Head of Reward

About the role

Global University Systems (GUS), an international education group, is looking for an experienced reward specialist to join its People team in London. The role is highly visible, with significant exposure to the C-suite and senior leadership, and sits in a fast-moving, entrepreneurial and acquisitive environment. It is a strategic and operational position, acting as a stand-alone senior reward expert across the UK, with no team management.

Key responsibilities

• Partner with the C-suite and senior stakeholders, giving trusted, commercially focused reward advice.
• Lead executive compensation projects, benchmarking and incentive design.
• Support the Remuneration Committee, including preparing papers, analysis and recommendations.
• Design and develop MIPs and PE-style incentive arrangements.
• Own the UK-wide benefits offering and manage the benefits broker relationship.
• Manage and develop the reward and benefits platform, driving engagement and improving the employee experience.
• Oversee UK pensions and auto-enrolment compliance, working with providers and internal stakeholders.
• Lead annual reward activities such as salary reviews, benchmarking, bonuses and compensation planning.

Required profile

• Experienced senior Reward professional, comfortable discussing executive compensation with the C-suite as well as benefits and pensions details.
• Ideally strong experience across reward, compensation and benefits, and executive compensation and incentive design.
• Exposure to RemCo and senior executive stakeholders.
• Experience in a privately owned, PE-backed, acquisitive or entrepreneurial environment is particularly valuable.
• Experience managing UK benefits and external broker relationships.
• No team management required; operates as a senior individual contributor.

Required skills

• Knowledge of UK pensions and auto-enrolment requirements.
• Strong commercial judgement and ability to navigate ambiguity.
• Agility to move quickly between changing priorities.

What we offer

• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays.
• Hybrid working.
• Contributory pension scheme with 5% personal and 3% company contribution.
• Private medical insurance, season ticket loan, eye care vouchers and training and development opportunities.
• Staff discount scheme, Employee Assistance Programme and refer-a-friend scheme.