Head of Reward and Pensions

Head of Reward & Pensions – c£100,000 plus bens – Bedfordshire - Permanent

We’re looking for an experienced Reward leader to shape and deliver a reward agenda that genuinely supports performance, culture and colleague experience.

Reporting to the People Director and sitting on the People Leadership Team, you’ll play a key role in steering the organisation through a period of meaningful business and cultural change. You’ll take ownership of reward in its broadest sense: pay, incentives, pensions, benefits, recognition and the insight that underpins good decision‑making.

This role blends strategic thinking with hands‑on delivery. You’ll set direction, influence at the highest levels, and ensure that what’s designed actually works in practice for colleagues and leaders alike.

What you’ll do (a snapshot)

• Lead the development and delivery of reward strategy, policies and frameworks aligned to business priorities
• Be responsible for pay and grading and role architecture, advising senior and executive leaders on pay decisions
• Design and deliver clear, engaging incentive schemes and lead annual pay review and bonus cycles
• Ensure reward practices are compliant, fair and inclusive, including gender pay reporting
• Own people and reward data and insight, producing meaningful reporting and recommendations for leaders
• Oversee pensions strategy and benefits provision, including healthcare, group risk and wellbeing programmes
• Lead recognition programmes and be a key figure (alongside other leaders) in wellbeing activities and working groups
• Build reward capability across the wider People team through coaching and education

What you’ll bring

• Extensive experience in a senior Reward leadership role
• Strong commercial judgement and the ability to turn strategy into practical delivery
• Deep expertise in role architecture, job evaluation and the National Living Wage
• Confidence working in complex, fast‑moving environments
• A clear, credible communication style and strong data literacy
• A collaborative, pragmatic leadership approach

This is a high‑impact role with real scope to influence how reward supports long‑term success for the business and for colleagues.

This role is offered on a permanent basis, with a hybrid model of c2 office days per week.

Equity, diversity, and inclusion are integral to everything that we do. We are committed to these values, and they are central to our mission. We encourage applications from all backgrounds and communities, and we are more than happy to discuss any reasonable adjustments that you may require.