Senior Reward Manager

Arrow; Manchester; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading global financial services firm in Manchester is seeking a Senior Reward Manager to drive high-quality compensation initiatives aligning with strategic goals. The role involves managing annual salary and incentive reviews, benchmarking strategies, and ensuring compliance with pay transparency regulations. Ideal candidates will have extensive experience in reward management, strong analytical skills, and the ability to influence senior leadership. This full-time role offers a competitive environment focused on employee engagement and compliance.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience with compensation practices, including incentives and governance.
• Proven ability in leading benchmarking and interpreting global compensation data.
• High proficiency in financial modeling and data presentation for decision-makers.

Responsibilities

• Lead annual salary review and bonus processes aligned with business strategy.
• Direct the benchmarking strategy ensuring competitive market positioning.
• Own Group-wide delivery plans and provide high-quality analysis for executive decisions.

Skills

Extensive technical expertise in Reward

Advanced analytical skills

Strong communication skills

Leadership in benchmarking

Understanding of pay transparency

Tools

Excel

WTW methodology

Job description

Senior Reward Manager

Department: Human Resources

Employment Type: Permanent - Full Time

Location: Manchester, UK

Reporting To: Reward Director

Description

The Reward Team forms part of the Central HR function led by our Chief People Officer. Reporting to the Performance & Reward Director, the Reward Senior Manager will support the delivery of high-quality compensation initiatives to support the delivery of our strategic objectives.

We operate a range of in-year and long-term incentive plans, including Carried Interest and Equity Plans. Our colleagues perform roles in investment, fund raising, central functions, technology and servicing – providing a diverse range of reward agendas.

This role will manage the core reward activities for all countries which include annual salary review, incentive review process ensuring engagement and clear communications to support the end-to-end process. They will also lead on EU Pay Transparency.

About the role

• Lead the end-to-end design and delivery of the Group’s annual salary review, bonus and year-end reward processes, ensuring alignment with business strategy and culture.
• Provide strategic oversight of quarterly bonus accruals, modelling scenarios with Country HR Directors to inform Group-level bonus pool recommendations.
• Direct the Group’s benchmarking strategy, including provider selection and peer group definition, to ensure competitive and sustainable market positioning.
• Own the Group-wide year-end delivery plan, ensuring high-quality analysis and recommendations for Executive and RemCo decision-making.
• Translate complex data, modelling and insights into clear strategic recommendations influencing senior leadership and RemCo outcomes.
• Own and evolve the Group job grading framework, ensuring consistency, scalability and alignment with organisational growth and talent needs.
• Oversee global salary frameworks, including pay ranges and progression principles, maintaining internal equity and external competitiveness.
• Provide governance and modelling oversight for long-term incentives and associated systems, ensuring accuracy, integrity and compliance.
• Act as the senior reward expert on pay transparency, equal pay and regulatory reporting, ensuring Group compliance and best-practice governance.
• Lead the design and delivery of Total Reward Statements and broader reward communication strategies to enhance employee understanding and engagement.
• Partner with the Performance & Reward Director on reward strategy for M&A activity, integrations and organisational change.
• Serve as a trusted adviser to senior leaders, bringing thought leadership on global reward trends, emerging practices and technology-enabled reward solutions.

About you

• Extensive technical expertise across all aspects of Reward, including short- and long-term incentives, policy, governance and market positioning.
• Experience owning job architecture, job evaluation methodology (e.g., WTW), and enterprise-wide grading frameworks.
• Proven capability in leading complex benchmarking strategies, interpreting global compensation data (e.g., WTW, McLagan, Aon) and crafting strategic insights.
• Highly advanced analytical and financial modelling skills, with strong Excel capability and the ability to present complex data clearly for senior decision-makers.
• Strong understanding of pay transparency requirements and statutory reporting.
• Demonstrated success operating across multi-country, multi-business organisations, ideally within Europe (including Italy, Portugal, Netherlands).
• Outstanding communication and influencing skills, with experience advising Senior Leadership.
• Ability to navigate ambiguity and lead through change, providing clarity and direction.