Reward Consultant - Working for Essex

About the role

Reward Consultant

Permanent, Full Time (37 hours per week)

£47,621 to £56,025 per annum

Location: Chelmsford*

Closing Date: 26th March 2025

*Please note this is a hybrid-working role, with a requirement to work in the Chelmsford office 2-3 days per week, depending on business need.

At Essex County Council (ECC), we look after a large and diverse region of the country. Essex covers over 1,420 square miles and has over 1.8 million residents. ECC are driving forward an ambitious transformation programme, maximising opportunities to become a leading Authority in the country.

The Reward Consultant helps enable the success of the organisational strategy by providing expert guidance and support in the research, design, development, and implementation of effective reward and benefit strategies and processes for Essex County Council that support our performance, pay, and total reward philosophies enabling the organisation to attract and retain the talent needed to achieve organisational outcomes by ensuring that the Council’s reward offerings align with its overall business objectives, support employee engagement, and position ECC competitively within the market.

You will be responsible for:

Own the job evaluation policy and processes and provide professional insight to inform initiatives concerning grading structures and job levels.

Working at the centre of a wide business network, advising and influencing internal customers as a core expert on reward who can move easily between contributing towards the strategic design and tactical delivery of leading-edge reward and benefits systems.

Contribute to and maintain a pay and reward structure across the Council, including executive pay and conditions of service. Acting as the subject matter expert in issues relating to reward, recognition and job evaluation ensuring that this translates into a clear understanding and appreciation of ECC’s reward offering.

Oversee all contractual elements of reward and benefit initiatives, such as Private Medical Health Insurance, including annual reviews, procurement, and contract renewals. Ensure timely and high-quality delivery.

Identify and implement innovative reward and performance solutions by leveraging national networks and external best practices to deliver tailored approaches for Essex County Council.

Foster and maintain relationships with national and regional organisations, local councils, and other partnerships to identify and adopt best practices that enhance reward and performance delivery while boosting the Council’s reputation.

Contribute to shaping the Council's reward strategy, founded on the concept of "total reward," ensuring alignment with business needs, strategic workforce planning, and the People Plan. Drive the development and delivery of forward-thinking reward packages for evolving organisational requirements.

Contribute to the efficiency of HR service delivery, using key performance indicators to guide ongoing improvement initiatives.

You'll do great here if you can demonstrate you have:

A degree in human resources or related professional field or equivalent by experience

Associate of the CIPD (level5), CIPP or other relevant professional body or equivalent by experience

Deep understanding and demonstrable experience of reward management, compensation analysis and of a range of reward and performance functions, practice

and procedure in a modern HR environment.

Strong analytical and report writing skills with the ability to interpret, apply and present data to inform decision-making.

Demonstrable experience of devising and implementing reward in a large matrix

organisation, delivering policy and solutions aligned to organisational strategy to deliver successful outcomes through professional application of the consultancy model to drive results

Strong communication skills with the ability to clearly articulate messages to a range of audiences, influencing outcomes and successfully developing strong, mutually

beneficial relations with external and internal networks and stakeholders.

Strong working knowledge of current business technology

To read more about us please visit: People, Policy, Economy and Public Health - Working for Essex

Why Essex? Essex County Council has a location to be proud of. Our 1,300 square miles stretch from Constable Country to the Thames Estuary, from the dynamic M11 corridor to the traditional seaside resorts of Clacton and Walton. England’s oldest town, Colchester, and two of its newest – Basildon and Harlow – are right here. Along with the City of Chelmsford, the county town, they form our major population centres. It means real choice and makes Essex the ideal place for your career. Read more about us here.

Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We’re committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process.

We’re also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.

At Essex County Council, we value integrity and ethical behaviour. We kindly ask that you embrace our code of conduct and the Nolan principles, including throughout the recruitment process. Your commitment to these standards helps us maintain a positive and respectful workplace for everyone.

What you should do next

If you are interested in finding out more about this role, please click apply.

Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

If you would like to be kept up to date on other relevant opportunities, blogs, news, events and industry related news at Essex County Council, please join The Essex Talent Community here.

If you have queries on this role or require anything further, please email resourcing.team@essex.gov.uk

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