Senior Compensation and Benefits Advisor – Europe & Strategic Initiatives

Job Posting Organization:
Mercy Corps is a humanitarian organization founded on the belief that a better world is possible. The organization is dedicated to creating transformational change globally through its diverse teams. Mercy Corps emphasizes the importance of diversity in its workforce, believing that varied backgrounds, perspectives, and skills contribute to stronger outcomes and long-term impact. The organization operates in multiple countries, focusing on humanitarian aid and development, and is committed to fostering an inclusive environment where every team member feels they belong. The People Team within Mercy Corps is responsible for ensuring that the organization has the right people, strategies, and learning opportunities to maintain its status as a world-class humanitarian organization. This team is dedicated to the recruitment, retention, and development of top global talent, driving strategic thinking and planning, and creating a robust body of research to guide the organization internally and externally.

Job Overview:
The Senior Compensation and Benefits Advisor for Europe & Strategic Initiatives is tasked with designing and delivering compensation, benefits, and performance management frameworks that cater to a diverse workforce across European markets and globally. This role is pivotal in developing and implementing total rewards strategies that enhance Mercy Corps' ability to attract, retain, and incentivize top talent from various sectors, including private sector, impact investing, and technology. The advisor will focus on aligning compensation and benefits structures with organizational outcomes and impact objectives, ensuring that they are market-relevant and performance-driven. The position requires close collaboration with global teams, regional leadership, and HR team members to drive the design and execution of compensation and benefits frameworks and tools, emphasizing data-driven decision-making, pay equity, and continuous improvement in line with evolving business priorities.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The Senior Compensation and Benefits Advisor will be responsible for championing and operationalizing the organization’s People Strategy, ensuring alignment between pay practices and innovation objectives. They will partner with leadership to define and execute a forward-looking total rewards and performance management strategy, linking compensation to financial, operational, and impact performance. The advisor will drive continuous improvement initiatives by identifying gaps, inefficiencies, and opportunities across compensation and benefits programs and processes. They will influence organizational and regional strategies through data-driven compensation insights that support growth, equity, and impact. The advisor will lead the design and implementation of scalable, globally consistent compensation and benefits frameworks and tools, and build and maintain strategic external partnerships. Additionally, they will design, implement, and refine global salary structures, grading frameworks, and pay policies aligned with market competitiveness and organizational goals, conduct regular market benchmarking and salary analysis, and develop and harmonize benefits strategies across European jurisdictions. The advisor will also provide strategic advisory support to leadership on compensation, performance calibration, workforce planning, and organizational design.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must have a minimum of 5 years of experience managing total rewards or compensation and benefits programs at a private sector company, investment firm, or development bank. Familiarity with different compensation structures and statutory benefits across Europe is essential, along with practical experience in managing global programs and designing performance-related pay structures. A Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field is preferred. Proficiency in English is required, along with project management skills, strong problem-solving abilities, interpersonal skills, and effective written and verbal communication. Candidates should possess strong analytical skills and a thorough knowledge of compensation and benefit plan designs, with the ability to leverage these programs to align with industry best practices.

Educational Background:
The position requires a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field. This educational background is essential for understanding the complexities of compensation and benefits management, as well as the strategic implications of these programs within a global organization.

Experience:
The ideal candidate should have at least 5 years of relevant experience in managing total rewards or compensation and benefits programs, preferably within a private sector company, investment firm, or development bank. Experience in managing global programs and designing performance-related pay structures is highly preferred, indicating a strong understanding of the international landscape and the ability to adapt strategies to various markets.

Languages:
Proficiency in English is mandatory for this position. Additional language skills may be beneficial, particularly in languages relevant to the European markets where Mercy Corps operates, as this could enhance communication and collaboration with diverse teams and stakeholders.

Additional Notes:
The position is based in Jordan but may require occasional travel to support country programs, which could include travel to insecure locations with limited amenities. The role does not have supervisory responsibilities and reports directly to the Global Compensation and Benefits Director. Mercy Corps is committed to equal employment opportunities and fostering a safe and inclusive work environment. Team members are expected to uphold high ethical standards and adhere to the organization's values and Code of Conduct policies.