Senior Director, Total Rewards EMEA/APAC

Job ID: 18070 

Alternate Locations: Poland-Wielkopolskie-Poznan; Germany-Hamburg-Hamburg; Germany-Hesse-Hattersheim; Netherlands-North Brabant-Breda; United Kingdom-England-Bristol; United Kingdom-England-Lichfield; United Kingdom-England-London; United Kingdom-England-Manchester; United Kingdom-England-Worcester 

Newell Brands is a leading $8.3B consumer products company with a portfolio of iconic brands such as Graco®, Coleman®, Oster®, Rubbermaid® and Sharpie®, and 25,000 talented employees around the world. Our high-performance culture, unparalleled curiosity about the world around us, and talented people fuel our success. Our culture is enabled through our core values which guide all we do and how we win as One Newell. They are Integrity, Teamwork, Passion for Winning, Ownership & Leadership.

Position Summary

The Senior Director, Total Rewards – EMEA/APAC is responsible for leading the strategy, governance, design, and execution of compensation and benefits programs across the Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Asia-Pacific regions.

As the senior Total Rewards leader for the region, this role partners closely with HR Business Partners, business leaders, Finance, Legal, Payroll, and regional HR teams to deliver market-competitive, compliant, and operationally excellent Total Rewards programs that support Newell's enterprise strategy.

This leader plays a critical role in translating the company's global Total Rewards philosophy into regionally appropriate solutions while balancing local market practices, regulatory requirements, and business needs. The role is instrumental in driving enterprise consistency, simplifying processes, improving both the employee and manager experience, and positioning the organization to meet evolving regulatory requirements, including the EU Pay Transparency Directive.

The successful candidate is a strategic thought partner, change leader, and trusted advisor who is passionate about building scalable programs that attract, motivate, engage, and retain talent while enabling business performance.

Key Responsibilities

Regional Total Rewards Strategy

• Lead the development and execution of Total Rewards strategies across EMEA/APAC that support Newell's business strategy, talent objectives, and Employee Value Proposition.
• Drive the evolution of Newell's global Total Rewards strategy across EMEA/APAC as the company continues its business transformation.
• Translate enterprise compensation and benefits strategies into regionally appropriate solutions while maintaining global consistency and governance.
• Champion enterprise consistency while thoughtfully balancing local market practices, legal requirements, and business needs.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to senior HR and business leaders on Total Rewards strategy, market competitiveness, and emerging trends.
• Identify opportunities to simplify, standardize, and modernize Total Rewards programs across the region.

Compensation & Benefits Leadership

• Lead the design, implementation, and governance of regional compensation and benefits programs, including base pay, salary structures, incentive programs, health and welfare benefits, retirement programs, wellbeing initiatives, and recognition programs.
• Ensure regional programs align with Newell's Job Architecture framework, global compensation philosophy, and enterprise Total Rewards strategy.
• Partner with global Centers of Excellence to implement enterprise-wide compensation and benefits initiatives.
• Monitor market trends and competitive practices, recommending enhancements that strengthen Newell's ability to attract, motivate, and retain top talent.
• Support executive and critical talent compensation decisions within the region while ensuring alignment with enterprise guidelines.
• Balance competitiveness, affordability, and employee value while ensuring programs remain financially sustainable.

Regional Execution & Operational Excellence

• Ensure consistent, high-quality execution of global Total Rewards programs across all EMEA/APAC countries.
• Partner with regional HR teams to successfully deliver annual compensation and benefits processes, including merit planning, incentive administration, salary structure updates, and benefit renewals.
• Drive operational excellence through process simplification, standardization, automation, and continuous improvement.
• Partner with HR Operations to improve the effectiveness, scalability, and usability of Total Rewards services.
• Identify opportunities to leverage technology and digital solutions to simplify work and improve service delivery.
• Improve both the employee experience and the manager experience by making Total Rewards programs and HR services easier to understand, access, and administer.

Regulatory Strategy & Governance

• Lead regional readiness for evolving regulatory requirements, including the EU Pay Transparency Directive and other emerging compensation-related legislation.
• Partner with Legal, HR, and business leaders to implement sustainable governance, reporting, and compliance processes that support pay transparency and pay equity.
• Collaborate with global compensation leaders to develop consistent methodologies for job architecture, pay structures, compensation governance, and pay equity analyses.
• Monitor legislative developments across EMEA/APAC and proactively recommend changes to Total Rewards programs, policies, and processes.
• Ensure compensation and benefits programs comply with applicable labor, tax, pension, and employment regulations throughout the region.

Analytics & Business Partnership

• Leverage market intelligence, workforce analytics, and financial modeling to influence strategic Total Rewards decisions.
• Analyze compensation and benefits data to identify trends, risks, and opportunities.
• Develop business cases and recommendations that balance employee experience, financial stewardship, and business objectives.
• Provide senior leadership with insights regarding competitiveness, pay equity, program effectiveness, and investment priorities.

Leadership & Collaboration

• Lead, coach, and develop a geographically dispersed team of Total Rewards professionals across EMEA/APAC.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, continuous improvement, and inclusion.
• Build strong partnerships with HR Business Partners, Finance, Payroll, Legal, Talent Acquisition, HR Operations, and business leaders.
• Collaborate closely with global Centers of Excellence to ensure alignment across regions while sharing best practices and driving enterprise consistency.
• Champion Newell's Values in leadership approach, decision making, and partnership across the organization.

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Finance, or related field required.
• Master's degree or professional certifications (CCP, GRP, CEBS, SHRM-SCP, SPHR) preferred.

Experience

• 12+ years of progressive Total Rewards experience within a large global organization.
• Significant experience leading compensation and benefits across multiple countries within EMEA and/or APAC.
• Demonstrated experience translating global strategies into effective regional execution.
• Experience partnering with senior business leaders in a complex, matrixed environment.
• Proven success leading organizational transformation, process improvement, and change management initiatives.
• Experience leading geographically dispersed teams.

Knowledge, Skills & Competencies

• Expertise in global compensation, benefits, and Total Rewards strategy.
• Strong understanding of EMEA and APAC labor markets, compensation practices, and regulatory environments.
• Experience implementing global compensation frameworks, job architecture, and pay governance.
• Familiarity with the EU Pay Transparency Directive and emerging global pay transparency requirements.
• Strong analytical, financial modeling, and problem-solving capabilities.
• Exceptional communication, executive presence, and influencing skills.
• Ability to balance enterprise consistency with local flexibility and business needs.
• Proven ability to lead through change while building strong partnerships across a global organization.
• Experience leveraging HR technology and data analytics to improve service delivery and decision making.

Newell Brands (NASDAQ: NWL) is a leading global consumer goods company with a strong portfolio of well-known brands, including Rubbermaid, Sharpie, Graco, Coleman, Rubbermaid Commercial Products, Yankee Candle, Paper Mate, FoodSaver, Dymo, EXPO, Elmer’s, Oster, NUK, Spontex and Campingaz. We are focused on delighting consumers by lighting up everyday moments.