Ice Cream METSA Reward Lead

Unilever is currently hiring for Ice Cream Reward Lead METSA

Scope: METSA Region, full-time, permanent

Reports to: Ice Cream Global Reward, Performance and Benefits Lead

Location: Turkey

Terms & Conditions: Full Time Local Terms

With 3.4 billion people in over 190 countries using our products every day, Unilever is a business that makes a real impact on the world. Work on brands that are loved and improve the lives of our consumers and the communities around us. We are driven by our purpose: to make sustainable living commonplace, and it is our belief that doing business the right way drives superior performance. At the heart of what we do is our people – we believe that when our people work with purpose, we will create a better business and a better world. 

At Unilever, your career will be a unique journey, grounded in our inclusive, collaborative, and flexible working environment. We don’t believe in the ‘one size fits all’ approach and instead we will equip you with the tools you need to shape your own future.

If you are in the Unilever Ice Cream business or consider choosing to work for the Unilever Ice Cream business, you will work for the Global, leading Ice Cream player with €7.9bn Turn Over in 2023. The Ice Cream business is operating in a highly attractive category, as we are part of the 1 trillion snacking and refreshment industry, growing consistently at high pace. We have strong brands equities: 5 of top 10 selling brands including Wall’s, Magnum, Ben &Jerry’s. We are investing to unlock the full growth potential of Ice Cream as a standalone entity, once we separate from Unilever, which is planned to happen by November 2025.

Ice Cream has distinct characteristics from Unilever’s other operating businesses and the growth potential of Ice Cream will be better delivered under a different ownership structure. As Ice Cream company we are committed to developing and nurturing talent within our Ice Cream company. You will have options for career growth and exploration, allowing you for you to explore roles and opportunities across the new organisation. Your career development will be a priority for us, and we are dedicated to supporting your growth journey within the new company. We hope that you will want to build the new chapter of our Ice Cream history together with us.

Unilever Ice Cream is the world’s leading ice cream company, home to a portfolio of iconic brands like Magnum, Calippo, Solero, Festini, Talenti, and Yasso. We're committed to creating innovative products that bring unforgettable moments to our consumers—because, after all, “Life tastes better with ice cream.”

The Ice Cream division at Unilever is preparing to stand on its own, becoming an independent, EUR 8 billion single-category focused company by the end of 2025. This move reflects our belief in the power of our unique frozen footprint, which we see as having huge potential for growth as a pure-play business. Our focus is all about unlocking that potential, driving value for our consumers, customers, employees, and shareholders.

JOB PURPOSE:

The Unilever Ice Cream business will form a separate organization from July ’25. This entails building standalone distinct capabilities to support this new organization – including Rewards & Benefits. The role offers an exciting opportunity to lead the Rewards strategy and execution for a newly formed company for the METSA region. The incumbent will play a pivotal role in keeping the Ice Cream business competitive, balancing cost and value of reward policies that attract and retain the best talent.

This role requires a deep understanding of reward & benefits strategy in top 5 markets of the METSA region (Turkey, India, Pakistan, Israel and South Africa) and the ability to think creatively around new innovations and interventions to support the business and the changing nature of work and employment. It also requires high levels of integrity in ensuring true equity and fairness in how we design and deploy our reward frameworks across our markets.

This role is part of the global reward and performance team and therefore co-responsible for developing and implementing a ‘fit for purpose’ reward and performance management strategy and system for the entire IC company.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Reward Strategy for METSA Region

• Ensure reward solutions are aligned/integrated with the Global Reward strategy and other expertise solutions (in Talent, Employer Branding, Performance Management, People Experience etc) 
• Build relationships and network with internal and external specialists, communities of practice and institutions to scan for emerging reward trends, innovations, current best practice and to understand the external reward market. Share this knowledge with the Expertise teams to influence and shape reward strategy.  
• Has knowledge of a wide range of performance management and reward tools and can use these for comparative analysis and data interpretation.  
• Is financially aware, understands financial metrics that underpin the organisation’s performance 
• Assess and evaluate the costs and benefits of reward packages and recommend changes to improve business performance 
• Analyse METSA geography/market benchmarking information and propose change to market positioning 
• Keep up to date and share external and internal METSA geography insight to support the evaluation and continuous improvement of Reward solutions and plans. 
• Network with external specialists, communities of practice and academic institutions to identify themes and issues.  

Reward Policies & Processes 

• Keep abreast of legislative changes that impact performance and reward and make appropriate changes to the structure of programmes. 
• Work with HR Leads to deploy and implement reward policies and processes in the new Ice Cream company.
• Leverage innovative technology in solutions to deliver competitive advantage.
• Knowledge of benefits & pensions for the region.

Developing a Performance Culture 

• Oversee the use of appropriate tools to differentiate performance and ensure the link between reward and performance 
• Research innovative best practice (external) to continually improve communication of the overall reward package & ensures the team delivers this.

Executing Reward Processes

• Ensure consistent activation and delivery of Reward solutions across geographies
• Ensure Reward policies are applied in an equitable, reasonable, and meritocratic way.
• Provide (as needed) reporting in all areas of Reward (e.g., to ensure compliance with local legislation, total reward costs, budget reports)
• Ensure HR teams are equipped to deliver transparent performance and reward communication plans to groups and individuals by delivering communication tools for Reward policies, processes, and tools.
• Provide up-to-date data on current total reward costs.

Strategic Reward Communication

• Improve employee engagement within the organisation using effective Reward technology and communication platforms
• Communicate the vision for change for Reward programmes, clearly articulating the journey, the challenges, potential risks, and what success looks like.
• Use analysis of data to measure progress against the planned business case for change.
• Ability to work with a complex range of stakeholders – BU leadership team, country GMs, HR leadership team, unions, works councils as appropriate
• Effective communication skills, ability to influence leadership and teams at all levels regionally.

SKILLS AND EXPERIENCES QUALIFICATIONS:

• Strategic Reward Expertise: In-depth knowledge of compensation and benefits strategies, including benchmarking, job evaluation, incentive structures, and executive compensation.
• Analytical Skills: Strong capability with data analysis to develop insights on pay structures, benefits utilization, and market trends, supporting informed decision-making.
• Financial Acumen: Understanding of financial principles, including budgeting and forecasting, to manage reward programs within budget constraints.
• Knowledge of Markets Employment Law: Familiarity with employment regulations, tax laws, and compliance requirements across different METSA countries.
• Change Management: Ability to lead change initiatives effectively, especially in harmonizing reward programs across multiple regions.
• Stakeholder Management: Skilled in collaborating with senior leaders, finance, legal, and HR teams to align reward strategies with business goals.
• Project Management: Proven ability to plan, coordinate, and execute complex reward initiatives across different markets.
• Communication Skills: Effective communicator able to present complex reward concepts clearly to both senior executives and employees.
• Cultural Sensitivity: Understanding and respect for cultural differences across European regions to tailor reward approaches appropriately.
• Digital Literacy: Familiarity with HR Information Systems (HRIS) and advanced skills in Excel, Power BI, or other data visualization tools.

• Extensive HR/Reward Background: 7+ years in HR, with a significant portion in reward and compensation roles.
• Team Leadership: Proven track record in managing and developing high-performing reward or compensation teams.
• Executive Compensation: Experience in designing and administering executive compensation and equity programs.
• M&A and Organizational Restructuring: Involvement in mergers, acquisitions, or restructuring projects with experience in harmonizing compensation and benefits post-merger is good to have.
• Policy Development: Experience in developing and implementing reward policies, including pay, incentives, and benefits programs at scale.
• Continuous Improvement: Proven record of introducing improvements in reward processes to drive efficiency, enhance employee satisfaction, and align with business objectives.

LEADERSHIP:   

• Owners’ Mindset: The Ice Creams separation is an exceptional opportunity to design something new – with no holy cows or periphery to limit your vision. We need someone who can think boundary-less & fully own this agenda
• Agile Mindset & Design Thinking: Fast, iterative, prototype thinking
• PERSONAL MASTERY: Sets high standards for themselves. Has emotional intelligence to take feedback, manage mood and motivations, and build empathy for others.
• PASSION FOR HIGH PERFORMANCE: Generates intensity and focus to motivate people to deliver results at speed. Takes personal responsibility and accountability for execution and results.

Unilever is an organisation committed to equity, inclusion and diversity to drive our business results and create a better future, every day, for our diverse employees, global consumers, partners, and communities. We believe a diverse workforce allows us to match our growth ambitions and drive inclusion across the business. At Unilever we are interested in every individual bringing their ‘Whole Self’ to work and this includes you! Thus if you require any support or access requirements, we encourage you to advise us at the time of your application so that we can support you through your recruitment journey.