Compensation & Benefits Expert

Compensation Implement frameworks, job architecture, grading, and salary structures across the region. Advise on base pay, variable comp, allowances, offers, and promotions to ensure equity and competitiveness. Manage annual salary reviews, bonuses, and incentive cycles (planning, modeling, data validation, execution). Prepare reward recommendations and decision papers for the HR Director and leadership. Benchmarking & Analytics Manage reward survey participation and benchmark roles against luxury, fashion, retail, and corporate peers. Analyze pay positioning, equity, compression, and trends to highlight risks and recommend actions. Maintain reward data, dashboards, and reporting for HR, Finance, and regional/Group stakeholders. Benefits Administer benefit programs (pension, healthcare, life assurance, income protection, wellbeing) across the UK, Ireland, and South Africa. Handle annual renewals, market reviews, and provider relationships balancing value, cost, and compliance. Maintain benefits data and develop employee communications to enhance total reward understanding. Partnership, Governance & Projects Act as regional reward adviser to HR, Talent Acquisition, Finance, and business leaders. Monitor market and regulatory developments across the UK, Ireland, and South Africa with local advisers. Maintain robust controls, audit-ready documentation, and lead reward process improvements. Maintain working payroll knowledge to coordinate inputs and provide business-continuity cover for the Payroll Manager.

Experience Extensive, proven compensation and benefits experience within a complex, customer-led organisation. Strong practical experience of job evaluation, salary structures, benchmarking, annual pay and bonus cycles, benefits renewals and vendor management. Experience in luxury fashion, premium retail or a closely related consumer brand is strongly preferred, with an understanding of both store and corporate populations. Knowledge of reward and benefits practices across the UK, Ireland and South Africa, or experience managing comparable multi-country populations. Working knowledge of payroll processes and controls, sufficient to manage reward inputs, validate outputs and provide defined absence cover. Experience translating complex data into clear, commercially grounded recommendations for senior stakeholders. Key Skills Compensation design, job evaluation, grading and market benchmarking Benefits management, governance and provider relationships Advanced Excel, numerical modelling, HRIS and reward reporting Strong analytical judgement, attention to detail and data confidentiality Clear stakeholder communication, collaboration and influencing skills Structured project management and a pragmatic continuous-improvement mindset