Head of Reward

UK Research and Innovation

Salary: £56,745 per annum. 
Hours: Full time or Part time (Min 0.9 FTE)
Contract Type: Open Ended.
Location: Polaris House, Swindon, Wiltshire/Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, Oxon (Hybrid Working, required office attendance at least twice a month).

Closing Date: 22nd June 2025

Overview

The HR function in UK Research and Innovation is vital to enabling the achievement of the organisational objectives.  It delivers all HR services across a complex organisation working across the nine councils, the corporate hub and with a vast array of professional areas.  UKRI HR is critical to ensuring that all people related strategy, governance and services are robust and create appropriate enabling workplace conditions. 

The UK Research and Innovation HR operating model has key Centres of Expertise alongside an HR Business Partnering and HR Operations functions.  The Centres of Expertise (CoEs) offer dedicated resource with access to deep specialism in specific HR, People and Development disciplines at a strategic and operational level. This role sits within The Reward and Employee Relations CoE.

Purpose of the role:

The Head of Reward is responsible for leading on UKRI reward strategy development and governance, including delivery of a reward framework for UKRI that successfully supports the effective engagement, recruitment and retention of employees with the right skills to fulfil UKRI's objectives and purpose.

Deliverables:

Reward Strategy and Governance

• Development and support of UKRI Reward Strategy and governance including senior remuneration strategy and input to the UKRI Remuneration Committee.
• Transformation and finalisation of on-going harmonisation of the remuneration framework for UKRI including pay policy development.
• Effective pay governance throughout the team and in respect of policies, processes, annual pay remit, senior pay, allowances and starting pay 
• Communication of total reward as part of the employee value proposition
• Delivery of the annual gender pay gap and equal pay reports alongside pay equality monitoring.

Leadership

• Leadership within the senior team reporting into the Associate Director of Reward and Employee Relations
• Leadership and operational management of the Reward Team and its deliverables
• Line management of 6 reward team members with 4 direct reports.

Collaboration and key stakeholders

• Collaboration with the Chief People Officer (CPO), other senior HR colleagues and HR teams across UKRI as a conduit for two-way communication concerning development and resolution of all reward initiatives.
• Development and maintenance of ongoing relationship with Department for Science and innovation (DSIT) colleagues on reward related matters
• Interface with Government People Group on Civil Service wide remuneration developments and initiatives.
• Delivery of communication channels to ensure that all employees understand and have access to knowledge and information on their total reward package including overall pay and benefits and the reward links to performance management. 

Remuneration strategy development and annual pay cycles

• Subject Matter Expert (SME) leadership in Trade Union consultation and negotiation on pay and reward matters including annual pay award negotiations.
• Lead delivery of the end-to-end Annual Pay Remit process for UKRI
• Management of business as usual (BAU) and continuous development of additional pay arrangements relating to apprentices, mariners, pilots, clinicians, shift work etc.
• Strategic oversight and development of Performance Related Pay (PRP) systems including in year and end of year bonuses and instant awards.
• Development and transformation of benefits provision alongside management of existing benefits procurement, processes, and communications.
• Oversight of benchmarking and comparative analysis for senior pay cases to DSIT, annual pay awards and other pay reviews.

Internal and External reward related data requests

• Internal and external pay related audits working with UKRI Finance and NAO
• Freedom of Information requests relating to reward 
• Department for Science and Innovation (DSIT) and Cabinet Office (CO) requests on reward related matters.

HR systems

• Ongoing strategic and operational input into reward related aspects of embedding and refining the new Oracle Fusion EAP system to ensure maximum operational efficiency in the support of reward policy, governance and operational practice.

Job Evaluation

• Development and governance of the UKRI Job Evaluation processes (JESP for Senior bands and JEGS for all other bands).

Reward query management

• Oversight of the provision of reward team guidance to HR colleagues and UKRI’s Shared Services payroll provider (who jointly provide the interface with employees and managers) on all queries relating to reward.

Knowledge and experience:

(S) – Assessed at shortlisting
(I) – Assessed at interview
(S&I) – Assessed at both shortlisting and interview

Essential:

• MCIPD qualified or equivalent professional experience (S)
• Degree level education or equivalent (S)
• Strategic reward development and planning (S&I)
• Extensive reward related subject matter expertise (I)
• Senior management engagement – presentations, papers, proposals, options, communication, and collaboration (I)
• Project management skills (S)
• Commercial skills, including supplier partnership/ management for e.g. benchmarking and benefits, and budget management (I)
• Risk management (I)
• Understanding of a unionised workplace (S&I)Understanding of reward related employment law (I)

Desirable:

• Public and private sector experience
• Civil Service pay policy experience
• Numerate/ scientific degree or equivalent
• Working in a unionised environment
• Line management
• Team Leadership

Skills:

• Relationship building to senior level
• Relationship building across a complex matrix organisations
• Strong communication and influencing skills
• Problem solving using both quantitative and qualitative inputs
• Analysis including data modelling & presentation
• Innovation & creativity in devising reward solutions
• Personal impact and self-awareness
• Proactive approach
• Ability to challenge
• Delivery focussed 
• Resilience
• Personal integrity
• Strongly PC literate (Excel & other MS office, HR systems)

Special Requirements:

Essential

• Ability and availability to travel to other locations, meetings at other sites with occasional early starts or overnight stays.

About UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) 

UKRI launched in April 2018, UKRI is a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). 

Our organisation brings together the seven disciplinary research councils, Research England, which is responsible for supporting research and knowledge exchange at higher education institutions in England, and the UK’s innovation agency, Innovate UK. Together we build an independent organisation with a strong voice and vision to ensure the UK maintains its world-leading position in research and innovation. More information can be found at www.ukri.org. 

Choosing to come to work at UKRI means that you will have access to a whole host of benefits from a defined benefit pension scheme, excellent holiday entitlement, access to employee shopping/travel discounts and salary sacrifice cycle to work scheme.  For more details, visit Benefits of working for UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).

The role holder will be required to have the appropriate level of security screening/vetting required for the role.  UKRI reserves the right to run or re-run security clearance as required during the course of employment.

How we support EDI in the workforce 

At UKRI, we believe that everyone has a right to be treated with dignity and respect, and to be provided with equal opportunities to thrive and succeed in an environment that enables them to do so. We also value diversity of thought and experience within inclusive groups, organisations and the wider community. For further information, please visit ‘How we support EDI in the workforce’. 

Disability Confident Employer

As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the vacancy/ies. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation. 
 
How to apply 

Online applications only preferred for this role. Please submit a CV and covering letter which clearly outlines how you fulfil the criteria specified along with your motivation for UKRI and the role. Ensure that the job reference number is included in the filename description of each document uploaded. Note that failure to address the above criteria or submit an application without a covering letter may result in the application not being considered. Assessment will only be based upon the content of your submitted covering letter and CV and not the ‘experience’ section of the application. 

UKRI seeks to ensure it creates and maintains a system of openness, fairness and inclusion – a collaborative, trusted environment, which is attractive to and accessible to everyone who is interested in developing their career with us.