Job Title: Compensation & Reward Lead
Job Type: Contract/ Temporary
Duration: 12 Months
Rate: £44.00 - £50.00 per hour
Location: Reading (2 to 3 days per week in the office)
Role Overview
The Compensation Lead will design and deliver the compensation elements of our overall reward strategy, ensuring our programmes remain competitive and aligned with operational goals. Reporting to the Head of Reward, this role manages the operational delivery of base pay, allowances, variable pay, and employee mobility schemes. You will provide strategic insights and data-led recommendations while directly line managing a Mobility Enablement Specialist and overseeing task delivery for up to two analysts or coordinators.
Key Duties
- Maintain, communicate, and evaluate all compensation frameworks, including base pay ranges, allowances, and variable pay arrangements.
- Oversee the end-to-end delivery of domestic and international mobility services and frameworks to support successful employee deployments.
- Manage the annual pay review process and the fair distribution of staff incentives.
- Conduct regular market benchmarking and data analysis to ensure total reward offerings remain competitive.
- Produce key statutory reports, including gender pay gap analysis, providing detailed insight and strategic commentary.
- Act as the subject matter expert on compensation policies, providing expert guidance to managers and supporting HR with Trade Union discussions and negotiations.
- Liaise with HR and payroll teams to ensure accurate, compliant compensation uploads and governance.
- Act as the lead contact for internal and external audits, conducting proactive checks to resolve compliance issues and meet regulatory standards.
- Provide line management, leadership, and professional development for reward team members.
Ideal Candidate
- Proven experience as a compensation specialist with a strong background in reward strategy and mobility management.
- Excellent analytical skills with a track record of translating data into actionable insights and producing statutory reports (e.g., gender pay gap analysis).
- In-depth knowledge of pay framework design, benchmarking methodologies, and regulatory compliance.
- Strong line management and leadership abilities, capable of mentoring staff and driving team delivery.
- Exceptional communication and stakeholder management skills, with experience advising senior leaders and collaborating on Trade Union or employee representative discussions.
- Collaborative mindset with experience working closely with HR and payroll teams to ensure seamless operational execution.
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We wish you the best in your search for an ideal role and look forward to hearing from you soon.
Please note, we try to remove roles advertised as they become unavailable in a timely manner. If you have applied for a role and it is no longer available we will inform you as soon as possible.
Should you require reasonable adjustments at any point during the recruitment process or if there is a more accessible way for us to communicate, please do let us know.
AJACO is an equal opportunities employer.
Pay: £44.00-£50.00 per hour
Application question(s):
- How many years of experience do you have managing annual pay reviews?
- How many years of experience do you have in reward or compensation-specific roles?
Experience:
- Public Sector : 2 years (required)
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Reading
