Head of Rewards (Eurasia)

Our client, a leading global company in retail sector, is looking for a Head of Rewards.

Role Profile

The Head of Rewards will lead the design and implementation of a competitive, fair, and business aligned total rewards strategy across all markets of Eurasia, aligning with global governance requirements.

The role focuses on strategic compensation management, benefits design, and people cost optimization, ensuring that all reward programs strengthen the company’s Employee Value Proposition (Belong, Discover, Grow), drive performance, and support attraction and improvement of attrition.

The ideal candidate brings a strong analytical foundation and total rewards expertise, with hands-on experience managing compensation frameworks and People financials and policy governance , and a solid understanding of payroll principles, even if not directly accountable for operations.

Compensation Strategy & Governance

• Define and evolve the company’s total reward philosophy and compensation framework, ensuring market competitiveness and internal equity.
• Lead the governance of grading structures, salary bands, and incentive frameworks linked to performance and business results of both headoffice and stores.
• Conduct market benchmarking, compensation surveys, and pay analyses to maintain competitiveness and fairness.
• Lead annual salary review cycles and ensure proposed budgets, structures, and recommendations align with global principles and approval mechanisms.
• Advise leadership on compensation decisions, pay positioning, and internal equity cases.
• Oversee the use of job evaluation methodologies (e.g., Korn Ferry or Hay) to maintain consistent leveling across the organization.
• Partner with Finance on budgeting, forecasting, and cost modeling for compensation programs.

Benefits Design & Delivery

• Design and manage incentive schemes for stores, field teams, and support functions.
• Lead the development of bonus models, productivity-linked schemes, and performance-based pay structures
• Develop and manage employee (people) benefits programs that promote engagement, wellbeing, and cost efficiency (health, insurance, meal, social, and recognition programs).
• Benchmark benefits across markets to ensure alignment with employee (people) needs and external competitiveness.
• Partner with business leaders and finance to optimize cost and value delivery.
• Communicate total rewards effectively to maximize understanding and appreciation among employees.
• Prepare and present board-level reward proposals requiring Global HQ approval
• Provide trusted advisory to the senior leadership on reward-related decisions

Reward Operations, Policy & Governance

• Oversee and update People & Culture policies related to compensation, benefits, and employment terms.
• Ensure policy alignment and compliance with local legislation and group standards.
• Maintain oversight of reward-related data accuracy, supporting smooth integration with HR systems and payroll processes.
• Build strong collaboration with Finance, HR Services, and external partners to ensure alignment in total reward execution.

Budgeting, Reporting & Analytics

• Lead the people cost budgeting and forecasting process in collaboration with Finance.
• Provide accurate and timely reward dashboards, insights, and cost analysis to support strategic planning.
• Track and analyze labor cost trends, headcount, and attrition metrics, ensuring data integrity and business relevance.
• Develop business cases and simulations for new reward initiatives, ensuring cost-effectiveness and ROI.

Leadership & Collaboration

• Manage and develop the team across Compensation & Benefits and HR reporting functions.
• Partner closely with HR Business Partners and business leaders to align reward strategies with organizational goals.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Finance, HR Services, and IT to ensure consistency and integration of reward processes.
• Maintain external networks and stay abreast of evolving trends, legal changes, and bestpractices in total rewards

Knowledge:

• Deep understanding of compensation & benefits frameworks, job evaluation systems, and salary structure design.
• Strong financial literacy, including modeling, scenario analysis, and budget management.
• Knowledge of labor law, tax regulations, social security practices, and reward-related compliance requirements.
• Strong understanding of performance management and pay-for-performance philosophies.
• Familiarity with HR systems, HRIS structures, payroll processes, and reward system integrations.
• Understanding of global governance and approval frameworks within multinational organizations.

Experience:

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Industrial/Management Engineering, Business Administration, Economics, or related analytical field.
• Master’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Finance, or Business Analytics is an asset.

Professional Experience:

• Minimum 15 years in Compensation & Benefits / Reward, ideally within large scale or multinational organizations.
• Experience in both consulting (Korn Ferry, Mercer, PwC, etc.) and corporate HR leadership is preferred.
• Proven track record in reward design and incentive schemes, job evaluation, market benchmarking, policy management, and HR cost analytics.
• Demonstrated success in leading annual compensation cycles, including salary reviews, merit & market adjustments, promotion frameworks, and budget planning processes.
• Strong experience collaborating with Finance, HRBPs, Legal, and Audit teams to ensure cross-functional alignment.
• Exposure to payroll governance and data integration is highly desirable.
• Familiarity with HR systems and advanced Excel or data visualization tools.

Language:

• Excellent command of English (written and spoken).

Skills:

Strategic & Technical Skills

• Advanced reward modeling, financial simulations, and compensation analytics.
• Strong capability in job evaluation, job architecture, and career frameworks.
• Ability to design reward solutions that fit local needs while respecting global governance.

Communication & Leadership Skills

• Demonstrate a positive leadership style, fostering trust, collaboration, and motivation across all levels of the organization.
• Exceptional executive-level presentation and storytelling skills, capable of influencing senior leaders with clear, concise, data-backed narratives.
• Strong stakeholder management, negotiation, and influence skills.
• Ability to simplify complex concepts for non-HR audiences.
• Confident leadership presence with a consultative and advisory approach.

Digital Skills

• High proficiency in Excel, Power BI (or similar analytics tools), and HRIS platforms.
• Excellent PowerPoint skills for board-ready presentations.