Group Reward Director

About the Role

As Group Reward Director, you’ll provide strategic leadership and expert challenge to the development and evolution of pay, reward and benefits frameworks aligned to global principles and the wider Group People Strategy, supporting OUP to deliver its mission in a complex, global environment.

You will have ownership of the Reward strategy for the organization, designing, implementing, and managing all compensation and benefit programmes and processes across multiple locations and employee types, ensuring that these programmes support our HR and business strategy.

Key accountabilities:

• Own and lead OUP's global reward strategy and roadmap.
• Design, implement, and manage all compensation and benefit programmes and processes across multiple locations and employee types.
• Develop and maintain a high-performing work environment including coaching and developing individual talent and ensuring operational excellence.
• Provide expert advice and support to the Remuneration Committee with high-quality analysis and recommendations, including preparation and presentation of materials.
• Act as a trusted advisor to senior stakeholders on sensitive and high‑risk remuneration matters.
• Monitor market trends and the financial aspects of our compensation, benefits, and rewards programmes on an ongoing basis to ensure cost effectiveness and market competitiveness.
• Implement a culture that is customer‑focused, encourage creativity, drive performance, and effectively develop and reward key performers
• Influence senior leadership’s decision‑making on reward outcomes, risk, and long‑term pay sustainability.
• Act as a recognized thought leader in all aspects of reward bringing external insight, emerging practice, and regulatory foresight into OUP.
• Lead multidisciplinary and cross‑functional initiatives to deliver major reward transformation and governance milestones.
• Represent HR with employee representative groups and support reward‑related governance and compliance activities.
• Ensure reward and benefits strategies (both tangible and non‑tangible) are compliant, equitable, and appropriate across assigned regions and businesses.
• Assist with HR Governance risk, ensuring regulatory compliance and long‑term organizational sustainability.
• Embed diversity, equity, & inclusion principles across all reward frameworks, ensuring accessibility, fairness, and consistency of outcomes.

We operate a hybrid working policy that requires a minimum of 2 days per week in the Oxford office.

• Demonstrable track record of leading and influencing complex reward initiatives at enterprise and executive level, across international markets.
• Proven ability to analyse highly complex reward data and communicate outcomes clearly and credibly with senior executives and governance bodies.
• Broad and deep technical expertise across all aspects of compensation, benefits, executive remuneration, incentives, and job architecture.
• Experience in managing external reward and benefits suppliers and advisory partners.

• Experience advising Remuneration Committees or Boards.
• Experience of global mobility programmes.
• Prior experience in the Publishing or knowledge‑based industries.

• 25 days’ holiday that rises with service, plus bank holidays and Christmas closure (3-days) and a 35-hour working week.
• Flexibility in respect to working patterns, dependent on role.
• Active employee networks and societies.
• Contributing to your pension up to 12%.
• Offering loans and savings schemes through our partnership with Salary Finance.
• Travel to work schemes.
• Access to a wide range of local discounts.
• Private medical insurance, a car/allowance, and a management bonus.

Please see our Rewards and Recognition page for more information.