Interim International Benefits Integration Lead in City of London

Contract: 9-12 Month Assignment

Day Rate: (Inside IR35) IRO £600-700 per day (or market equivalent fixed term salary)

Location: London - Hybrid

Middlemore has been retained by a prestigious global financial services organisation to recruit their interim International Benefits Integration Lead, based from London. Our client is undergoing significant corporate activity, and this newly created role sits at the heart of one of the most business-critical workstreams in that process: bringing together and harmonising employee benefits for a global population. This is a rare opportunity to take ownership of a high-visibility, high-complexity integration project for a genuinely prestigious brand, working closely with senior stakeholders across HR, Reward, Finance, Legal and the wider deal team.

The Role

Reporting into senior HR leadership, you will lead the benefits workstream of a major integration programme, spanning the UK, Europe, Asia and the US. You will be the single point of accountability for ensuring benefits are assessed, aligned and transitioned smoothly, compliantly and with minimal disruption to employees during a period of significant organisational change.

Responsibilities will include:

• Leading end-to-end due diligence on existing benefits arrangements across all in-scope jurisdictions, mapping legacy plans and identifying gaps, overlaps and areas of risk.
• Designing and delivering a harmonisation strategy that balances global consistency with the legal, tax, cultural and market realities of each local jurisdiction.
• Partnering with external benefits consultants, brokers and providers to renegotiate, migrate or consolidate plans, including health, risk, retirement and wellbeing benefits.
• Working closely with Legal, Payroll, Finance and HR Technology to ensure accurate data migration, funding and governance throughout the transition.
• Navigating statutory and regulatory requirements across each geography, including local works councils, collective agreements and mandatory benefit obligations.
• Building and executing a clear communication and change management plan so that employees understand what is changing, what is staying the same, and when.
• Managing the overall project plan, timeline, budget and risk log for the benefits workstream, reporting regularly into the wider Integration Management Office and senior leadership.
• Identifying and protecting key talent risk points where benefit changes could impact retention during a sensitive period.
• Ensuring Day One readiness and a smooth transition into business-as-usual, with clear handover documentation for the permanent HR team.

About You

We are looking for a benefits or reward specialist who has genuinely done this before and can hit the ground running from day one. You are likely to have:

• The ability to start immediately or at short notice.
• Proven experience leading benefits integration, harmonisation or due diligence work as part of an M&A, carve-out or corporate transaction.
• A strong working knowledge of benefits structures and regulatory considerations across multiple jurisdictions, ideally including the UK, continental Europe, Asia and the US.
• Financial services experience would be highly advantageous, given the sector and pace of this assignment.
• The gravitas and stakeholder management skills to operate confidently with senior leaders, external advisors and cross-functional partners under time pressure.
• A structured, project-led approach, comfortable owning a workstream, a plan and a budget rather than simply administering existing programmes.
• Strong vendor and broker management experience, with the commercial awareness to negotiate effectively.
• Excellent judgement and discretion, given the confidential and sensitive nature of the assignment.

How to Apply

This is a confidential search being managed exclusively by Middlemore. If you have the relevant background and are available to start at short notice, we would love to hear from you. Please apply to this advertisement or reach out to me directly.

Middlemore is committed to equal opportunities and welcomes applications from all suitably qualified candidates, regardless of age, disability, gender, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation.