People Insight and Reward Manager

South Buckinghamshire; Aylesbury; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Buckinghamshire Council is seeking a strategic and analytical leader to head People Insight and Reward. You will shape workforce intelligence, lead pay and reward services, and translate complex data into actionable recommendations for senior leadership across the Council.

You will manage a specialist team, influence major workforce programmes, and drive continuous improvement, digital transformation and effective data governance to support organisational success and employee experience in

Qualifications

• Significant experience in people insight or workforce analytics within a large organisation.
• Expertise in workforce data analysis and reward strategy.
• Experience overseeing job evaluation and maintaining pay and grading integrity.
• Strong stakeholder management, influencing and negotiation skills.
• Experience developing and implementing strategic frameworks and improvement programmes.

Responsibilities

• Lead workforce data, insight, pay and reward functions.
• Develop people analytics, workforce reporting and strategic workforce intelligence.
• Lead annual pay review processes, reward programmes and employee benefits initiatives.
• Provide expert advice to senior leaders on workforce and reward matters.
• Oversee data governance and compliance requirements.
• Drive workforce planning and data-led decision making.
• Sponsor continuous improvement and digital transformation initiatives.
• Build relationships with senior stakeholders, trade unions and partners.

Skills

People analytics

Workforce analytics

Strategic thinking

Stakeholder management

Leadership

Education

Degree-level education

Professional qualification or in progress

Tools

HR systems

Advanced Excel

Data storytelling

Job description

Location: Aylesbury

Overview

Are you passionate about using workforce insight, analytics and reward strategies to shape organisational success? This is an exciting opportunity to lead a high-profile function that sits at the heart of strategic decision-making, helping to ensure the Council attracts, retains and develops the talent needed to deliver excellent services to our communities.

As our People Insight and Reward Manager, you will lead the development of workforce intelligence, pay and reward services, combining data-driven insight with strategic thinking to influence workforce planning, organisational performance and future people priorities across the Council

About us

Buckinghamshire Council is a relatively new organisation that combines the strengths and expertise of the previous five councils in the county to create positive change for local people, communities, and businesses. We are firmly focused on the future and have made a clear commitment to serve residents better and to provide stronger representation for Buckinghamshire, both locally and nationally.

About the role

This is a unique leadership opportunity for an experienced people analytics, workforce intelligence or reward professional, looking to make a significant impact within a large and complex organisation. Working as part of the HR & OD Extended Leadership Team, you will shape and deliver the Council's people insight and reward agenda, ensuring workforce data, analytics and reward frameworks support informed decision-making, organisational effectiveness and long-term workforce planning.

You will act as the Council's lead adviser on workforce intelligence, pay and reward, translating complex workforce data into meaningful insights that drive action. From analysing trends in areas such as recruitment, retention and absence, to leading annual pay reviews, reward initiatives and workforce reporting, you will play a key role in ensuring evidence-based decisions support both employees and the wider organisation.

Alongside leading a specialist team, you will work closely with senior leaders, HR colleagues, Finance, ICT, Corporate Business Intelligence teams and external partners to develop innovative solutions, improve processes and deliver strategic change. You will also champion continuous improvement, digital transformation and the effective use of technology and automation to enhance services and customer experience.

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading the Council's workforce data, insight, pay and reward functions.
• Developing people analytics, workforce reporting and strategic workforce intelligence.
• Leading annual pay review processes, reward programmes and employee benefits initiatives.
• Providing expert advice and guidance to senior leaders on workforce and reward matters.
• Overseeing job evaluation, pay governance and reward frameworks.
• Managing statutory workforce reporting, data governance and compliance requirements.
• Driving workforce planning and organisational insight through data-led decision making.
• Leading continuous improvement, digital transformation and service redesign initiatives.
• Building strong relationships with senior stakeholders, trade unions and external partners.
• Sponsoring and delivering major workforce, reward and organisational change programmes. For a full list of responsibilities and duties, please refer to the Job Description.

Any-Desk

As an 'any-desk' worker, you'll need to be connected to our network to access digital folders and resources, but this can either be from home or an office location when required. You will be required to work from the office a couple of times a week, depending on your role and team requirements.

About you

We're looking for a strategic, commercially minded and highly analytical leader who is passionate about using workforce insight to drive organisational performance. You'll be equally comfortable interpreting complex data, influencing senior stakeholders and leading specialist services, bringing both technical expertise and a collaborative approach to everything you do.

You will have substantial experience of leading people insight, workforce analytics, pay, reward or related specialist services within a large and complex organisation. You'll possess expert knowledge of workforce analytics, HR data management, pay and reward frameworks, along with the ability to translate data into compelling narratives and meaningful recommendations for decision-makers.

To be successful in this role, you'll be an inspiring leader who can build high-performing teams, influence at a senior level and navigate complex organisational challenges with confidence. You'll bring strong strategic thinking, excellent relationship-building skills and the ability to identify opportunities for innovation, continuous improvement and service transformation.

You should also have:

• Significant experience in people insight, workforce analytics, pay, reward or a related specialist field.
• Expertise in workforce data analysis, people analytics and reward strategy.
• Experience overseeing job evaluation processes and maintaining pay and grading integrity.
• Strong stakeholder management, influencing and negotiation skills.
• Experience developing and implementing strategic frameworks, policies and improvement programmes.
• Excellent leadership and people management capabilities.
• Advanced ICT skills, including experience of HR systems and advanced Excel.
• Degree-level education or equivalent experience.
• A relevant professional qualification, or be working towards one.
• A full driving licence and the ability to travel to offices in Aylesbury. We are particularly interested in candidates who demonstrate adaptability, professional curiosity, data storytelling capability, AI literacy and a commitment to collaborative working, helping us continue to build an innovative and forward-thinking HR & OD service.

We understand that candidates may use AI tools to assist with their applications. While we welcome innovation, we expect all submissions to reflect your own experience, skills, and achievements accurately. Please ensure your application is truthful and demonstrates your personal capabilities, as this will be assessed during the selection process.

Other information

For more information about this role, please contact Rachel Shovell at [email protected] for an informal discussion.

Closing date

Sunday 11th October 2026

Interview Date

tbc

Buckinghamshire Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore applicants are required to declare:

• All unspent convictions and conditional cautions

For further information on filtering please refer to Nacro guidance and the guidance published by the Ministry of Justice (see, in particular, the section titled 'Exceptions Order').

We reserve the right to close the vacancy once we have received sufficient applications, so please be advised to submit your application as early as possible.

Our values and culture

We have a set of values, which our employees have chosen, that represent what we are - Proud, Ambitious, Collaborative and Trustworthy.

By joining Buckinghamshire Council, you can expect:

• a fair and inclusive culture
• the chance to really make a difference to those around you
• health and well-being initiatives including an Employee Assistance Programme, Mental Health First Aiders and mindfulness workshops
• a unified voice through our Employee Representative Group
• ongoing support, and the opportunity to develop and progress in your career with us
• opportunities to take part in fun activities such as fundraising and social events

At Buckinghamshire Council, we know that our biggest strength comes from the people that work for us, and that's why we're working hard to ensure we continue to be an accessible and inclusive organisation.

From dedicated staff networks overseen by our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Steering Group, to proudly standing as a Disability Confident employer, it's important to us that all our colleagues feel engaged, listened to, and valued. Our offer of flexible working empowers a productive and happy workforce and allows employees to combine work with other responsibilities and commitments.

We believe our workforce should reflect the diverse communities we service in Buckinghamshire, and are looking for like-minded individuals to join us in promoting equality, fairness, and inclusion for everyone.

About the Service Area

Our Human Resources and Organisational Development (HR & OD) service is responsible for managing all matters related to employees and represents one of the most valuable resources to Buckinghamshire Council as an organisation. We provide officers and managers with support on a wide range of services, including employee relations, resourcing, and learning and development.

We put Buckinghamshire people at the centre of our purpose as decision-makers rather than customers who are subject to HR & OD's convenience and we will create tools and processes to enable this way of working.

Effective recruitment is the first step when it comes to establishing a solid workforce. That's why our aim is to attract and retain talented employees and create a positive candidate journey, through an effective resourcing service.

We strive to hire talent with the right skills and ensure our staff are supported from the moment they join us. Equipping our staff with the necessary resources ensures that they feel motivated to work collaboratively to achieve big things and can effectively deliver the Council's objectives.

We recognise and reward you

Hard work and success deserves recognition. That's why we pride ourselves on the benefits we give our people. We actively encourage a good work-life balance and promote flexible and agile working arrangements. We provide discounts on various Cafés, restaurants, shops and auto enrolment onto our generous Pension Scheme. In addition to the opportunity to gain membership to Costco, we have discounted gym memberships, travel discounts with Arriva and much more.

https://jobs.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/working-buckinghamshire-council/