At a Glance
- Tasks: Design and implement a comprehensive compensation framework for a leading trading firm.
- Company: Join Maven, a dynamic proprietary trading firm with a start-up culture.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, annual bonuses, private medical, and hybrid working options.
- Why this job: Shape the future of compensation in a high-performance financial environment.
- Qualifications: Experience in compensation, strong analytical skills, and excellent communication abilities.
- Other info: Opportunity to work closely with senior leaders and drive impactful change.
The predicted salary is between 36000 - 60000 £ per year.
Maven is a market-leading proprietary trading firm allocating internal capital across discretionary, systematic, and market-making strategies. Our collective expertise spans traders, engineers, and technologists, unified by an unwavering dedication to enhance our efficiency as a premier liquidity provider for globally listed derivatives.
This newly created role represents a strategic opportunity to build the firm's compensation framework from the ground up. As a Compensation Specialist, you will design, benchmark, and evolve compensation structures that reflect our performance-driven culture and operational scale.
Working closely with HR leadership, Finance, ExCo members and functional heads across Market Making and Multi-Strategy, you'll take ownership of a full-spectrum compensation architecture from salary calibration to long-term incentives. You'll ensure our Employee Value Proposition (EVP) reflects our values, supports retention, and keeps us competitive within the trading landscape.
Key Responsibilities
- Build and implement a comprehensive compensation framework to cover fixed pay, variable pay, LTIPs, sign-ons, benefits, and equity.
- Utilise the already established job architecture to support transparent progression and cross-divisional clarity.
- Develop compensation structures tailored to the distinct needs of Market Making, Multi-Strategy, Technology and Operational units.
- Conduct benchmarking across peer firms (buyside, banks, tech) for comparable trading and quant roles.
- Analyse compensation trends and competitor positioning to inform reward philosophy.
- Model scenarios for new compensation mechanics (e.g. deferrals, clawbacks, risk-adjusted metrics).
- Own cyclical compensation review processes across the firm, including salary reviews, bonus modeling, and deferred distributions.
- Ensure documentation is structured effectively and adequately recorded to allow for accurate and timely compensation calculations.
- Partner with Finance to align models with budget and accrual accounting strategy.
- Ensure governance and documentation to support confidentiality, consistency, and audit-readiness.
- Collaborate with the Chief People Officer and ExCo to craft a compelling EVP rooted in company values, competitiveness, and career growth.
- Support senior leaders in reward decision-making and communication.
- Partner with Legal on contractual updates, policy refreshes, and regulatory alignment.
Experience & Capabilities
- Proven experience in compensation or reward, ideally within financial services, proprietary trading, or high-growth tech.
- Strong technical capability in modeling, benchmarking, and total reward design.
- Ability to navigate high-sensitivity data and align frameworks to commercial strategy.
- Experience working across complex or high-performance environments with diverse role types.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills—comfortable engaging with ExCo and guiding people managers.
- Excellent attention to detail with a dedication to accuracy, quality, and integrity.
- Highly analytical with strong problem-solving skills and the ability to balance multiple deadlines.
- Strong Excel skills.
Compensation & Benefits
As this role defines the compensation structure it will operate within, the package will reflect seniority, impact, and internal parity. Competitive base salary aligned to high-performance financial services. Annual bonus linked to firm performance and role outcomes. Benefits include private medical, enhanced pension, well-being support, and hybrid working. Flexible compensation components based on experience and value-add.
Seniority level: Associate
Employment type: Contract
Job function: Human Resources
Compensation Specialist in London employer: Maven Securities
Contact Detail:
Maven Securities Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Compensation Specialist in London
✨Network Like a Pro
Get out there and connect with people in the industry! Attend events, join online forums, and don’t be shy about reaching out on LinkedIn. We all know that sometimes it’s not just what you know, but who you know that can help you land that dream job.
✨Ace the Informational Interview
Set up informal chats with professionals in roles you’re interested in. This isn’t a job interview, so relax! Use this time to learn about their experiences and get insider tips. Plus, it shows your genuine interest in the field, which can really make you stand out.
✨Show Off Your Skills
Don’t just tell them what you can do; show them! Create a portfolio or case studies that highlight your achievements and skills relevant to compensation structures. We love seeing real examples of how you’ve made an impact in previous roles.
✨Apply Through Our Website
When you find a role that excites you, apply directly through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, it shows you’re serious about joining our innovative team at Maven.
We think you need these skills to ace Compensation Specialist in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV is tailored to the Compensation Specialist role. Highlight your experience in compensation frameworks and any relevant skills that match what we're looking for. We want to see how you can bring value to our team!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to explain why you're passionate about building compensation structures and how your background aligns with our performance-driven culture. Let us know why you want to join StudySmarter!
Showcase Your Analytical Skills: Since this role involves a lot of data analysis, make sure to highlight your analytical skills in your application. Share examples of how you've used data to inform decisions or improve processes in previous roles. We love a numbers whiz!
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply through our website for a smoother process. It helps us keep track of applications and ensures you get all the updates directly from us. Plus, it shows you're keen on joining our innovative team!
How to prepare for a job interview at Maven Securities
✨Know Your Numbers
As a Compensation Specialist, you'll need to be comfortable with data. Brush up on your Excel skills and be ready to discuss how you would approach benchmarking and modelling compensation structures. Familiarise yourself with industry standards and trends in compensation to show that you’re not just knowledgeable but also proactive.
✨Understand the Company Culture
Maven prides itself on its performance-driven culture. Make sure you understand their values and how they translate into compensation strategies. Be prepared to discuss how you can align compensation frameworks with their Employee Value Proposition (EVP) and support retention while keeping the firm competitive.
✨Prepare for Scenario Modelling
You might be asked to model scenarios for new compensation mechanics during the interview. Think about different compensation structures, such as long-term incentives or risk-adjusted metrics, and be ready to explain your thought process. This will demonstrate your analytical skills and ability to navigate complex compensation issues.
✨Communicate Clearly and Confidently
Excellent communication is key, especially when engaging with senior leaders and guiding people managers. Practice articulating your ideas clearly and confidently. You might want to prepare examples of how you've successfully communicated complex compensation concepts in the past, showcasing your ability to simplify intricate details.