Reward Lead, CANCER RESEARCH UK

Reward Lead
£70,000- £75,000 plus benefits

Reports to:
Director of HR Partnering & Operations

Directorate:
Chief Operating Office

Contract:
Permanent

Hours:
Full time 35 hours per week (Happy to have a conversation around flexible working)

Location:
Stratford, London Office-based with high flexibility (1-2 days per week in the office)

Closing date:
23:59 12th January 2026

Visa sponsorship:
You must be eligible to work in the UK to apply for this vacancy. Cancer Research UK is
not
able to offer visa sponsorship.

At Cancer Research UK, we exist to beat cancer.
We are looking for an experienced Reward professional to join us and shape our strategic reward agenda.

This is an exciting opportunity to lead a small, high-impact team at the UK's largest cancer charity, driving innovative approaches to reward and recognition across a diverse workforce of nearly 5,000 employees. With a focus on commercial and strategic thinking, the successful candidate will act as CRUK'S subject matter expert on reward & benefits - advising senior leadership and shaping our reward strategy in collaboration with HR Business Partners and key stakeholders, supported by a Reward Specialist and Pensions Manager.

What will I be doing?

• Develop CRUK's strategic approach to reward and benefits to ensure that we have the appropriate reward policies, governance, role grading and pay structures in place to ensure consistency whilst enabling CRUK to attract and retain the right people across a broad range of roles/ sectors.
• Work collaboratively with Heads of HR, HR teams, including Business Partners and Talent Acquisition Partners, to understand emerging issues and opportunities and support them in reward related discussions with leadership teams as appropriate.
• Accountable for the oversight and delivery of our annual salary review (ASR) and any market increases.
• Ensure that the appropriate frameworks and governance are in place to ensure consistency, fairness and affordability.
• Provide accurate and relevant pay and benchmarking data to ensure that the ranges for all our roles are competitive, appropriate and aligned to CRUK's pay position.
• Provide relevant internal and external pay data to ensure equal pay.
• Develop and deliver an appropriate broader reward offer including pensions and other associated benefits; oversee the management of any associated programmes including our cycle to work scheme, purchasing annual leave, pension scheme etc.
• Provide effective line management for both the Reward Advisor and Pensions Manager, setting clear expectations aligned to the HR strategy and plan.
• Establish objectives and KPIs, give regular feedback, and manage performance to ensure high standards across the team.
• Oversee CRUK's pension provision, including death in service, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements and that the scheme and associated benefits serve the best interests of CRUK and that the offer is sustainable for the charity.

What are you looking for?

• Highly numerate with the ability to manage, analyse and understand complex pay data
• Excellent excel skills with the ability to manipulate complex pay data and provide relevant metrics, reporting and data that drive insight and decision making
• Relevant experience of effectively managing reward, benefits and pensions processes including salary reviews, job evaluation and job families
• Relevant experience of developing, reviewing and evolving pay policies, principles and governance for a diverse organisation
• Good working understanding of employment law affecting pay and reward
• Excellent stakeholder management with the ability to influence senior colleagues and present papers to leadership and trustees
• A collaborative approach with a proven track record of working successful with HR Partners that are customer facing

Our organisation values are designed to guide all that we do.

Bold:
Act with ambition, courage and determination

Credible:
Act with rigour and professionalism

Human
: Act to have a positive impact on people

Together:
Act inclusively and collaboratively

We're looking for people who can believe in and embody these organisation values and can use them to drive forward progress against our mission to beat cancer.

If you're interested in applying and excited about working with us but are unsure if you have the right skills and experience we'd still love to hear from you.

What will I gain?
We create a working environment that supports your wellbeing and provide a generous benefits package, a wide range of career and personal development opportunities and high-quality tools. Our policies and processes enable you to improve your work-life balance, take positive steps in your career and achieve your personal wellbeing goals.

You can explore our benefits by visiting our careers web page.

How do I apply?
We operate an anonymised shortlisting process in our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion. CVs are required for all applications; but we won't be able to view them until we invite you for an interview. Instead, we ask you to complete the work history section of the online application form for us to be able to assess you fairly and objectively.