Global Reward Lead (Temporary Cover)

Norwegian Refugee Council; Oslo; On-site; NOK 900,000 - 1,100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Temporary cover (8 months)

Travel up to 20%

Grade 10 on NRC salary scale

Job summary

The Norwegian Refugee Council seeks a Global Reward Lead to shape and deliver global compensation and benefits strategy. You will lead a pooled rewards team, guide NRC offices, NORCAP, and P&O operations with expert support, balancing delivery and strategy across a global humanitarian footprint.

We require 8+ years in HR with rewards expertise, English fluency, and strong change and stakeholder-management skills. This temporary 8‑month role offers international exposure and travel up to 20%.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in human resources management, business administration, or related specialization.
• Minimum 8 years of experience in Human Resources Management with reward topics.
• Proven experience in driving and implementing change.
• Experience in managing teams.
• Fluency in English; knowledge of French, Spanish or Arabic is a plus.
• Knowledge of varied labour laws.
• Knowledge of P&O and Employee Relations principles.
• Extensive senior-level experience in compensation and benefits.
• Strong knowledge of compensation in an international context.
• Advanced proficiency in MS Excel and databases.
• Proven ability to lead reward-related projects.
• Strong stakeholder management skills.
• High numeracy with basic statistical analysis.

Responsibilities

• Line management for direct reports including performance management and workforce planning.
• Standardize reward approaches within portfolio and align with minimum standards.
• Lead development and implementation of pay scales, allowances, and benefits.
• Provide technical guidance on reward topics across the Employee Lifecycle.
• Prepare business cases and briefing documents for senior management.
• Build capacity through training and mentoring P&O staff.
• Lead reward policy reviews and updates with stakeholders.
• Embed change management in policy implementation and ensure adoption.
• Ensure compliance with NRC policies and procedures.
• Maintain centralized pay scale data and benchmarking.
• Coordinate with external partners and reward forums.
• Manage rewards data in NRC’s P&O system.

Skills

Stakeholder management

Excel

HR strategy

Change management

Leadership

Education

Bachelor’s degree in HR management or related field

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Databases

Job description

What we are looking for:

Ready to lead and make a global impact? Join NRC as our Global Reward Lead and take the lead in shaping and delivering our global Compensation & Benefits strategy.

In this both strategic and hands‑on role, you’ll head a dynamic pooled reward team, guiding NRC Country Offices, NORCAP, and P&O Operations with expert support and insight. You’ll oversee resource allocation based on organisational priorities, manage a regional portfolio, and serve as the thematic lead on key projects. With a 70% focus on operational delivery and 30% on strategic leadership, this is your chance to influence reward practices across a global humanitarian organisation.

If you're passionate about innovation, strategy, and driving HR excellence on a global scale - we’d love to hear from you!

This is a temporary cover position for a period of 8 months.

What you will do:

• Line management responsibility for direct reports, overseeing performance management, workforce planning, recruitment, staff development, duty of care, and ensuring effective work planning and resource allocation based on organisational priorities.

• Ensure quality and effective support provided by Reward pooled team. Standardize P&O Reward approaches within assigned portfolio and coordinate with other teams to align on minimum standards, best practices or specific operational needs.

• Lead on and coordinate the effective and quality implementation of reward systems, tools, and procedures, including pay scale development, allowances, and benefits determination across all NRC operations.

• Lead on the provision of technical guidance on reward and compensation and benefits topics across the Employee Lifecycle for assigned portfolio.

• Provide expert advice for NRC’s senior management decision‑making by preparing business cases, briefing documents, and making recommendations on reward‑related matters, including policy exceptions and deviations.

• Build capacity within Reward by training and mentoring P&O Managers, country office focal points, and people managers, enhancing management capability and accountability.

• Lead on reward policy review and development, working with stakeholders to design, consult, implement, and monitor changes in related P&O policies, strategies, and frameworks.

• Embed change management principles in reward policy implementation, ensuring strong stakeholder engagement and smooth adoption of new and updated procedures.

• Compliance and adherence to NRC policies, guidance and procedures, and a specific responsibility for the functions policies and procedures.

• Develop, review, and facilitate approval processes for national pay scales while maintaining centralized information resources, including benchmarking data.

• Build capacity within Reward by training and mentoring P&O Managers, country office focal points, and people managers, enhancing management capability and accountability.

• Establish structured consultation mechanisms with country offices, P&O management and Senior management to review and improve Reward P&O policies, tools, and operational frameworks.

• Develop and support compliance mechanisms to ensure adherence to P&O policies, handbooks, guidelines, procedures, and national labour laws related to Reward topics/guidance.

• Maintain relationships with external partners and suppliers (e.g., AIRINC, Birches, etc.) and represent the organisation in reward forums and benchmarking exercises.

• Coordinate and follow up on the maintenance and management of reward data in NRC’s P&O Management System.

• Act as the first escalation point for complex reward cases, including requests for exceptions, deviations or new practices as per CO and NORCAP operational needs. Build business cases for P&O management approvals and provide decision making as delegated from Head of P&O Operations.

• Ensure quality assurance in reward‑related processes, tracking derogations and developing long‑term solutions for operational challenges.

What you will bring:

• Bachelor’s degree in human resources management, business administration, or any other relevant specialisation.

• Minimum 8 years of experience in Human Resources Management generally with a specific experience in reward topics and practices, preferably in a humanitarian/recovery context.

• Proven experience in driving and implementing change.

• Previous experience in managing teams.

• Fluency in English, both written and spoken.Language skills in French, Spanish or Arabic would be benefitial.

• Knowledge and experience of working with varied and complex labour laws.

• Knowledge of fundamental P&O and Employee Relations principles.

• Extensive senior-level experience in compensation and benefits, including benchmarking, salary structures, job evaluation, and global reward management.

• Strong knowledge of compensation and benefits in an international context.

• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel, databases, and other Microsoft Office applications.

• Proven ability to lead and manage reward‑related projects, driving strategic development.

• Strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence and collaborate at all organisational levels.

• High numeracy skills with experience in basic statistical analysis.

What we offer:

• Duty station: Any country where NRC has an operational presence (Except Geneva & Washington DC), or through an Employer of Record (EoR) arrangement in France, Italy, Denmark, Finland, Spain, or the Netherlands.

• Contract: Temporary Cover (8 Months).

• Travel: Up to 20%.

• Salary/benefits: grade 10 on NRC’s Resident salary scale, with accompanying terms and conditions.

• NRC is an equal opportunities employer. We are committed to diversity without distinction to age, gender, religion, ethnicity, nationality, and physical ability.

• We think outside the box, encourage ideas, and give responsibility to all employees at all levels. You will have many opportunities to be heard and take the initiative.

Why NRC?

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is an independent humanitarian organisation helping people forced to flee. Our 15,000 staff work in crises across 40 countries, providing life‑saving and long‑term assistance to millions of people every year.

We are looking for people who are passionate about helping refugees and people forced to flee. Are you one of those people? If you are, NRC offers you the opportunity to:

• do demanding and professional work, often in challenging contexts.
• join a work culture that empowers every employee to share ideas and take responsibility.
• be part of a welcoming and supportive community committed to human dignity.

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is a global humanitarian organisation helping people forced to flee.

Join us in assisting millions of people in areas where others cannot, tackling some of the world's most dangerous and difficult crises. Bring your skills and dedication to an organisation recognised for providing high quality aid and for defending the rights of refugees and internally displaced people.

At NRC, we give responsibility to employees at all levels and foster professional growth and innovative teams. You can expect a supportive culture and an open dialogue with management. We are committed to diversity, equity and inclusion.

Together, we save lives and rebuild futures.

Safeguarding is central to NRC’s work. We expect all employees to:

• treat everyone with respect and dignity
• contribute to building a safe environment for all
• never engage in any form of exploitation, harassment and specifically sexual exploitation, abuse and sexual harassment (SEAH)
• always report. NRC has a zero‑tolerance approach to inaction against exploitation, abuse and SEAH