Senior Reward and Benefits Manager

At Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer, our ambition is to help you achieve your goals.

Exceptional client service and the pursuit of excellence are at our core. We invest in and care about our client relationships, which is why many are incredibly longstanding. And we enjoy breaking new ground, as we have for over 100 years.

We are where you need us to be. We are in the world's largest markets, key financial centres and major growth hubs. Our international footprint is extensive and committed.

We are at our best tackling complexity and navigating change. We work alongside you on demanding contentious matters, exacting regulatory work and complex public and private market transactions. We are recognised as leading in these areas.

We are immersed in the sectors and challenges that impact you. We are recognised as standing apart in energy, ESG, infrastructure and resources. And we're focused on areas of growth that affect every business across the world, including technology and digitalisation.

All of this is achieved by supporting the growth of our people, who help us deliver on our ambition - which is to help you achieve yours.

Your goals. Our ambition.

The Opportunity

Key Responsibilities

Reward

• In partnership with regional HR Leads, develop and deliver reward and benefits initiatives across the region.
• Lead the full annual compensation cycle across 6 countries in conjunction with regional HR Leads. This includes analysing market position and proposing effective salary budgets for agreement by the regional executive, right through to delivery of the compensation processes on Workday.
• Manage the provision of market data surveys and input as required.
• Provide thought leadership, support and advice relating to reward and benefits to all countries in EMEA.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory changes e.g. Pay Transparency legislation
• Ensure regular benchmarking and analysis of compensation and benefits practices across regions and industries to ensure competitiveness and compliance with local laws and regulations.
• Develop and harmonize compensation and benefits policies and procedures across the region, balancing global consistency with local market dynamics and regulatory requirements.
• Work with local HR leads to develop communication strategies to educate employees about their compensation and benefits packages and provide guidance and support to regional HR teams on compensation-related matters.
• Resource BAU requests including job evaluations and benchmarking.
• Monitor and adjust reward and benefit practices in line with the firm's strategy and local legislation.
• Work with colleagues in International Mobility to develop reward packages to support secondments.

Benefits

• Maintain oversight of all employee and Partner benefits in EMEA and for secondees to and from the region.
• Manage relationships with benefits providers and intermediaries.
• Manage any budget lines the role is responsible for, ensuring cost effectiveness.
• Ensure compliance with legislative changes e.g., healthcare and pensions.

Leadership

• Manage a senior advisor, supporting their development and capability within reward and benefits.
• Act as the first escalation point for team members where queries are escalated for resolution.
• Build strong, effective relationships with other key business services contacts.

Skills / Experience

• We would expect the successful candidate to have approximately 3+ years' experience in a similar role, but will consider those with less or more experience providing they meet the required competencies and can demonstrate success in a relevant role.
• Technical knowledge of compensation and benefits structures within EMEA highly desirable and previous experience of managing compensation and benefits schemes required.
• Experience of legal sector fee earner reward strategies desirable but not essential
• Strong understanding of compensation principles
• Good understanding of market norms and best practice across different geographical territories
• Practical knowledge of market data and survey provision including Towers Watson
• Strong data manipulation skills, comfortable creating spread sheets from scratch where needed
• Able to provide mentoring and insight to those less experienced
• Advanced Microsoft Excel essential, plus working knowledge of Access and PowerPoint desirable
• Analytical approach to problem solving, numerate
• Client-focused, with strong interpersonal skills

Competencies

Personal Leadership

• Positively impacts those around them, makes quality decisions and develops themselves both personally and professionally
• Demonstrates sound knowledge in their field
• Anticipates potential problems and identifies a range of possible solutions
• Adapts their interpersonal style to suit different audiences in a genuine way

Builds Authentic Relationships

• Takes time to get to know people beyond their role
• Treats people with respect and in a fair and consistent way

Collaborates with others

• Works within teams and across boundaries to share knowledge and achieve results
• Identifies and builds relationships required to achieve the best outcomes for the firm
• Engages people with the right skills, knowledge and expertise to provide advice
• Connects other people in the firm who have mutual interests or work objectives
• Generously shares their time, knowledge, expertise and talent to support others' success

Enhances the Client Experience

• Creates opportunities to enhance the experience of the firm's clients through their daily tasks
• Behaves consistently with the firm's values in their interactions with others
• Conducts themselves in a way that reflects positively on the firm's brand, both inside and outside the firm
• Achieves Results
• Maintains focus and drive to achieve quality outcomes
• Focuses their time and efforts on issues that will have the greatest impact on agreed objectives
• Anticipates responses and plans their approach accordingly
• Looks for the most effective way to achieve outcomes
• Maintains perspective and optimism when faced with setbacks

Team

Human Resources

Working Pattern

Full time

Location

Belfast, Brussels, Dubai, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Johannesburg, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, Paris

Contract type

Permanent Contract

Diversity & Inclusion

We are committed to attracting people from all backgrounds and creating a respectful and inclusive culture where everyone thrives. We see this as essential to our success, including our ability to innovate and achieve sustained high performance. This is a key part of our Values—Human, Bold, and Outstanding.