Rewards Specialist

Edge Executive Search Group; Johannesburg; Hybrid; ZAR 500,000 - 750,000; Full time

Job summary

A well-established South African group is seeking a Reward Specialist to enhance their remuneration strategies. This role involves designing and administering competitive pay structures while ensuring compliance with SA labour laws. The ideal candidate will have a relevant business degree and 3-5 years’ experience in compensation and benefits. Strong analytical skills and stakeholder management are essential.

Qualifications

• 3–5 years’ experience in reward/compensation & benefits.
• Demonstrated ability to conduct job evaluations and maintain equitable pay structures.
• Comfortable managing multiple priorities and stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Drive the design, administration, and improvement of remuneration and benefits.
• Partner with HR to ensure fair and competitive pay practices.
• Lead market survey submissions and analyze results.
• Administer the Group’s profit share programme and support annual reports.

Skills

Analytical skills

Understanding of SA labour laws

Job evaluations

Attention to detail

Stakeholder management

Education

Relevant business degree

Job description

Group Head / Role Title: Reward Specialist

Location: Westville, Durban (open to other regions for the right candidate)
Type: Permanent

Shape pay that shapes performance.
Bring fairness, rigour, and insight to every reward decision.

About the Role

As Reward Specialist, you’ll drive the design, administration, and continuous improvement of remuneration and benefits across the Group. You’ll partner with HR and business leaders to ensure pay practices are fair, competitive, compliant, and aligned to strategy—balancing market data with internal equity to inform smart decisions.

You’ll own core reward cycles (including benchmarking, job evaluation, annual increases, incentives, and profit share administration), manage external providers, and lead projects that uplift employee value and organisational performance.

Who the Client Is

This opportunity is with a well-established South African group with a national footprint and strong growth ambitions. The organisation is known for operational excellence, disciplined capital allocation, and a people-centric culture that values transparency, compliance, and data-led decision making.

What You’ll Do

• Partner with HRBPs to recommend total reward solutions that attract, motivate, and retain talent.
• Lead market survey submissions, analyse results, and advise on competitiveness and internal equity.
• Evaluate roles and maintain a consistent job architecture and grading framework.
• Recommend improvements to base pay and variable pay (annual increases, bonus programmes).
• Administer and review remuneration and benefits systems; integrate benefits post-M&A as required.
• Manage medical aid, disability funds, and broker relationships; monitor cost/risk and employee value.
• Oversee year-end review and bonus cycles; ensure accurate, on-time delivery and governance.
• Own vendor/SLA management with brokers and consultants; resolve compensation queries.
• Conduct audits to ensure compliance with policies, SA labour law, and reporting standards.
• Administer the Group’s profit share programme and support remuneration inputs for the annual report.
• Deliver ad-hoc compensation & benefits projects end-to-end.

What You Bring

• Relevant business degree (or equivalent).
• 3–5 years’ experience in reward / compensation & benefits.
• Demonstrated ability to conduct job evaluations and maintain fair, equitable pay structures.
• Advanced analytical skills with strong attention to detail and data accuracy.
• Working knowledge of SA labour laws and employment practices.
• Comfortable managing multiple priorities, stakeholders, and third-party providers.

What Success Looks Like

• Robust, defensible pay decisions underpinned by accurate benchmarking and clear job evaluation.
• On-time delivery of annual increases, bonuses, and profit share with zero audit findings.
• Transparent pay structures that improve internal equity and talent retention.
• Optimised benefits mix that balances employee wellbeing with cost and risk.
• High service quality from brokers/consultants with SLAs consistently met or exceeded.
• Clear, compliant remuneration inputs for external audit and the annual report.

Rewards & Realities: You’ll be the go-to expert for all things reward—great scope, visibility, and impact. It’s also detail-heavy and deadline-driven, requiring rigorous governance, discretion, and comfort navigating complex stakeholder needs.

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