Head of Reward bei Gowling WLG

Main purpose of role:   

The Head of Reward works closely with the HRD in developing and implementing the firm's compensation and benefits strategy. You will focus on attracting, retaining, and motivating talent through competitive and equitable reward programs. Key responsibilities include managing salary structures, bonus schemes, and benefits packages, as well as overseeing the annual pay review process. 

Direct reports:   2 (1 x Senior Compensation Specialist and 1 x Benefits Specialist)                                                     

Budgetary / financial responsibility: 

•           Direct influence on the reward and benefits spend 

•           Management of the Total Reward budget

Key responsibilities:

•         Contribute at a strategic level to formulate and design the firm's reward philosophy

•          Develop and implement reward programmes that align with the firm's overall business goals and remain competitive in the market to ensure we attract and retain the right people 

•          Manage your team to provide a first-class operational service to internal clients, ensuring user experience is front of mind

•          Manage compensation structures (salary bands, job evaluation processes, incentive plans etc) that are fair, transparent and aligned with performance 

•          Oversee the firms' benefits programmes as led by the Benefits Specialist, ensuring they are competitive, efficient and meet the firm's needs 

•          Lead the annual pay review cycle across the UK LLP offices from start to finish – this includes working with Finance to devise the budget and the modelling, working with the HR Advisory team as to how it will be led out into the firm, understanding where the market is, leading the communications process, updating systems, and closing each cycle with a continuous improvement mindset 

•      Provide expert advice and counsel on reward-related matters, including role development and benchmarking

•          Drive innovation by staying current on best practices and trends in the reward domain and, with the understanding of our firm's context, recommend and implement new and innovative approaches to reward 

•          Ensure the reward approaches are clearly linked to performance management evaluation

•          Ensure compliance with relevant employment laws and regulations

•          Manage all aspects of a wider international reward offering, including local reward practices, secondments and local market intelligence.

•          Use data to provide insight into the firm's reward package, ensuring it remains competitive and desirable

•          Be an active member of the HR Leadership team – be a role model and mentor across the team; lead on or be a project member of cross-functional projects; work collaboratively with other sub-teams; take part in leading meetings and other activities as required

Skills & Experience:

•          Strong knowledge of reward principles and practices, across compensation, benefits and performance management

•          Experience in the legal sector, or of a partnership structure, is highly desirable 

•          Strong leadership and management skills, with the ability to lead and motivate a team, driving performance through clear priorities

•          Strong collaboration and influencing skills, with the ability to communicate often complex ideas in simple ways to senior stakeholders 

•          Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, using data to provide insight and make recommendations 

•          Ability to build a network and trusted relationships within the legal sector and wider markets

•          Knowledge of reward practices outside of the UK is desirable – ideally in Europe and the UAE. Without experience, a keen interest to build knowledge and experience in other jurisdictions outside of the UK

•          Self-reliant and motivated and able to operate successfully in a high performing and complex environment

•          Aligned to firm wide values – a one-team, collaborative approach, open and honest, ambitious and accountable – and has the courage and creativity to challenge what we do now, and bring new ideas to the table.

What We Can Offer You:

The opportunity to work for a firm which has been recognised as one of the best places to work in the UK and has been ranked by Great Place to Work® for 25 consecutive years.

Excellent benefits, including:

•           A hybrid approach to office and remote working.

•           Generous annual leave, with the option to buy up to a week's extra annual leave

•           Free private medical insurance, and the option to add family members

•           A generous pension allowance

•           Life assurance covering four times your annual salary

•           The chance of a three-month sabbatical every five years

•           Maternity, paternity and adoption leave schemes

•           A range of health and wellbeing programmes

•           State of the art offices, in the heart of Birmingham City Centre, with an onsite restaurant

•           Opportunities to flourish in your role through training and personal development.

Many of our people work flexibly in some way. If you would like to explore your own flexible working arrangements with us, we are happy to discuss this during the recruitment process.

Equal Opportunities:

Gowling WLG is committed both to promoting equality and diversity in the firm and to Equal Opportunities in employment.  The firm believes in equality of opportunity regardless of race or racial group (including colour, nationality, ethnicity, and national origins), religion or belief, age, disability, sexual orientation, sex, gender re-assignment and gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, and pregnancy, maternity and paternity. This also includes any incidents of perceptive or associative discrimination and harassment.

At Gowling WLG we seek to attract and retain talented people from a diverse range of backgrounds and cultures, to create an exciting and rewarding place to work.  Our aim is to fulfil everyone's potential and together to achieve personal and business goals.

Any offers we make will be conditional subject to clearance by the SRA, evidence of eligibility to work in the UK and DBS clearance.

If you have any queries in relation to this position or would like to see a full job description, please contact Meg Astley at [email protected] 

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