HR Governance & Compensation Lead

About Utmost International

Utmost International is a leading provider of insurance-based wealth solutions operating across the UK, Europe, Latin America, Asia, and the Middle East. Its solutions are largely based on unit-linked insurance policies, serving the needs of affluent, high net worth (HNW), and ultra-high net worth (UHNW) individuals.

About Utmost Luxembourg S.A.

Sitting at the crossroads of private banking, asset management, and insurance, we operate in a well-established and fast-growing division of the financial services industry. Our dynamic international team of 450+ experienced wealth structuring specialists, subject-matter and technical experts consists of 50 different nationalities, speaking over 30 languages.

We are a diverse and inclusive organisation driven by a values-based culture that promotes excellence, ambition, and innovation. We invest in talented teams who develop their expertise, curated through support and training, and fostered through a people centred culture. Our people truly are our greatest asset!

Your role – Are you ready for a challenge?

This role is responsible for leading HR operations, governance, and key people programs across multiple European jurisdictions. It combines payroll oversight, compliance and risk management, compensation and performance leadership, and delivery of cross-border HR projects. The position ensures scalable, compliant, and efficient HR processes while supporting business growth and organizational transformation.

Your responsibilities will be as follows:

1. Payroll Oversight & Controls
   • Oversee end-to-end payroll governance across multiple European jurisdictions covering ~500 employees (currently 7 jurisdictions),
   • Ensure accuracy, compliance, and timeliness of payroll processes in partnership with local vendors and finance,
   • Define and maintain payroll controls, audit mechanisms, and reporting standards,
   • Monitor regulatory changes and ensure alignment with local labour and tax requirements.
     
2. HR Projects & Transformation
   • Lead and deliver strategic HR projects across the region, such as:
     • Pay transparency implementation,
     • Setup of new legal entities (payroll, benefits, contracts, vendors, compliance),
     • Implementation of HR systems (e.g., badging, HRIS enhancements).
   • Drive project planning, stakeholder alignment, and execution from design through rollout,
   • Ensure projects are compliant, scalable, and aligned with global HR strategy,
   • Manage external vendors and internal cross-functional teams.
3. HR Governance, Risk & Compliance
   • Define and maintain HR governance frameworks across multiple jurisdictions,
   • Align policies, processes, and practices with local legislation and collective bargaining agreements,
   • Lead HR audits and ensure audit readiness (internal and external),
   • Identify and mitigate HR-related risks (legal, operational, reputational),
   • Partner with legal and works councils/unions where applicable.
4. Performance & Compensation Management
   
   • Lead the annual performance management cycle across the region,
   • Drive compensation processes including salary reviews, bonus cycles, and benchmarking,
   • Ensure internal equity and external competitiveness of compensation structures,
   • Oversee job evaluation frameworks and grading consistency,
   • Provide insights and analytics to support compensation decisions.
     
5. Mobility & International Workforce Management
   • Manage international transfers and cross-border employee movements,
   • Ensure compliance with immigration, tax, and employment regulations,
   • Partner with finance and legal on cost and risk implications,
   • Standardise processes for global mobility within the region.

Your profile – Have you got what it takes to become our HR Governance & Compensation Lead?

• 8–12+ years of experience in HR Operations, Total Rewards, or HR Governance roles,
• Strong expertise in multi-country European payroll and labour law,
• Proven experience managing complex HR projects across multiple jurisdictions,
• Solid knowledge of compensation, job evaluation, and performance management frameworks,
• Experience with audits, compliance, and policy governance,
• Ability to operate both strategically and hands-on,
• Strong stakeholder management skills across HR, Finance, Legal, and external vendors,
• Experience working in an international, matrixed environment.

Key Competencies:

• Analytical and detail-oriented with strong risk awareness,
• Structured project management and execution skills,
• High level of ownership and accountability,
• Strong communication and influencing skills,
• Ability to navigate complexity and ambiguity.

As an equal opportunity employer, all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to gender, colour, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Given the sensitive nature of our business, industry sector and the role as described, the selected candidate is required to provide a criminal record (Bulletin n°3 for Luxembourgish residents). This excerpt will be kept by Utmost Luxembourg S.A. in compliance with article 8-5 (2) of the law of 23 July 2016 and for no longer than one month from the conclusion of the employment contract; otherwise, it will be destroyed without any undue delay should the candidate not be hired.

Utmost Luxembourg S.A. is aware of its obligations under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and is committed to processing your data securely and transparently.

Our Recruitment Privacy Notice is in line with GDPR and provides more information with regards to the types of data that we collect and hold on you as a job applicant, including for the performance of Background Checks.  It also sets out how we use that information, how long we keep it for and other relevant information about your data. For full details please click here Recruitment Privacy Statement

#utmost