We support peace and prosperity by building connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and countries worldwide. For 90 years we have shaped brighter futures through education, arts, culture, language, and creativity.
Working with people in over 200 countries and territories, we are on the ground in more than 100 countries.
We connect. We inspire.
British Council Pay Band 9 (SMP)
Department: People Function
Location: United Kingdom (all offices) and Poland (Krakow/Warsaw)
- For the UK: Candidates should have access to a British Council office; this is a hybrid role.
- For Poland: The role is based in either Krakow or Warsaw.
Contract: Indefinite Contract (Permanent Role)
Apply by: Wednesday, 03rd Sept 2025 23:59 Local time
Interview window: 03rd week of September
The starting salary for this role is PLN 24,500 gross per month if based in Warsaw, or PLN 23,000 gross per month if based in Krakow, with the final offer negotiable based on skills and experience. In Poland, benefits include a 13th-month salary (annual bonus), paid holidays, and other standard benefits.
In the UK, the starting salary is £60,000 per annum, with the final offer negotiable based on skills and experience. London-based candidates also receive an additional £3,300 annual London Market Allowance (LMA). Benefits include 32 days of annual leave plus public holidays, 3 days of volunteering leave, and a career average defined benefit pension scheme.
This role is open to applicants who already have the legal right to work in Poland and the UK at the time of application. Relocation and visa sponsorship are not available. The British Council supports flexible working, including hybrid arrangements , subject to line manager approval and operational requirements.
Role Context
This role is a part of global Total Reward Centre of Expertise, partnering with commercial leaders and regional teams to design and implement performance-aligned reward frameworks that attract, retain, and motivate talent. With support from the wider team and the Director of Total Reward, the role will lead the development of commercial incentive schemes that drive revenue, margin, and customer outcomes, ensuring they are market-aligned and self-funding. It will also contribute to shaping global reward policies and practices, addressing emerging business needs and supporting strategic transformation initiatives.
In addition to its global focus, the role includes leadership responsibilities within the Total Reward team, helping build commercial reward capability and guiding team members to deliver the reward strategy effectively. It will work closely with other Total Reward Business Partners, the Global Benefits Policy Lead, and the Reward Analyst to ensure cohesive and responsive reward solutions. A deep understanding of British Council’s strategic context and global reward trends is essential to succeed in this role.
Main responsibilities
The role requires deep professional services expertise in total reward, leveraging best practices and strategic insight to shape global, regional, and business-specific reward strategies. The role-holder will lead the design and implementation of commercial reward frameworks—including incentive schemes, bonus plans, and performance-linked pay structures—ensuring they are self-funding and aligned with business performance metrics. This includes developing ROI models, benchmarking against market standards, and integrating commercial reward with broader total reward strategies. The role also supports capability building within the Total Reward team through coaching, tools, and knowledge sharing, while staying current with external reward trends and practices.
In a consultative capacity, the role partners with commercial leaders to translate strategic goals into effective reward solutions, offering expert advice on governance, risk, and compliance. It involves working with analytics teams to develop data dashboards and insights that inform evidence-based decisions. The role also contributes to solving cross-functional reward challenges and supports the development of communication materials and training for leadership teams. Strong stakeholder management is key, including maintaining relationships with regional and business unit leaders, consulting with UK Trade Union representatives, and ensuring alignment of reward initiatives with organisational goals.
Role-Specific Skills
Data Literacy
- Data-driven: Grasps and uses data to inform decisions and practice (Exemplary)
Business Acumen
- Commercial Fluency: Understands organizational financial requirements and performance (Developing/Exemplary)
- Context Interpretation: Applies insight into external trends and organizational factors (Developing)
Digital Agility
- Technology Empowered: Integrates technology to build efficient, scalable HR solutions (Developing)
People Advocacy
- Risk Mitigation & Ethics: Ensures ethical conduct, compliance, and mitigates people-related risks (Developing)
Execution Excellence
- Problem Solving: Finds practical solutions to overcome obstacles (Developing)
Interpersonal Skills: Uses effective interpersonal skills to achieve shared goals (Developing/Exemplary)
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Role-Specific Knowledge & Experience
Minimum/essential
- Experience of designing and implementing commercial reward schemes in a global or multi-region context
- Strong understanding of incentive design, performance metrics, and ROI modelling
- Experience working in or with commercial business units
- Experience of utilising People function and reward data and analytics to inform reward strategy and design work and provide insights to business leaders
- Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills, with the ability to work across functions and geographies
- Experience in coaching or developing reward capability in others
Knowledge of global reward trends and commercial benchmarking practices
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Education & Professional Qualification
Evidence of completing Total Reward-specific formal training through CIPD or equivalent bodies (e.g., WorldatWork), covering areas such as pay structure design, reward strategy development, and effective communication of reward practices.
Language Requirements
The British Council systems and global processes operate in English. Written and verbal proficiency in English is required.
A connected and trusted UK in a more connected and trusted world.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Statement
We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and welcome applications from all sections of the community as we believe that a diverse workforce gives added depth to our work. The British Council is a Disability Confident Employer. The Disability Confident scheme helps challenge attitudes, increase understanding of disability and ensure staff are drawn from the widest possible pool of talent. We guarantee an interview for disabled applicants who meet the minimum role requirements. We welcome discussions about specific requirements or adjustments to enable participation and engagement in our work and activities.
Safeguarding Statement
The British Council is committed to safeguarding children, young people and adults who we work with. We believe that all children and adults everywhere in the world deserve to live in safe environments and have the right to be protected from all forms of abuse, maltreatment and exploitation as set out in article 19, UNCRC (United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child) 1989. Appointment to positions where there is direct involvement with vulnerable groups will be dependent on thorough checks being completed in line with legal requirements and with the British Council’s Safeguarding policies for Adults and Children.
If you experience any difficulties with submitting your application, please email askhr@britishcouncil.org