Head of Rewards (Sandton) at Blue Label Telecoms

Description
JOB PURPOSE

• The Head of Rewards is responsible for developing, implementing, and managing comprehensive reward strategies that align with the company's objectives, attract top talent, and retain valuable employees.
• The Head of Rewards plays a crucial role in shaping the organization's approach to attracting, motivating, and retaining top talent through strategic compensation and benefits management. This position is responsible for developing and implementing comprehensive reward strategies that align with the company's objectives and values while ensuring competitiveness in the market.
• Strategic Alignment: Develop and maintain a reward philosophy and strategy that supports the company's business goals and culture
• Competitive Positioning: Ensure the organization's compensation and benefits packages are competitive within the industry to attract and retain top talent
• Performance Driven Culture: Implement reward systems that drive high performance and desired behaviors across the organization
• Cost Management: Optimize the company's investment in employee rewards while maximizing impact and value
• Compliance and Governance: Ensure all reward programs adhere to legal requirements, corporate governance standards, and industry best practices
• Employee Satisfaction: Create reward programs that enhance employee engagement and satisfaction, contributing to a positive workplace culture
• Data-Driven Decision Making: Utilize analytics and market insights to inform reward strategies and demonstrate ROI of reward programs
• Effective Communication: Ensure clear understanding of the company's reward offerings among employees and stakeholders

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Reward Philosophy
• Develop and articulate a clear reward philosophy that aligns with the company's values, culture, and business strategy
• Ensure the reward philosophy supports the attraction, motivation, and retention of top talent
• Regularly review and update the philosophy to reflect changes in the business environment and market practices
• Client-Centric Reward Strategy
• Design and implement an overall reward strategy aligned with business goals
• Develop and manage non-financial recognition programs to complement monetary rewards
• Regularly review and update the strategy to ensure competitiveness and effectiveness
• Develop and implement a reward strategy that puts employees (internal clients) at the center
• Regularly gather feedback from employees to understand their needs and preferences
• Tailor reward offerings to meet diverse employee demographics and life stages
• Policies and Processes
•  Develop, implement, and maintain reward-related policies, including:
• Compensation policy
• Benefits policy
• Promotion and salary adjustment policy
• Expatriate compensation policy
• Establish clear processes for:
• Annual salary reviews
• Bonus calculations and distributions
• Job evaluations and grading
• Market pricing and benchmarking
•  Ensure all policies and processes comply with legal requirements and best practices
• Frameworks
• Design and implement robust frameworks for:
• Total rewards structure
• Job evaluation and grading
• Performance management linkage to rewards
• Talent management and succession planning integration with rewards
• Develop a competency framework that aligns with the reward structure
• Create a framework for assessing the effectiveness and ROI of reward programs
• Annual Plan
• Develop a comprehensive annual rewards plan, including:
• Budget forecasting for salaries, bonuses, and benefits
• Timeline for key activities (e.g., salary reviews, bonus payouts)
• Objectives and key performance indicators (KPIs) for the rewards function
• Present the annual plan to senior leadership and the Remuneration Committee for approval
• Benchmarking and Grading Market Analysis
• Conduct regular market salary surveys and benchmarking exercises
• Develop and maintain job grading structures
• Ensure internal equity and external competitiveness in compensation
• Analyze industry trends and best practices in reward management
• Provide insights on market competitiveness and recommend adjustments to reward strategies
• Financial Incentives and Recognition
• Assist in the Design and implementation and administration of a comprehensive financial incentives program, including:
• Short-term incentives (STI)
• Long-term incentives (LTI) for key employees and executives
• Sales incentive plans
• Partner with business to ensure the cascading and quality of performance metrics and targets for the various schemes, ensuring alignment between individual, team, and company performance
• Develop and manage non-financial recognition programs to complement monetary rewards
• Ensure a balance between fixed and variable pay components
• Implement performance-based reward systems that drive desired behaviors and outcomes
• Retention Strategy
• Develop and implement strategies to retain key talent
• Analyze turnover trends and recommend retention initiatives
• Work with HR and management to identify and address retention risks
• Payroll Management
• End to end ownership of the payroll function
• Payroll processes and ensure accuracy and compliance
• Collaborate with Finance to manage payroll budgets and forecasts
• Benefits Administration
• Manage employee benefits programs, including:
• Provident fund
• Medical aid
• Other relevant benefits
• Regularly review and optimize benefits offerings
• Board Reporting and Remuneration Committee (RemCo)
• Prepare and present reports to the board on reward-related matters
• Support the Remuneration Committee with data, analysis, and recommendations
• Ensure compliance with corporate governance requirements for listed companies
• Annual Increases
• Develop and implement annual salary increase processes
• Provide guidance on increase budgets and allocation methodologies
• Ensure fair and consistent application of increase policies
• Team Management
• Lead and develop the Rewards team
• Set team objectives and monitor performance
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement and innovation
• Communication and Education
• Develop and implement communication strategies to effectively convey the company's reward philosophy and programs to employees
• Educate managers and employees on reward policies, processes, and best practices
• Provide training to HR business partners on reward-related topics
• Create clear, engaging, and personalized communications about reward programs
• Develop user-friendly guides and resources to help employees understand and maximize their total rewards package
• Implement innovative methods (e.g., gamification, interactive tools) to educate employees about their rewards
• Systems and Analytics
• Oversee the implementation and maintenance of reward management systems
• Utilize data analytics to provide insights on reward program effectiveness, cost management, and ROI
• Develop dashboards and reports for senior management and the board
• Compliance and Governance
• Ensure all reward programs comply with relevant laws, regulations, and corporate governance requirements
• Prepare reports and presentations for the Remuneration Committee and Board of Directors
• Stay informed about changes in legislation and industry standards that may impact reward practices
• Stakeholder Management
• Build and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders, including senior leadership, HR colleagues, Finance, and external vendors
• Collaborate with other HR functions to ensure alignment of reward strategies with overall HR and business strategies
• Manage relationships with external consultants and service providers
• User Experience in Reward Programs
• Design intuitive and user-friendly interfaces for all reward-related processes and systems
• Ensure seamless employee experience across all reward touchpoints (e.g., benefits enrollment, performance reviews, compensation statements)
• Implement self-service tools that allow employees to easily access and manage their rewards information
• Continuous Improvement
• Regularly conduct user experience surveys and focus groups to gather feedback on reward programs
• Analyze user data and behavior to identify areas for improvement in reward processes and systems
• Implement agile methodologies to quickly iterate and improve reward offerings based on user feedback
• Personalization and Flexibility
• Develop flexible reward options that allow employees to customize their package based on individual needs
• Implement technology solutions that enable personalized reward recommendations
• Create a rewards ecosystem that adapts to changing employee preferences and market trends
• Stakeholder Collaboration
• Work closely with IT, HR, and other departments to ensure a seamless integration of reward systems with other employee-facing platforms
• Collaborate with internal communications teams to create engaging and effective reward-related messaging
• Partner with managers to ensure they can effectively communicate and administer rewards to their teams
• Metrics and Analytics
• Develop and track key performance indicators (KPIs) related to employee satisfaction with reward programs
• Use data analytics to measure the impact of reward programs on employee engagement, retention, and performance
• Provide insights and recommendations to leadership based on employee feedback and program effectiveness
• Innovation in Rewards
• Stay informed about emerging trends in reward management and employee experience
• Pilot innovative reward concepts and gather user feedback before full implementation
• Leverage technology (e.g., AI, machine learning) to enhance the user experience of reward programs

Requirements
SKILLS

• Strategic thinking and business acumen
• Leadership and team management
• Attention to detail and accuracy
• Ethical conduct and confidentiality
• Project management
• Stakeholder management
• Change management
• Negotiation skills
• Innovation and creativity in reward design
• Data-driven decision making

EDUCATION

• Matric
• Master's degree or relevant professional certifications (e.g., CCP, GRP) preferred

EXPERIENCE

• 10+ years of experience in rewards and compensation, with at least 5 years in a leadership role
• Strong knowledge of South African labor laws and regulations
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills
• Advanced Excel and data analysis skills
• Strong communication and presentation abilities
• Experience with HRIS and compensation management software