Total Rewards Leader, Fintech

Optasia; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 350,000 - 520,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Work From Anywhere Policy

Performance-based bonus scheme

Extra day off on your birthday

Comprehensive private healthcare

Tech gear provided

Job summary

Optasia is seeking a dynamic Total Rewards Leader to drive global compensation, benefits, immigration and mobility programs. You will shape scalable reward frameworks across Africa, the Middle East and Asia while partnering with senior leaders to maintain regulatory compliance and a people-centric culture.

The role requires strong analytical skills, strategic mindset and proven leadership in high-growth fintech environments.

Qualifications

• A strategic leader with proven experience delivering global total rewards programs across multiple regions.
• Strong analytical capabilities with data-driven decision making.
• Experience in compensation, benefits, immigration and mobility in high-growth or fintech organizations.
• Knowledge of regional labor laws and executive compensation considerations.

Responsibilities

• Oversee development and execution of standardized compensation structures across regions and levels.
• Own immigration and relocation/mobility programs, including work permits and related rewards across jurisdictions.
• Collaborate with Legal and senior leaders on compensation and benefits issues ensuring regulatory compliance.
• Provide data-driven guidance on compensation budgets, topology, and workforce planning.
• Lead job evaluation, salary surveys and policy development to ensure equity and competitiveness.
• Harmonize global benefits programs while maintaining local relevance and cost discipline.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Analytical skills

Leadership experience

Compensation & Benefits

Immigration & Mobility

Data-driven decision making

Job description

At Optasia we use the latest technologies and tools to build impactful customer experiences, grow ournetworkand provide comprehensive financial access for millions of customers in countries across continental Africa, Asia and beyond.

We areseeking a dynamicTotal Rewards Leader, who hasa deep understanding ofglobal reward strategiesacrossAfrica, Middle East and Asia,coupledwithexperience in startup/scaleup culture.

• The ideal person willpossessstrong analytical skills, a strategic mindset,with proven leadership experiencein daily delivery of compensation, benefits,immigrationand mobility activities.
• Familiarity with regional labor lawsrelated toremunerationand a passion for fostering a positive workplace culture are essential.

This is asenior team role in a growing organization - an opportunity to work in a company wherea go-getterspirit and customer orientation are valued as highly as technical excellence.

Detailed overview

Location: Johannesburg, Dubai, Athens

Candidate profile

• Acommercially-mindedTotal Rewardleaderwithprovenexperiencediagnosing,designinganddelivering cost effectivereward frameworks in high-growth, international, technology-led or fintech organizations, ideally including Africanand Asiamarkets.
• Comfortable operating at both strategic and hands-on levels, using data,benchmarkingand market insight to shape competitive, scalable, andequitablecompensation and benefits offerings across multiple countries.
• Passionate about building transparent, employee-centric reward philosophies, partnering effectively with senior leaders, and navigating complex regulatory environments with sound judgement and integrity.

Key Responsibilities

• Oversee the development and execution of a comprehensive & standardized compensation structure across all functions, regions, and levels within the organization, including base pay, variable pay programs, sales incentives, long and short-term incentive plans, stock options, and executive compensation.
• Own and administerimmigration and relocation/mobilityactivitieswhich will bea corefocus ofthe role.Coordinating and managing relocations and commuters'programs, EEAarrangements,work permitsand related reward elements (correct ICP and equitytax allocation and recording acrossjurisdictions, equal pay calculations,FX equalizationallowancesand payments coordination with relevant payroll teams)andlocal authority reporting.
• Liaise with senior leadership, and the Legal team on all legal issues relating to compensation & benefits,maintaininga working knowledge of local laws, customs, and practices influencing compensation and benefits.
• Provide relevant data and recommendations to guide decision-making related to compensation, org structure, attrition, promotions, and other people-related activities.
• Analyze trends in the business, economy, and employment marketplace toidentifyissues and opportunities to enhance global workforce planning strategies.
• Facilitate the process of job evaluation and salary surveys, advise on salary budgets, and prepare policies and procedures to ensureequitableand competitive employee compensation.
• Monitor,evaluateand harmonizethe company's benefits programs, ensuring they are globally aligned, locally relevant, cost-effective, flexible, consistently applied, and do not expose the company to undue risks.
• Lead on communicating the company compensation philosophy and framework to employee and manager groups and delivering associated trainingasrequired.
• Train regional and local People team members to support compensation, benefit, and rewardprogrammes.
• Manage vendor performance and relationships ensuring ROI.

Requirements

• 6+ yearsexperiencefullyowning theinternationalCompensation & Benefitsagenda ofa companyover several countries in Africa, Asiaand beyond.
• A passion for data-driven, People-centric, and business-oriented compensation philosophy & practices.
• Experienceinaremunerationand compensation environment in the countries where the companyoperates.
• Ability to create effective working partnerships with key stakeholders.
• Experience in a challenging, dynamic, and complex business environment with a focus on multiculturalism and internationalism.
• Ability to quickly build trust with staff, vendors, and partners.
• Strong diplomatic and interpersonal skills with high levels of professionalism and integrity.
• Knowledge of in-country employment regulations and ability to apply them to the company.
• Proven experience conductingtotal rewardbenchmarking using formal 3rd party data and conducting full job architecture and evaluation systems.
• Ability to plan and prioritize work under tight deadlines, work on own initiative, and as a member of a team.
• Proven experience educating employees and managers about transparent compensation philosophy and framework.

WhyOptasia?

Optasia is a high-growth, AI-powered financial infrastructure platform serving over 432 million users in emerging markets across Africa and Asia.By harnessing the power of AI and real-time data we unlock financial opportunities for customers.We have been recognized as a top fintech by Forbes Middle East, culminating in a successful JSE listing in 2025.

At Optasia, our global team builds the tech, products and services which will change the game for the world's unbanked population. We empower our people by offering unique employee experiences and support individual careers by prioritizing well-being and embracing flexibility.

Benefits include:

• Work From Anywhere Policy
• Performance-based bonus scheme
• Extra day off on your birthday
• Comprehensive private healthcare insurance
• All the tech gear you need to work smart

Join us in shaping the future of Optasia as we grow together. Explore more atoptasia.com