The Head of Reward is responsible for leading the delivery of the organisation’s reward strategy to attract, retain, and motivate talent. This includes overseeing compensation, benefits, recognition, and performance-related pay frameworks, ensuring they are competitive, equitable, and aligned with business goals. You will act as a trusted advisor, supporting managers and the wider HR community on reward-related matters, managing annual pay and bonus cycles, and ensuring compliance with relevant legislation and governance standards.
This is a high-profile and demanding role, working in a fast-paced operation where you will be a key decision maker, driving the Reward function forwards proactively to achieve its goals. You will utilise your first class interpersonal skills to communicate the reward strategy and offer any changes clearly to employees and stakeholders, working closely with HR and finance teams to support broader people and business strategies.
What you will be doing as Head of Reward
Reward Strategy Design & Delivery - Influence design and lead delivery of the organisation’s total reward strategy, aligned with business goals and talent priorities. Design competitive and equitable compensation frameworks, including base pay, variable pay, and recognition schemes. Ensure reward programs support attraction, retention, and engagement of key talent.
Pay Governance & Compliance - Maintain robust reward policies and governance frameworks. Ensure compliance with legal, tax, and regulatory standards across jurisdictions. Lead annual pay review cycles, benchmarking, and job evaluation processes.
Performance Incentivisation - Partner with HR and business leaders to align reward with performance management frameworks.
Benefits & Wellbeing - Oversee the design and delivery of employee benefits, including healthcare and wellbeing. Evaluate benefit offerings to ensure competitiveness, cost-effectiveness, and alignment with employee needs.
Data, Insights & Technology - Leverage reward analytics to inform decision-making and monitor effectiveness. Oversee reward systems and tools, ensuring accurate data and efficient processes. Provide insights to leadership on pay trends, risks, and opportunities.
Stakeholder Engagement - Act as a trusted advisor to managers on all reward matters. Communicate the reward strategy and offering and any changes clearly to employees and stakeholders. Collaborate with Finance, Legal, and HR Business Partners to ensure alignment and integration.
Location - Reading
What you should bring to the role
To thrive in this role, the essential criteria you’ll need are:
- Significant reward management experience gained in a large operational business, including management of several pay cycles.
- Reward programme development & implementation experience e.g. incentive schemes, benefits platforms – project management, change management, stakeholder engagement.
- Exceptional communication skills to advise and influence at all levels of the organisation.
- Analytical skills – high numeracy and curiosity to find & interrogate data using advanced Excel knowledge.
- Team leadership – highly organised, ability to deliver high volume through your team.
Additional skills would be great to bring
- Experience in a regulated environment.
- Experience with trade union engagement and negotiation.
- SAP HR and /or SuccessFactors experience.
- Professional recognition such as GRP or CIPD
What's in it for you?
A fantastic opportunity to join a company going through an exciting turnaround plan, working with dedicated, talented and supportive teams.
- Competitive salary - Circa £95,000 per annum.
- Car Allowance - £5,800.
- Private Health Insurance.
- Performance-related pay plan directly linked to company performance measures and targets
- Annual Bonus Scheme.
- Annual Leave: 26 days holiday per year, increasing to 30 with the length of service. (Plus bank holidays)
- Contributory pension – Defined Contribution - Maximum of 12% -2x employee contribution.
- Personal Medical Assessments – Open to all once a year.
- Wider benefits scheme including our benefits hub, which is packed full of offers and information to save you money and support your wellbeing.
Find out more about our benefits and perks
Who are we?
We’re the UK’s largest water and wastewater company, with more than 16 million customers relying on us every day to supply water for their taps and toilets. We want to build a better future for all, helping our customers, communities, people, and the planet to thrive. It’s a big job and we’ve got a long way to go, so we need help from passionate and skilled people, committed to making a difference and getting us to where we want to be in the years and decades to come.
Learn more about our purpose and values
Working at Thames Water
Thames Water is a unique, rewarding, and diverse place to work, where every day you can make a difference, yet no day is the same. As part of our family, you’ll enjoy meaningful career opportunities, flexible working arrangements and excellent benefits.
If you’re looking for a sustainable and successful career where you can make a daily difference to millions of people’s lives while helping to protect the world of water for future generations, we’ll be here to support you every step of the way. Together, we can build a better future for our customers, our region, and our planet.
Real purpose, real support, real opportunities. Come and join the Thames Water family. Why choose us? Learn more.
We’re committed to being a great, diverse, and inclusive place to work. We welcome applications from everyone and want to ensure you feel supported throughout the recruitment process. If you need any adjustments, whether that’s extra time, accessible formats, or anything else just let us know, we’re here to help and support.
When a crisis happens, we all rally around to support our customers. As part of Team Thames, you’ll have the opportunity to sign up to support our customers on the frontline as an ambassador. Full training will be given for what is undoubtedly an incredibly rewarding experience. It’s also a great opportunity to learn more about our business and meet colleagues.
Disclaimer: due to the high volume of applications we receive, we may close the advert earlier than the advertised date, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.