Compensation And Benefits Specialist

Job description / Role

Your new role
This role requires you to lead the design, implementation, and management of total rewards programs for Hays clients in the middle east. With regional experience in compensation, benefits, and employee recognition, the candidate will bring deep expertise in market analysis, reward strategy, and program execution.

You will be motivated to shape policies that are equitable, competitive, and aligned with clients’ business strategy—partnering closely with senior HR leaders and cross-functional stakeholders.

In this role you will be required to:
• Lead the development, communication, and administration of compensation, benefits, and recognition strategies for clients.
• Conduct complex market analyses and benchmarking to ensure competitiveness in pay structures and incentive programs.
• Provide guidance to client HR and business leaders on compensation-related matters, including job evaluations, pay equity, grading structure design and promotions
• Design and manage annual compensation review processes, including merit, bonus, and equity planning for HR client.
• Review and enhance reward frameworks to support talent attraction, retention, and performance management.
• Oversee the governance and compliance of all reward-related policies and practices in accordance with internal controls and external regulations for HR client.
• Collaborate with finance, legal, and leadership teams to align reward strategy with broader business goals for the client.
• Use data analytics to evaluate the effectiveness of existing programs and provide insights for improvement for the client.
• Mentor junior team members and contribute to capability building of the Hays Middle East Talent Advisory Practice.

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business, Finance, or related field; Master’s degree or MBA is a plus.
• Extensive experience in compensation and total rewards within the UAE region
• Strong understanding of job architecture, grading frameworks, and pay-for-performance models.
• Proficiency in compensation tools, and advanced Excel modeling.
• Demonstrated ability to influence at multiple levels and navigate complex organizational structures.
• Experience in managing large-scale rewards projects or compensation redesigns.
• Deep knowledge of relevant UAE labor laws, tax considerations, and compliance practices.
• Certified Compensation Professional (CCP) or similar certification is strongly preferred.

What you’ll get in return
Believing that personal growth leads to professional progression, you will feel heard, valued and assured that we care about your wellbeing, in an inclusive environment where you can be yourself. This will enable you to reach your full potential, broadening your ability to make a positive impact on the world of work and leading to your own personal success. At Hays, you’ll get:

• Attractive Annual Leave allowance
• Clear progressions plans
• Hybrid & flexible working hours
• One day of paid leave per year to volunteer

About the Company

At Hays, we invest in lifelong partnerships that empower people and businesses to succeed. With over 50 years’ success under our belts and a workforce of 10,000+ people across 32 countries, we’ve evolved to put our customers at the heart of everything we do.

So much more than a specialist recruitment business, what really sets us apart is our knowledge through scale, deep understanding and our ability to meaningfully innovate for our customers. By providing advice, insights and expertise on issues you face today in the fast-paced world of work, we help you make the right decisions for tomorrow.

Offering an unrivalled suite of recruitment and workplace solutions, whether you’re looking for what’s next in your career, or have a gap to fill, we’ll help you get where you want to go.

You can rely on us to deliver today and help you plan for tomorrow.