Global Reward Lead

What we are looking for:

Ready to lead and make a global impact? Join NRC as our Global Reward Lead and take the lead in shaping and delivering our global Compensation & Benefits strategy. 

In this both strategic and hands-on role, you’ll head a dynamic pooled reward team, guiding NRC Country Offices, NORCAP, and P&O Operations with expert support and insight. You’ll oversee resource allocation based on organisational priorities, manage a regional portfolio, and serve as the thematic lead on key projects. With a 70% focus on operational delivery and 30% on strategic leadership, this is your chance to influence reward practices across a global humanitarian organisation. 

If you're passionate about innovation, strategy, and driving HR excellence on a global scale - we’d love to hear from you!

What you will do:

• Line management responsibility for direct reports, overseeing performance management, workforce planning, recruitment, staff development, duty of care, and ensuring effective work planning and resource allocation based on organisational priorities.
• Ensure quality and effective support provided by Reward pooled team. Standardize P&O Reward approaches within assigned portfolio and coordinate with other teams to align on minimum standards, best practices or specific operational needs.
• Lead on and coordinate the effective and quality implementation of reward systems, tools, and procedures, including pay scale development, allowances, and benefits determination across all NRC operations.
• Lead on the provision of technical guidance on reward and compensation and benefits topics across the Employee Lifecycle for assigned portfolio.
• Provide expert advice for NRC’s senior management decision-making by preparing business cases, briefing documents, and making recommendations on reward-related matters, including policy exceptions and deviations.
• Build capacity within Reward by training and mentoring P&O Managers, country office focal points, and people managers, enhancing management capability and accountability.
• Lead on reward policy review and development, working with stakeholders to design, consult, implement, and monitor changes in related P&O policies, strategies, and frameworks.
• Embed change management principles in reward policy implementation, ensuring strong stakeholder engagement and smooth adoption of new and updated procedures.
• Compliance and adherence to NRC policies, guidance and procedures, and a specific responsibility for the functions policies and procedures.
• Develop, review, and facilitate approval processes for national pay scales while maintaining centralized information resources, including benchmarking data.
• Build capacity within Reward by training and mentoring P&O Managers, country office focal points, and people managers, enhancing management capability and accountability.
• Establish structured consultation mechanisms with country offices, P&O management and Senior management to review and improve Reward P&O policies, tools, and operational frameworks.
• Develop and support compliance mechanisms to ensure adherence to P&O policies, handbooks, guidelines, procedures, and national labour laws related to Reward topics/guidance.
• Maintain relationships with external partners and suppliers (e.g., AIRINC, Birches, etc.) and represent the organisation in reward forums and benchmarking exercises.
• Coordinate and follow up on the maintenance and management of reward data in NRC’s P&O Management System.
• Act as the first escalation point for complex reward cases, including requests for exceptions, deviations or new practices as per CO and NORCAP operational needs. Build business cases for P&O management approvals and provide decision making as delegated from Head of P&O Operations.
• Ensure quality assurance in reward-related processes, tracking derogations and developing long-term solutions for operational challenges.

Please download the detailed job description to learn more about the position. 

What you will bring:

• Bachelor’s degree in human resources management, business administration, or any other relevant specialisation.
• Minimum 8 years of experience in Human Resources Management generally with a specific experience in reward topics and practices, preferably in a humanitarian/recovery context.
• Proven experience in driving and implementing change.
• Previous experience in managing teams.
• Fluency in English, both written and spoken.Language skills in French, Spanish or Arabic would be benefitial.
• Knowledge and experience of working with varied and complex labour laws.
• Knowledge of fundamental P&O and Employee Relations principles.
• Extensive senior-level experience in compensation and benefits, including benchmarking, salary structures, job evaluation, and global reward management.
• Strong knowledge of compensation and benefits in an international context.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel, databases, and other Microsoft Office applications.
• Proven ability to lead and manage reward-related projects, driving strategic development.
• Strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence and collaborate at all organisational levels.
• High numeracy skills with experience in basic statistical analysis.

What we offer:

• Duty station: Any country where NRC has an operational presence (Except Geneva & Washington DC), or through an Employer of Record (EoR) arrangement in France, Italy, Denmark, Finland, Spain, or the Netherlands.   
• Contract: Permanent. 
• Travel: Up to 20%.
• Salary/benefits: grade 10 on NRC’s national salary scale, with accompanying terms and conditions.
• NRC is an equal opportunities employer. We are committed to diversity without distinction to age, gender, religion, ethnicity, nationality, and physical ability.
• We think outside the box, encourage ideas, and give responsibility to all employees at all levels. You will have many opportunities to be heard and take the initiative.

Find out more about the benefits of working for NRC

Important information about the application process

• For Internal candidates: To apply as an internal candidate, log in with your official email or click on Opportunity MarketPlace.
• When creating your profile, include your full name as given on your passport. Complete all the system-required fields for experience, employment history and education.
• Submit your application and CV in English, taking care to attach your latest CV.
• Applications that do not meet the minimum standards in terms of experience or qualifications will generally not be considered. Unsolicited applications not related to this specific job advertisement will not be considered.
• We receive many applications for each vacant position and so only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

If you have any questions about this role, please email ho.recruitment@nrc.no with the job title as the subject line.

Why NRC?

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is an independent humanitarian organisation helping people forced to flee. Our 15,000 staff work in crises across 40 countries, providing life-saving and long-term assistance to millions of people every year.

Watch this short video to see NRC in action.

We are looking for people who are passionate about helping refugees and people forced to flee. Are you one of those people? If you are, NRC offers you the opportunity to:

• do demanding and professional work, often in challenging contexts.
• join a work culture that empowers every employee to share ideas and take responsibility.
• be part of a welcoming and supportive community committed to human dignity.