Reward and Benefits Manager

Business Area: HR

Place of Work: London

Contract Type: Fixed Term Contract

When you join USS, the size and scale of our pension scheme means you will have numerous opportunities to learn and develop your career. Given our size you'll have real autonomy and influence as you collaborate closely with a wide-ranging team of experts. Our office is a vibrant place to work, and we offer flexibility of office/homeworking due to our hybrid model.

About the role

In your role as Reward and Benefits Manager, you will make a meaningful and valued contribution from the outset. This role will provide a great opportunity to contribute to and deliver reward and benefits projects and initiatives that support the organisation’s people and business strategy, under the direction of the Head of Reward and Benefits. The role applies strong technical reward expertise, analytical capability and project delivery skills to support the implementation of reward strategy through defined projects, reviews, and improvement initiatives. The post holder will lead discrete reward and benefits workstreams or components of wider programmes, using data analysis, modelling and market insight to develop evidence based recommendations and deliver agreed outcomes within established governance and prioritisation. Working closely with the Head of Reward and Benefits and key stakeholders, the role supports the development and delivery of sustainable, well governed reward and benefits solutions that align with organisational priorities, policy and regulatory requirements.

What you will be doing

As a trusted part of the HR team you will be responsible for:

• Reward Projects & Change Delivery
  • Leading the delivery of defined reward and benefits projects, initiatives and workstreams that support the organisation’s people and business strategy, operating within agreed priorities, scope and governance.
  • Translating agreed reward strategy and objectives into clear plans, deliverables and milestones, managing delivery to time, quality and control requirements.
  • Exercising judgement in shaping approaches and solutions, escalating risks, dependencies or material decisions where appropriate and keeping progress visible through effective communication and reporting.
• Data Analysis & Insight
  • Analysing complex reward, benefits and workforce data to develop insight, identify trends, assess impacts and support evidence based recommendations.
  • Building and maintaining robust analytical models, scenario analysis and costings to inform reward design, affordability assessments and change activity.
  • Using internal and external data sources, including market benchmarking, to assess competitiveness, equity and sustainability of reward arrangements in a regulated environment.
• Reward & Benefits Delivery
  • Delivering key reward and benefits activities and cyclical processes (e.g. pay review, bonus implementation, market pricing and benefits reviews), ensuring accuracy, consistency and appropriate controls.
  • Identifying and progressing opportunities to improve reward processes, tools and data quality, aligning proposals with agreed priorities and governance.
• Stakeholder Engagement & Influence
  • Building strong, effective working relationships with HR colleagues, Finance and business stakeholders to support delivery and effective outcomes.
  • Communicating complex analytical and reward information clearly and pragmatically, adapting messages for different stakeholder audiences.
  • Providing credible challenge and professional advice, influencing outcomes through analytical insight and expertise, while operating within agreed governance and decision making frameworks.
• Governance, Risk & Compliance
  • Ensuring reward and benefits activities comply with legislative, regulatory and internal policy requirements.
  • Supporting reward governance processes, including approvals, audit requirements and assurance activity.
  • Identifying, assessing and managing reward related risks, escalating issues appropriately and in a timely manner.
• Supplier & Market Engagement
  • Work with external reward, benefits and data providers to support analysis, insight and delivery.
  • Monitoring supplier outputs and data quality, ensuring they meet business needs and represent value for money.
• Knowledge Sharing & Continuous Improvement
  • Acting as a subject matter expert within the reward function, sharing insight, best practice and lessons learned.
  • Contributing to the development of reward capability, analytical approaches and ways of working across HR and the wider organisation.

About you

We know that sometimes people can be put off applying for a job if they don't tick every box, if you're excited about working for us and have most of the skills or experience we're looking for, then please apply, regardless of whether you meet all the requirements outlined in this profile.

To be successful in the role you will have:

• Significant professional experience in reward, gained within an investment or financial services environment.
• Strong analytical capability, with proven experience of analysing complex reward and workforce data to develop insight, build robust models, assess options and inform decision-making.
• Strong experience using internal and external data sources, including market benchmarking, to assess competitiveness, equity and affordability of reward arrangements in a regulated environment.
• Demonstrated track record of delivering reward-related projects or workstreams end-to-end, translating strategy or problem statements into practical, well-governed and evidence-based solutions.
• Strong understanding of reward governance, employment legislation and regulatory considerations relevant to financial services, pensions or investment organisations.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with experience of producing high-quality analysis, papers and recommendations for senior stakeholders.
• Proven ability to operate autonomously, apply sound professional judgement and manage multiple priorities in a complex and risk-aware environment.

Desirable

• Experience of benefits design, delivery or review, including working with benefits providers and advisers.
• Knowledge of benefits market practice and emerging trends to inform reward and benefits initiatives.
• Experience of, or exposure to, Remuneration Committee governance, including preparation of papers, analysis or support for decision making.

Why join us?

At USS, every individual contributes to building a secure financial future for our members and their families. We strive to create a work environment where everyone can thrive professionally while making a meaningful impact on the lives of others. We're also committed to helping you build your career by providing opportunities for development. We put a focus on recognising and supporting each individual's unique career path, driving this forward with the support of an engaged and proactive management team. Here at USS, we want you to thrive in and out of work with a friendly team, flexible culture and excellent range of benefits!

How we will reward you

• Great starting salary
• Generous annual leave package
• Access to a high quality pension scheme provided through Universities Superannuation Scheme
• Supportive people policies (including enhanced occupational sickness pay and family friendly pay)
• Financial contributions towards your personal development to help you maintain your physical and mental wellbeing
• Access to a range of health and wellbeing services i.e., private healthcare, discounted gym membership
• Learning and development opportunities to develop your skills, knowledge and talent
• Employee Volunteer Days to support the communities where you work and live
• Cycle to Work Scheme

Our culture and values

Our people are what makes us different. We work together to create a diverse and inclusive culture that embraces individuality, where people are welcomed and feel comfortable in the knowledge that they can be themselves. Our purpose firmly states the importance of members, putting them ‘front and centre’ of what we do. This is embedded through our values:

• Integrity
• Collaboration
• Excellence

About us

Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) was established in 1974 as the principal pension scheme for universities and other higher education institutions in the UK. We work with around 330 employers to help build a secure financial future for almost 577,000 members and their families. We are one of the largest private defined benefit pension schemes in the UK, with total assets of around £76.8bn (at 31 March 2025). To find out more, please visit https://www.uss.co.uk.

USSL is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We strive to ensure our recruitment process is as flexible and inclusive as possible so we can attract diverse candidates and recruit the best talent. We want all candidates to perform at their best during the recruitment process, so if you need any reasonable adjustments or if there is anything we can do to help support you through your recruitment journey please let us know by contacting resourcing@uss.co.uk.