Total Rewards Manager

About the Role

Employees deserve transparent and fair compensation that aligns with their lives and the company's goals. The Total Rewards Manager position at Bright, a Private Equity-backed B2B SaaS company with around 400 employees across Ireland, the UK, and India, has been established to bring a structured, strategic approach to compensation and benefits. You will serve as the authoritative source on pay and benefits, collaborating closely with the Chief People Officer (CPO), Head of People Operations & Partnering, and the Finance team.

About Bright Software Group

Bright creates innovative digital tools empowering accountants, payroll bureaus, and businesses across the UK and Ireland to operate more efficiently and successfully. Their philosophy centers on superior understanding as the key to outperforming competition.

Key Achievements in the First Year

• Develop a robust compensation benchmarking framework enabling managers and leadership to provide clear, defensible pay-related responses.
• Coordinate a seamless salary review cycle characterized by excellent preparation, communication, and execution.
• Enhance benefit programs so that employees both understand and value them, reflected in increased awareness and utilization.
• Deliver an accurate and consistent reporting suite for executive leadership, remuneration committee, and investors.
• Ensure full compliance with EU Pay Transparency regulations on schedule.
• Maintain error-free and compliant payroll collaboration with the finance department.

Primary Responsibilities

• Lead the annual pay review operational processes, including developing merit models, preparing manager and remuneration committee materials, and coordinating with HR business partners.
• Oversee compensation benchmarking across jurisdictions (Ireland, UK, India), keeping updated on legislative differences in pay practices.
• Assist in job evaluation and role leveling by supplying market references for existing and new positions.
• Maintain salary structures and pay bands in cooperation with the broader team.
• Prepare data packs and salary review scenarios for remuneration committee meetings.
• Provide trusted consultation to managers and HR professionals on pay decisions, supporting rather than enforcing policy.
• Implement governance frameworks that include formal approvals, audit trails, and version control for reward decisions.
• Manage Bright's compliance with EU Pay Transparency reporting obligations, working with legal and HR counterparts.
• Conduct regular pay equity analyses and identify areas requiring corrective action across all operating jurisdictions.
• Administer benefit plans, renewals, provider relationships, and ensure up-to-date accessible documentation for all countries involved.
• Review and benchmark employee benefits annually, offering evidence-based improvement suggestions.
• Promote benefit usage and understanding throughout the company.
• Maintain the integrity and audit readiness of compensation and benefits data within the HR information system (HiBob), building comprehensive reporting for leadership and investor needs.
• Improve existing people reporting through auditing and employing AI technologies to enhance insight timeliness and quality.
• Provide detailed data extractions and analyses in response to leadership, audit, and investor requests.
• Support budgeting related to people costs and manage reward and benefit expenditures continuously.
• Ensure payroll data accuracy by effectively liaising with finance and resolving HR-related payroll queries promptly.
• Assist payroll compliance audits, revenue queries, and offer the necessary HR data support.

Required Skills and Experience

• Proven background in dedicated reward, compensation, or total rewards roles.
• Strong proficiency in Excel and analytical skills, capable of developing models, analyzing data, and confidently presenting results to senior stakeholders.
• Experience compiling compensation analyses and preparing data for leadership or governance scrutiny.
• Solid knowledge of compensation benchmarking methods and participation in salary surveys.
• Experience managing and assessing employee benefits programs.
• Familiarity with pay equity principles and labor laws governing Ireland and the UK.
• Experience using HRIS platforms, preferably HiBob or similar systems.
• Comfort and skill in utilizing AI tools to accelerate and enhance work outputs.
• Background working closely with finance teams on payroll and data governance matters.

Preferred Experience

• Exposure to fast-growing, PE-backed SaaS or tech companies.
• Knowledge of mergers and acquisitions, organizational transformation, or cross-border reward harmonization.

Desired Personal Attributes

• Committed to data accuracy, proactively identifying and rectifying discrepancies.
• Excellent communication skills capable of simplifying complex compensation information for various audiences.
• Trustworthy advisor, providing straightforward and reliable guidance on pay topics.
• Adaptable in situations without complete information, comfortable designing new processes alongside role execution.
• Proactively utilizes AI technologies to enhance productivity and quality.
• Understands the financial and human aspect of reward decisions and balances these perspectives strategically.

Working Environment at Bright

Bright fosters a collaborative culture where individuality is valued despite its size. Employees enjoy autonomy for learning and growth. The company is focused on rapid expansion and AI investments, providing exciting opportunities. Features include hybrid work arrangements with trust in personal time management, direct engagement with senior leaders including the CPO, a progressive attitude toward AI adoption with supportive networks and frameworks, and competitive remuneration aligned with an ambitious business trajectory.