The Role

As our Reward and Benefits Advisor you will play a pivotal role in supporting and enhancing our comprehensive reward and benefits programmes, ensuring that our total reward offering remains competitive, equitable, and aligned with our strategy and values.

Working as a key member of the Reward team, you will work closely with various internal stakeholders and external partners to deliver and administer a range of compensation, benefits, and recognition schemes that support employee engagement and retention. You will have strong analytical skills and either a good understanding of compensation and benefits practices or a strong willingness to learn them!

You will have the opportunity to shape and influence our reward strategy, contributing to our ambition of building a Great Place to Work where employees feel valued and motivated.

What You`ll Be Doing

• Employee Benefits Management:
  • Manage and maintain the employee benefits offering, including flexible benefits platforms and regular enrolment windows.
  • Work with benefits providers and brokers to ensure competitive and comprehensive benefits packages that meet the needs of employees.
  • Support and eventually lead on benefit renewals, negotiations, and contract management to optimise the value and cost-effectiveness of the benefits offering.
  • Develop and deliver engaging communication materials to promote our benefits and rewards to employees.
• Employee Recognition and Reward Programmes:
  • Assist in the administration of employee recognition programmes, including our Hive (Reward Gateway) system, ensuring they are effective and delivering on their aims to drive engagement.
  • Support the development of new recognition initiatives and enhancements to existing programmes to further improve employee engagement and performance.
• Reward Support:
  • Assist the team with the development and maintenance of a comprehensive reward structure that aligns with the organisation`s objectives and market trends.
  • Support the annual salary review process, including benchmarking, salary analysis, and making recommendations for salary adjustments to ensure competitiveness and internal equity.
  • Administer bonus and incentive programmes, ensuring they are effectively communicated and align with performance metrics and business objectives.
• Data Analysis and Reporting:
  • Collect, analyse, and report on reward and benefits data to support decision-making and strategic planning.
  • Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of reward and benefits programmes to ensure they support employee engagement and retention.
• Stakeholder Management:
  • Work closely with internal stakeholders such as the People team, Finance, and functional leaders to ensure the effective administration and delivery of our activities.
  • Build and maintain strong relationships with external suppliers, vendors, and consultants to stay informed of market trends and best practices.
• Market Research and Project Support:
  • Keep up to date with market trends, best practices, and regulatory changes related to reward and benefits.
  • Ensure all reward and benefits practices comply with legal requirements, including national minimum wage regulations, equal pay legislation, and tax treatment of benefits

What We`re Looking for in You

• Previous experience in a reward or people role, particularly in reward and benefits management.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to produce clear and engaging materials for a variety of audiences.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint, with strong numerical and analytical skills.
• High attention to detail and accuracy, with the ability to manage multiple tasks and projects effectively.
• Collaborative team player with strong problem-solving skills and the ability to build effective working relationships with stakeholders.
• Good understanding of payroll processes, compensation structures, and the tax implications of employee benefits is desirable.

What You`ll Get in Return

• A discretionary annual bonus so you can share in the company`s success
• 25 days` paid holiday and an annual holiday buying scheme, with 5 additional days awarded for long service
• A generous pension scheme - employer contributions between 5% and 11% depending on how much you save
• Various benefits to support your health and wellbeing including a Healthcare Cash Plan, an Employee Assistance Programme, a Wellbeing platform and a Gym benefit that you can share with your family and friends
• Enhanced Family Leave including 18 weeks full pay for birthing parents and 4 weeks for non-birthing parents
• Lots of other great benefits including an annual ShareSave scheme, Employee Life Assurance, a discounts portal and more!

About Unite Students

Founded in 1991, Unite Students is a FTSE 100 business and the UK`s leading provider of purpose-built student accommodation. You can find us in 25 leading university towns and cities, with 74,000 students calling US home! We are driven by our values, culture, and a commitment to develop diverse and inclusive teams, filled with positive energy and new ideas.

Instinctive inclusion. We know that to create and maintain a happy healthy organisation, we have to work hard to ensure inclusion isn`t just what we do but who we are.

People make Unite Students. Employees, students and neighbours all contribute to building environments where we can all thrive.

Room for Everyone

We`re proud to be an employer that embraces individuality, and we`re passionate about building inclusive teams. We focus on creating a collaborative culture where you can be you, where your voice is heard, and where you can truly belong. We take great pride in being rated Gold Investors in People and are constantly striving to provide the highest standard of learning and development opportunities and professional pathways for our people. Building a home for success, for both our employees and students, requires exceptional people with a passion for creating room for everyone, doing what`s right, keeping US safe, and raising the bar. Join us as we build better experiences for students that live with us.

We are US.