Compensation Business Partner

The Company

Our client is a leading international education provider that is dedicated and passionate about helping students around the world, creating a brighter future and reaching their full potential. With university partnerships and a variety of face-to-face, online, and hybrid study programmes, they are able to provide students with the resources and guidance they need to succeed. Their global network of offices and university partnerships ensure that students receive the best educational services available. Additionally, their Insendi platform enables them to deliver innovative, accessible, and intuitive digital learning experiences with the most advanced digital tools available.

The Role

Our client is looking for a talented HR professional to help drive their strategic priorities through innovative Reward & Remuneration initiatives, impactful culture projects, and the successful delivery of key cyclical HR programmes.

In this role, you will deliver our client’s strategic priorities through reward and remuneration, culture, and cyclical projects. This is a data-led position, using internal and external data to inform decision-making and ensure effective and efficient project delivery. The purpose of this role is to help shape the business for future growth and enable the wider organisation to achieve its strategic aims through reward and remuneration, culture, and cyclical HR initiatives. This role works across all directorates, partnering with senior stakeholders and leading on the delivery of high-profile projects.

Job Description

• Act as the subject matter expert for compensation and reward matters across the organisation, partnering with HR Business Partners, Talent Acquisition, and leaders on strategic and tactical compensation-related decisions.

• Advise HR colleagues and senior managers on remuneration and reward, both strategically for the whole organisation and for individual roles.
• Implement and champion our client’s Reward Strategy and ensure continuous alignment with business strategy. This includes communication, education, and regular review of its impact.
• Analyse external benchmarking data to evaluate the competitiveness of compensation packages against the industry and market.
• Support the compensation planning cycle, partnering with HRBPs and senior managers to apply the Reward Strategy. Review and update pay structures and architecture, including job evaluation and grading of roles, to design base pay, incentives, and compensation packages that attract, retain, and motivate top talent.
• Conduct market analysis - use data to monitor inflation rates and market changes to ensure continued adherence of compensation packages to local employment markets and economic conditions. Provide updates to the Remuneration Governance Group on changes, likely impacts, and potential solutions.
• Manage data submissions to external pay specialists to receive data and reports, using these insights to review structures and proactively suggest actions where required.
• Work with colleagues to ensure that benefits aligned to roles are fair, consistent, and competitive with local employment markets.
• Assist in the development, implementation, and evaluation of employee surveys, managing and analysing data sets to extract insights and inform further discussions and actions.
• Review workforce profiles against local and industry norms, providing proactive data and suggested actions to support strategic priorities.
• Support the salary review process, ensuring it is project managed and delivered efficiently and effectively.
• Collaborate with colleagues to define roles and responsibilities, ensuring data protection, alignment with strategy, budgets, market trends, and effective communication.
• Provide expert guidance on the creation of bonus and incentive schemes that align with organisational strategic priorities and reward desired outcomes and behaviours.
• Ensure compliance with gender pay gap reporting requirements and use outcome data to inform proactive decision-making and continuous improvement.
• Maintain and regularly review HR policies to ensure accuracy, compliance, and relevance.

Key Stakeholders

• Board and EXCO - to deliver compensation and benefits and cyclical HR work to deliver organisational strategy.
• HR Systems team
• Deputy Directors and HRBPs - collaborate to support, develop and deliver to our internal customers.
• Finance - work closely with finance to ensure a combined approach and understanding.
• Compensation Managers - ensure they are able to translate and implement SG Reward Strategy.

Requirements

• Be a full member of the CIPD or equivalent professional body

• Towers Watson or similar benchmarking experience (essential)
• Proven background and experience in compensation and benefits
• Experience working in a commercially focused organisation, experience of working in a matrix organisation (preferably global). Business partner, compensation and benefits, or relevant experience in HR.
• Confident and experienced in managing large data sets from multiple sources, providing suggested actions and ensure that the data is accessible to enable clear and relevant decision-making.
• Intermediate to advanced Excel user.
• A good working knowledge of UK and overseas employment law environment and the ability to quickly upskill/get informed in new areas.
• Project Management skills - managing and working on multiple projects concurrently. Working proactively with ambiguity.