Reward Lead

We are looking for a Reward Lead to support John Lewis with the design and development of reward and recognition propositions that align with our unique purpose and overarching People strategy. In this role, you will act as a trusted strategic advisor, shaping reward frameworks while ensuring all solutions meet industry-leading standards and embedding robust risk and assurance frameworks to ensure the long-term health and competitiveness of our reward offering.

You will be responsible for translating complex business objectives into strategic reward outcomes that effectively balance cost, risk, and organisational impact

Beyond proposition design, you will be accountable for leading and developing a high-performing team of Reward Managers and Specialists. Success in this position requires a blend of creative problem-solving, highly developed analytical abilities and excellent stakeholder management skills to navigate a complex landscape. You will collaborate closely with teams across the People function to support our brands and shared capabilities with reward related work which makes a difference to our Partners and our customers.

Salary -  £71,200 - £110,500  

Contract type - Temporary until January 2027

Working pattern/flexible working  - The Partnership has a hybrid working approach, meaning you'll be able to work a mixture between the office and home. This role will support John Lewis and is likely to require on average 1 or 2 days a week in the office to connect and collaborate, primarily in Pimlico, although travel to other locations may be required for example for our regular team or ad hoc meetings.  

This role will not be offered on a fully remote basis. 

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the design and development of reward and recognition propositions, aligning them with the Partnership's purpose and contributing to the overarching People strategy.

• Identify the impact of the Partnership plan and People strategy on reward and recognition, developing a responsive workplan.

• Act as the Reward expert for your specific business area (PL10-PL5), maintaining a deep understanding of client groups' reward needs to inform strategic solutions.

• Effectively engage stakeholders across the organisation, fostering cross-functional collaboration and championing propositions with senior teams to advocate for change.

• Accountable for embedding robust risk and assurance frameworks within all reward processes and propositions.

• Stay abreast of legal and regulatory changes, collaborating with the Employment Legal Team to ensure compliance.

• Lead, inspire, and develop a team of reward professionals, setting strategic direction and prioritising their activities to ensure timely and high-quality outcomes.

• Set clear team direction and outcomes, with a customer-centric approach, and ensure Partner opinions are heard and taken into consideration.

• Utilise your external network to ensure the team proactively monitors and responds to market developments, building strong market knowledge.

• Be confident presenting to and responding to feedback from various audiences on reward and recognition. We work closely with our democratic and leadership teams to ensure Partners understand what, why and how we develop our reward offer in the Partnership.

Essential skills/experience you’ll need

• Deep understanding of reward strategies and experience of developing reward propositions

• Experience of managing an annual compensation review process

• Experience leading a team

• Good knowledge and understanding of the HR lifecycle

• Proven experience of partnering senior stakeholders

• Data and analytical skills

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We’re the largest employee owned business in the UK and home of our cherished brands, John Lewis and Waitrose. We’re not just employees, we’re Partners, driven by our purpose to build a happier world. As we look to our future, there’s never been a more exciting time to join us.  

We’re ruthlessly focused on being brilliant at retail. We continue to innovate, adapt and diversify. Never Knowingly Undersold on price, quality and service in John Lewis and passionately serving food-lovers in Waitrose.   

As Partners we all share the responsibility of ownership and in its rewards. We use our voices to contribute to our success, working together through the good and challenging times, holding true to our behaviours and treating everyone with kindness and respect. 

We all own making the Partnership somewhere we belong. Embracing our differences and creating an environment where we’re free to be ourselves and can THRIVE. Growing ourselves individually, and as a collective. 

As Partners, we make all the difference. And, we all own it.  

Important points to note:  

It’s important to note that some of our roles are subject to pre-employment vetting (which may include DBS checks for successful candidates). If required, you’ll be informed and provided with information about vetting during the recruitment process and we encourage you to complete any vetting documents quickly to avoid delays. Any DBS checks required will be carried out by a third-party registered body and financial probity checks may also be required for some of our roles.  

We occasionally close vacancies early in the event we receive a high volume of applications, and therefore, we recommend you apply early. If you require a reasonable adjustment due to a disability which means you may need longer to complete your application please contact us as soon as possible.

We want all of our Partners to have a good work-life balance and we support flexible working. This might mean flexible or compressed hours, job sharing or shorter hour contracts, where possible. Please discuss this further with the hiring manager during your interview. 

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