Director, HR Operations & Total Rewards

We are retained by a leading global Engineering, Architecture Consultancy to appoint an experienced HR Operations & Rewards professional who can drive strategic HR transformation and operational excellence.

The Purpose of the job

The Director, HR Operations & Total Rewards leads the design, governance and continuous improvement of the organisation's HR operating platform and total rewards framework. This role is accountable for HR policies and processes, SAP SuccessFactors and related HR systems, data integrity, reporting and analytics, and global compensation and benefits strategy and execution.

The Director partners with HR, Finance, IT and business leaders across all geographies to ensure the organisation has consistent HR governance, robust people data, and competitive, well-governed reward programmes that support attraction, retention, performance and sustainable growth.

Key Requirement

HR Systems, Data & Operations

• Oversee configuration, maintenance and enhancement of SAP SuccessFactors (Employee Central and related modules) and integrations with third-party platforms.
• Ensure system stability, usability and alignment with evolving HR and business needs; lead upgrades and new module roll-outs.
• Define and enforce HR data standards and master data management practices; ensure accuracy, security and compliance of all HR data.
• Design and maintain HR governance frameworks for data and transactions (roles, authorisations, approval workflows, RACIs).
• Lead HR operations/HRIS team ways of working (ticketing, SLAs, documentation) and build team capability.

HR Governance, Policy & Compliance

• Establish and maintain global HR policy frameworks, ensuring alignment with local labour laws, data protection and internal compliance requirements.
• Maintain an HR decision-making matrix and Delegation of Authority for people-related decisions.
• Lead regular governance and policy reviews; adjust for organisational or regulatory changes.

Reporting, Insights & Analytics

• Deliver accurate, timely HR and rewards dashboards and reports to support decision-making, workforce planning and strategic initiatives.
• Define HR and rewards KPIs and reporting requirements with HR and business leadership.
• Enable self-service reporting for HRBPs and leaders; translate insights into clear recommendations.

Compensation, Benefits & Total Rewards

• Develop and manage global compensation policies, structures and frameworks to ensure internal equity and external competitiveness across roles, levels and geographies.
• Design and maintain job grading, salary bands, pay scales and incentive structures aligned to business strategy and market positioning.
• Lead annual salary review, promotion and bonus processes (timelines, governance, decision rights).
• Design, manage and administer executive and Partnership reward frameworks (fixed/variable mix, incentives, LTIPs, profit sharing) with clear governance and communication principles.
• Design and oversee employee benefits programmes (healthcare, retirement, insurance, wellness), vendor management and cost optimisation.
• Conduct market research and benchmarking; provide data-driven recommendations on pay positioning and reward strategy; monitor compliance with labour and tax regulations.

Change Management & Stakeholder Engagement

• Act as subject matter expert for HR systems and total rewards, providing guidance to HR and business leaders.
• Design and deliver training to drive adoption of systems, HR processes and reward frameworks.
• Lead change management for HR technology, policy and rewards initiatives to ensure smooth transitions and stakeholder buy-in.
• Develop and execute communication strategies so employees and managers understand HR processes and the value of their total rewards.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Finance, Information Systems or related field.
• 10+ years of progressive HR experience, with significant time leading HR Operations/HRIS and Total Rewards in a global, multi-region organisation.
• Demonstrated expertise in SAP SuccessFactors or equivalent HRIS, HR process design, data governance and reporting.
• Deep experience in compensation structures, job architecture, market benchmarking and benefits design.
• Strong understanding of labour law, data protection and compensation/benefits compliance across multiple geographies.
• Proven track record leading cross-functional projects and change initiatives.

Preferred

• Master's degree or professional HR certification (SHRM-SCP, CIPD or equivalent).
• SAP SuccessFactors certification in one or more modules.
• Experience with HR analytics and dashboarding tools (SAP Analytics Cloud, Tableau, Power BI).
• Background in digital transformation or organisational change management.