Interim Head of Reward in City of London

Interim Head of Reward Opportunity - 12 Month FTC

Large UK Business

Salary: £120,000 - £130,000

Location: Hybrid Working in either Reading or London location (3 Days a week)

I'm currently partnering with a large UK organisation (approx. 10,000 employee business) to appoint an experienced Interim Head of Reward. This is a fantastic opportunity to join a business undergoing significant transformation, where Reward is playing a critical role in shaping the people agenda and supporting wider organisational change.

Operating as a strategic partner to the Executive Team, HR Leadership and senior business stakeholders, you'll take ownership of the Reward function, leading the design and delivery of commercially focused reward strategies that align with business objectives while enhancing the colleague experience. This hybrid opportunity offers flexibility, with three days per week based in either the London or Reading office.

The Opportunity

As Interim Head of Reward, you will lead the development and execution of the organisation's reward strategy, ensuring reward frameworks remain competitive, commercially sustainable and aligned with the wider people strategy. Working closely with senior leaders across the business, you'll provide expert advice on all aspects of compensation, job architecture, job evaluation and organisational design, whilst driving key reward initiatives through periods of business transformation. This role requires someone who can operate strategically whilst remaining hands-on, balancing commercial priorities with employee engagement and market competitiveness.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the overall Reward strategy across the organisation, ensuring alignment with business objectives and organisational priorities.
• Partner with Executive stakeholders, HR Leadership and senior business leaders to provide expert Reward advice and challenge.
• Lead and deliver complex Reward programmes from design through to implementation.
• Drive the ongoing development of compensation frameworks, salary structures and market positioning.
• Utilise Willis Towers Watson Global Grading methodology to support consistent job evaluation and governance across the organisation.
• Support the implementation of Job Architecture frameworks and wider organisational design initiatives.
• Conduct market benchmarking and remuneration analysis to ensure external competitiveness.
• Analyse workforce data, market intelligence and financial information to inform Reward recommendations.
• Support major organisational change, transformation programmes and business restructuring activities from a Reward perspective.
• Produce high-quality Board and Executive papers, business cases and presentations to support strategic decision making.
• Manage multiple Reward projects simultaneously, ensuring delivery within agreed timelines.
• Influence and build strong relationships across all levels of the organisation, acting as a trusted advisor on Reward matters.

About You

We're looking to speak with experienced Reward professionals who can demonstrate a strong track record of leading Reward functions within complex organisations. You'll bring:

• Extensive in-house compensation and Reward experience within large, complex organisations.
• Strong working knowledge of Willis Towers Watson Global Grading methodology.
• Experience implementing or supporting Job Architecture frameworks (highly desirable).
• Proven success leading and delivering large-scale Reward programmes.
• Strong commercial acumen with the ability to balance business objectives, colleague experience and affordability when developing Reward solutions.
• Significant experience partnering with Executive stakeholders, senior business leaders and HR leadership teams, providing credible advice and constructive challenge.
• Excellent analytical capability with experience interpreting market data, workforce analytics and financial information to support Reward decisions.
• Strong expertise in pay benchmarking, salary structures, job evaluation and market pricing methodologies.
• Experience supporting organisational transformation, restructuring and complex people programmes.
• Demonstrable project management skills with the ability to manage multiple complex workstreams simultaneously and deliver at pace.
• Experience producing Executive-level papers, proposals and presentations.
• Outstanding communication skills, capable of translating complex Reward concepts into clear, practical recommendations.
• Exceptional stakeholder management and influencing skills, with the ability to build credibility quickly across all levels of the business.

What's on Offer

• Salary of £120,000 - £130,000 plus an excellent benefits package.
• Hybrid working (3 days per week) from either the London or Reading office.
• Opportunity to shape Reward strategy within a large, well-established UK organisation.
• High-profile leadership role with significant Executive exposure.
• A business investing heavily in its people agenda and organisational transformation.

If you're an experienced Reward leader looking for your next interim challenge and would like to hear more, I'd be delighted to have a confidential conversation.