Role SummaryThe Total Rewards Manager is responsible for designing, implementing, and managing the organization’s total rewards strategy, including compensation, benefits, payroll governance, incentive schemes, job grading, salary structures, and reward frameworks across corporate and store operations.

The role ensures the company remains competitive in the labor market while maintaining internal equity, pay transparency, cost efficiency, and alignment with business performance. It plays a key role in supporting business growth, store profitability, and talent attraction and retention across all brands and geographies.

• Key ResponsibilitiesCompensation & Benefits StrategyDevelop and execute the organization’s total rewards philosophy aligned with business strategy and HR vision.
• Ensure compensation & benefits structures support attraction, retention, and motivation of talent across corporate and operational roles.
• Balance cost efficiency with market competitiveness and internal equity.
• Define annual rewards roadmap in alignment with business growth and manpower planning.
• Compensation ManagementDesign and maintain salary structure on all job families and levels.
• Conduct regularly salary benchmarking against relevant F&B, retail, and hospitality markets.
• Manage annual salary review processes, increments, and merits cycles.
• Ensure pay equity across brands, roles, and geographies.
• Define and maintain range for stores, corporate, and leadership roles.
• Job Evaluation & Grading GovernanceLead job evaluation processes and maintain job architecture across the organization.
• Ensure consistent application of grading methodologies across corporate and store roles.
• Review new roles and changes to ensure correct grading and internal alignment.
• Maintain career ladders and role progression frameworks in coordination with Talent Management.
• Incentive & Variable PayDesign and manage incentive schemes for store operations, including:
• o Store Manager bonuseso Area Manager incentiveso Sales and KPI-based commissionso Team performance bonusesEnsure incentive plans are aligned with business KPIs such as sales, profitability, labor cost, and customer experience.
• Review and optimize incentive effectiveness and behavioral impact.
• Partner with Operations and Finance to ensure schemes are financially sustainable.
• Benefits ManagementOversee employee benefits programs including medical insurance, life insurance, leave policies, and statutory benefits.
• Evaluate and negotiate benefits providers to ensure cost-effectiveness and employee value.
• Ensure benefits are competitive within the UAE F&B and retail market.
• Manage annual renewal cycles and vendor relationships.
• Continuously assess benefit utilization and employee satisfaction.
• Payroll Governance & ComplianceEnsure payroll processes are accurate, timely, and compliant with labor laws and internal policies.
• Oversee payroll audits and controls.
• Work closely with Finance and HR Operations to ensure payroll integrity.
• Manage statutory reporting requirements related to compensation and benefits.
• Ensure compliance with WPS (where applicable) and regional regulations.
• Continuously assess benefit utilization and employee satisfaction.
• Market Benchmarking & AnalyticsConduct regular compensation and benefits surveys and benchmarking studies.
• Analyze market trends in F&B, retail, and hospitality sectors.
• Provide insights on pay competitiveness, attrition risks, and cost implications.
• Develop dashboards and reports on total rewards metrics.
• Key metrics include:
• o Pay competitiveness ratio (PCR)o Compensation cost as % of revenueo Incentive payout efficiencyo Benefits utilization rateo Salary positioning by gradeBudget & Cost ControlLead annual compensation and benefits budgeting process.
• Partner with Finance to forecast salary increases, bonus pools, and benefits costs.
• Monitor monthly compensation spend vs budget.
• Provide recommendations to optimize labor cost efficiency.
• Policy Development & GovernanceDevelop and maintain total rewards policies and procedures.
• Ensure governance and consistency in reward decisions.
• Establish approval frameworks for compensation exceptions.
• Ensure compliance with local labor laws and internal audit requirements.
• Stakeholder ManagementPartner with HR Business Partners, Operations, Finance, and senior leadership.
• Advise leadership on compensation decisions and pay structures.
• Support business expansion with compensation frameworks for new store openings and new markets.
• Provide expert guidance on pay positioning for critical hires and leadership roles.