Reward & Benefits Manager

A permanent role based in Birmingham, Cambridge or Norwich

Ideally full time, but four days per week will be considered

The role

The role is primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the firm’s reward and benefits. You will support key annual reward processes such as salary reviews, bonuses schemes, benefits renewal and enrolment windows as well as regulatory reporting. The role will also support with the preparation of data for participation in salary surveys, data submissions for D&I, tenders and benchmarking exercises alongside creating and maintaining a number of reports for the HR team and wider business.

The role will involve building relationships across the business to ensure a high standard of support is provided to internal clients and stakeholders. You will act as the firm’s reward and benefits champion, driving efficiency and engagement, implementing best practice, and identifying opportunities to improve our employee experience and employee value proposition whilst reflecting the firm’s culture and values,

This is a newly created role which will form part of the firmwide HR team. The role can be based in our Birmingham, Cambridge, Manchester or Norwich office and occasional travel between our seven UK offices may be required. The firm operates a hybrid working policy which requires employees to work from the office for 50% of their time over a two-week period.

For a full copy of the job description, please click here.

The person

It is expected your background and experience will include:

• Significant experience of working in a reward and benefits role
• Highly numerate with strong analytical and statistical skills
• Experience of using salary/market survey methodologies e.g. Willis Towers Watson
• Experience of pay reporting, such as gender, ethnic and disability pay gap reporting
• Advanced Excel user (or equivalent) for data analysis, including lookups; pivot tables; charting
• Understands the importance of accuracy in delivering reward and benefits processes to the highest standards
• Strong capability to manage and prioritise a complex and changing workload from a number of different sources
• Ability to deliver under pressure within tight deadlines, whilst always maintaining high attention to detail

The activities

Reward

• Benchmark salaries, ensuring consistency in approach, providing insights and additional analysis as required
• Regularly conduct thorough analysis of market data and trends to draw insights that support the business, analysing our own data and presenting in a format as agreed for further distribution (eg Board)
• Provide support to the design, planning, implementation and delivery of the annual salary reviews and bonus processes
• Ensure accurate and timely submission of data to survey vendors such as Willis Towers Watson
• Working with the team to ensure accurate and timely submission of reports such as pay gap reporting
• Providing advice to the recruitment team relating to offers, ensuring equity across roles, post qualification experience and locations etc

Benefits

• Detailed understanding of the firm’s benefit provision; eligibility criteria; providers and terms
• Managing benefit renewals; engaging with brokers; provision of data for market reviews; reviewing and discussing approach with the HRD; implementation of changes, including rates, and preparing the communication plan
• Managing the Firm’s flexible benefit programme and software. Managing the relationship and working with the software provider to ensure all changes resulting from benefit renewals are reflected in the benefits platform; ensuring eligibility, benefit supplier/payroll reporting and collateral is accurate. Testing and sign off any changes
• Management of enrolment windows (annual, monthly and ad hoc) including preparing employee communication and agreeing timelines with the benefit software provider and payroll to ensure accurate and timely processing of changes
• Attending Pension Governance Committee meetings and supporting the firm’s pension advisor as required. Working with the advisor and payroll to ensure the firm remains auto enrolment compliant. Build and maintain good relationships with benefit intermediaries/brokers and providers. Undertaking a market review of the services provided from time to time
• Providing guidance to the wider HR function in respect of reward and benefit policies

Pre-employment screening

Please note that, in the event that we make an offer for a role, we will conduct pre-employment screening that includes, but is not limited to, a basic DBS check, right to work check, any disciplinary history recorded with the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) and a self-declaration to assess your character and suitability for the role.  A full policy of the screening the firm undertakes is available on request.

The Mills & Reeve Business Services career structure

We have a firm wide Business Services career structure and a published career progression framework.  Within the firm wide career structure there are five career levels.  For the purposes of the framework, this role is at a Manager level and the role profile that details the outcomes and activities expected of across the firm is included with this job description.  Further information on the firm’s Business Services career structure is available from the HR team.

The firm

What really sets Mills & Reeve apart from other law firms is the way we work with our clients. We understand that clients, in the 21st century, no longer want a traditional law firm – they want one that embraces forward thinking approaches to service, billing, commercial know-how, innovation, people management and community engagement.

And finally

Mills & Reeve is committed to providing an inclusive and supportive working environment.  We are happy to consider flexible working arrangements and endeavour to achieve the right balance for both our people and the business. This attitude to flexible working ensures we continue to provide outstanding service to our clients, whilst allowing our people to develop their careers in the knowledge that personal priorities will remain just that.

Mills & Reeve is committed to promoting equality, diversity and to providing an inclusive and supportive environment.  Please click here to find further information regarding our diversity policy.

Please visit our website for further information about Mills & Reeve.