Head of EMEA Compensation & Regulatory Remuneration - Executive Director in London

We’re seeking someone to join our team, reporting to Head of EMEA HR Products. This senior leadership role carries dual accountability for Business Unit (BU) Compensation advisory and Regulatory Remuneration across the EMEA region (~10,000 employees in 15+ offices including London, Budapest, Frankfurt, Glasgow, Paris, Madrid, Milan, and Dublin). The successful candidate will serve as a strategic compensation partner to EMEA business lines while acting as the Firm's subject matter expert on UK and EU regulatory remuneration matters. The role requires close collaboration with HR Business Partners, senior business leaders, Finance, Risk, Compliance, Legal, and global compensation colleagues to deliver competitive, compliant, and commercially aligned compensation programs.

What you’ll do in the role:

• Business Unit Compensation Strategic Advisory: Partner with HRBPs across Institutional securities, Investment management, and Co-Infrastructure on EMEA compensation strategy, providing market intelligence and data-driven recommendations.
• Year-End & Mid-Year Cycles: Lead all aspects of EMEA compensation cycles, including modeling, audits, governance approvals, and executive communication days.
• Benchmarking & Market Analysis: Conduct compensation reviews and market benchmarking (e.g., McLagan/Aon) to address regional nuances such as MENA Allowances, Germany Car Allowances, and Budapest cost structures.
• Compensation Operations: Oversee Compensation management system management, compensation expense reporting, data integrity, and UAT for system enhancements.
• Job Architecture: Support the rollout and maintenance of Job Architecture compensation frameworks across EMEA business units.
• Regulatory Remuneration Regulatory Disclosures: Own and deliver all EMEA compensation disclosures, including Pillar 3 (CRR 450), MIFIDPRU, PRA/FCA submissions, and the annual Remuneration Policy Statement submissions.
• MRT Framework: Manage the identification, maintenance, and governance of the EMEA Material Risk Taker population, ensuring deferral and pay-out requirements comply with CRD V/VI under EBA Guidelines and PRA/FCA Remuneration codes, UCITs and AIFMD.
• Governance & Committees: Own compensation inputs into EMEA governance processes, including the EMEA Remuneration Oversight Committee (EROC) and MSI Remuneration Committee (RemCo), and prepare board-ready materials.
• Regulatory Change: Monitor and implement changes to UK and EU remuneration regulations, advising on implications for Morgan Stanley employees.
• EU Wage Transparency & Pay Equity: Lead the implementation of the EU Wage Transparency Directive and oversee Gender Pay Gap reporting where required.
• Regulator Engagement: Act as a key contact for PRA/FCA interactions on remuneration matters and prepare supporting briefing materials for senior management.
• Offer Structuring: Advise on recruitment offer structuring and organisational change implications from a regulatory compensation perspective.

Leadership & Management:

• Distributed Team Leadership: Lead, develop, and mentor a geographically dispersed compensation team with members based across London, Frankfurt, and Budapest. Set clear expectations for delivery standards, foster team cohesion across offices and time zones, and ensure consistent quality of output regardless of location.
• Senior Stakeholder Engagement: Present compensation matters to Board-level audiences, RemCo members, and senior executives, translating complex regulatory requirements into clear, actionable narratives.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with global compensation colleagues, Employment Legal, Tax, Finance, Risk, Compliance, and Regulatory Relations to ensure alignment across jurisdictions.
• Innovation: Drive continuous improvement in compensation processes and promote the adoption of AI and technology tools to simplify and enhance delivery.

What you’ll bring in the role:

• 10-15 years of progressive compensation experience in financial services, with significant exposure to both BU compensation advisory and regulatory remuneration.
• Deep knowledge of EMEA regulatory frameworks including CRD IV/V/VI, EBA Guidelines, PRA/FCA Remuneration Codes, and IFR/UCITS/AIFMD.
• Understanding of executive compensation, deferred compensation plans, and equity incentive programs.
• Hands-on experience with MRT identification, deferral structures, malus/clawback, pay-out in instruments, and regulatory disclosures.
• Proven ability to present to and influence Board-level committees, Remuneration Committees, and external regulators.
• Strong leadership experience managing geographically distributed teams.
• Advanced analytical skills with proficiency in Microsoft Office, compensation benchmarking tools and AI products.
• Bachelor's degree in HR, Finance, Business, Economics, Law, or a related field.
• Experience in a dual-regulated (PRA/FCA) global investment bank or financial institution. (Preferred)
• Familiarity with the EU Wage Transparency Directive, Gender Pay Gap reporting, and CSRD implications. (Preferred)
• Strategic Thinking: Connects compensation strategy to business objectives across a complex, multi-jurisdictional regulatory environment. (Preferred)
• Regulatory Acumen: Balances evolving compliance obligations with commercial pragmatism. (Preferred)
• Communication & Influence: Distills complex regulatory topics into clear narratives for diverse senior audiences. (Preferred)
• Analytical Rigor: Translates data into actionable insights and sound recommendations. (Preferred)
• Collaboration: Builds effective relationships across functions, geographies, and levels of seniority. (Preferred)
• Integrity & Discretion: Handles sensitive compensation and personnel data with the highest ethical standards.

What you can expect from Morgan Stanley:

We have a track record of innovation and passion for unlocking new opportunities, we help our clients raise, manage and allocate capital. We do this by offering a wide range of investment banking, securities, wealth management and asset management services. All that we do at Morgan Stanley is driven by our five core values: do the right thing, put clients first, lead with exceptional ideas, commit to diversity and inclusion, and give back. These aren’t just beliefs, they guide the decisions we make every day, ensuring we do what's best for our clients, communities and more than 80,000 employees around the world.

And at the core of our success are the people who drive it - relentless collaborators and creative thinkers who are fueled by diverse thinking and experiences. Wherever you are in our 1,200 global offices, you’ll have the opportunity to work alongside the best and the brightest in an environment where you are empowered to achieve your full potential. We are proud to support our employees and their families at every point along their work-life journey, offering some of the most attractive and comprehensive employee benefits and perks in the industry.