyout process for new joiners and related to joint ventures, mergers, acquisitions, and divestment events, if applicable.
• Develop and deliver communication materials for global and senior audiences.
• Write policies and maintain plan events handbook and procedures to satisfy regulations and audits.
• Support change projects, including new policy launches and technology solution projects.
• Manage testing and controls related to new policy launches and each equity plan event.
• Manage the relationship with applicable external vendors, including contractual provisions.

Project work:

• Work will include but is not limited to identifying and establishing the process related to legal, tax, and operational requirements covering several equity compensation workstreams, including policy design, communication materials, domestic and expatriate taxation matters, legal requirements related to labor law, insider trading process and consent to deal, securities filing, exchange controls, compensation committee and trustee papers, cost accruals, cost recharge process, designing the participant portal, and establishing the data integration interfaces with the plan administrator.

What you bring to the team

We are looking for a team player, who is motivated by delivering great work and the Hitachi vision. Under our hybrid working model, employees can work flexibly from home or the office, depending on business requirements.

The ideal candidate will possess the following skills and background:

• Candidates must have a minimum of 8-10 years of experience with equity compensation in large and complex companies, including discretionary share plans and employee share purchase plans.
• Have managed at least 5-6 grant and vesting cycles globally and fully understand the legal and tax compliance complexity of managing equity compensation in multiple countries.
• Strong knowledge of the withholding tax process for domestic employees and global movers.
• Experience in managing equity compensation projects related to joint ventures, mergers, acquisitions, and divestment events.
• Previous experience with Japanese listed companies is desirable.
• Previous experience with implementing an equity compensation policy from scratch is highly desirable, including strategic, compliance, technology, and governance framework topics.
• Willing to work on administrative tasks and regularly liaise with several stakeholders from different business units to ensure the timely implementation of various processes and control steps.
• Willing to work flexibly to meet tight deadlines and attend calls during flexible hours across different time zones. Travel to Japan may be required occasionally.

Other Duties:

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Disclaimer

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of the work being performed by people assigned to this work. This is not an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities. Hitachi management reserves the right to amend and change responsibilities to meet business and organizational needs as necessary.

Benefits Package

Company Funded Benefits

• Generous holiday entitlement - with the option to buy up to an additional 5 days per year
• A Holiday Banking scheme allowing you to bank untaken holiday to use another year
• Group Personal Pension
• Private Medical Insurance with self-funded option to cover family members
• Employee Assistance Programme available to all employees
• Personal Accident Insurance

Voluntary Benefits (funded by employee) including;

• Cycle To Work scheme
• Gym Membership
• Dental Insurance with option to include dependent children
• Health screening
• Dining card

Our Values

We are proud to say we are an equal opportunity employer and welcome all applicants for employment without attention to any factor that doesn’t impact your ability to do the job, including race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status. We are proud of Japanese heritage, with our values expressed through the Hitachi Spirit:

Wa – Harmony, Trust, Respect

Makoto – Sincerity, Fairness, Honesty, Integrity

Kaitakusha-Seishin – Pioneering Spirit, Challenge

If, like us, you’re motivated by delivering first class services, thrive in a fast paced and supportive environment and want to help Hitachi to drive social innovation, we’d love to hear from you.