Job Description

The Reward Executive is accountable for leading the design, execution, and governance of total rewards across Rainbow Chicken.
Join Rainbow Chicken as a Reward Executive
Rainbow Chicken, a leading JSE-listed agribusiness, is seeking a strategic and experienced Reward Executive to lead its total rewards function. Based at the Head Office in Centurion, this executive role reports to the Chief People Officer and is pivotal in shaping remuneration, incentives, benefits, payroll, and workforce cost planning across the organisation. The ideal candidate will bring deep expertise in reward strategy, governance, and compliance, with a proven track record in executive compensation and payroll leadership within large, unionised environments. This is a unique opportunity to influence business outcomes, talent retention, and shareholder value in a dynamic and purpose-driven company.
Purpose of the role
The Reward Executive is accountable for leading the design, execution, and governance of total rewards across Rainbow Chicken. This includes executive and broad-based remuneration, incentives, benefits, payroll, job evaluation, and workforce cost planning.
The role ensures alignment between business objectives, talent retention, ESG imperatives, and shareholder value creation. The incumbent partners with senior executives and the Board to deliver a fit-for-purpose, performance-driven reward strategy that positions Rainbow Chicken as an employer of choice in the agribusiness sector.
Key Deliverables
Strategic Design and Governance
Develop and implement a comprehensive Group Total Rewards Strategy aligned with business growth, operational efficiency, and talent retention.
Partner with the Remuneration Committee on executive pay, long-term incentive design, and shareholder engagement.
Ensure compliance with JSE Listings Requirements, King IV, tax legislation, employment law, and global best practices.
Executive and Broad-Based Remuneration
Lead the design and annual review of executive compensation structures, including STI and LTI schemes.
Benchmark remuneration practices against local and global comparators in FMCG and listed environments.
Drive performance-linked reward models to support accountability and value creation.
Incentives and Performance-Based Pay
Design and implement annual incentive schemes, production-based rewards, and differentiated pay for critical roles.
Link incentive design to EBITDA, operational KPIs, and key talent retention metrics.
Ensure transparency and alignment in incentive outcomes through structured reporting.
Benefits and Employee Wellbeing
Oversee the optimisation of medical, retirement, insurance, and wellbeing benefits for cost-effectiveness and employee value.
Introduce flexible and targeted benefits offerings to support workforce diversity and generational needs.
Monitor trends and regulations to ensure ongoing compliance and relevance.
Payroll Governance and Delivery
Provide strategic oversight of the end-to-end payroll function across all business units and regions.
Ensure payroll accuracy, risk controls, compliance with SARS, UIF, and statutory reporting requirements.
Drive process improvement, digitisation, and automation of payroll operations in collaboration with HR Systems and Finance.
Oversee internal and external audits related to payroll and statutory submissions.
Job Grading and Organisational Design
Own the Group-wide job evaluation framework, ensuring consistency, fairness, and alignment to business structures.
Champion the use of a single, integrated job architecture to support internal equity and career progression.
Partner with line executives and HR to validate grading outcomes and support change management.
Workforce Costing and Planning
Lead the integration of reward with workforce planning, labour cost modelling, and productivity optimisation
Collaborate with Finance and Operations on multi-year workforce cost forecasts and affordability assessments.
Use data and analytics to inform talent investment, workforce agility, and margin improvement initiatives.
Reward Governance and Reporting
Prepare board-level reports, analytics, and proposals for RemCo, ExCo, and the Audit & Risk Committee
Lead the development of the annual Remuneration Report in line with King IV and investor expectations.
Interface with remuneration consultants, auditors, and investor relations on pay transparency and governance issues.
Leadership and Capability Building
Build and lead a high-performance Reward and Payroll Centre of Excellence
Mentor and upskill internal HR, Finance, and Payroll professionals to build reward acumen and system capability.
Promote reward education, pay transparency, and governance awareness across business units.
Qualifications & Experience
Bachelors degree in Finance, Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field (essential).
10+ years of senior HR or Reward leadership experience, with at least 5 years in an executive or head-of-function role
Demonstrated experience managing payroll and remuneration functions in a JSE- listed, unionised, and large-scale operation
Proven track record in executive reward design, RemCo reporting, and total reward governance
Experience leading job evaluation frameworks (e.g. Paterson) and workforce planning in complex organisational environments.
Demonstrated success in leading reward design in a complex, unionised and geographically dispersed business (preferably FMCG or manufacturing)
Track record in implementing long-term incentives and reward technology platforms.
Payroll-related certifications (SAGE, SAP Payroll, or similar) would be beneficial.
Certified Compensation Professional (CCP) or Certified Benefits Professional (CBP).
Certification in data analysis or statistics is advantageous.
Registered member of the South African Reward Association (SARA).
Technical Skills & Competencies
Deep expertise in reward strategy, governance, and compliance in a listed environment
Strong knowledge of payroll legislation, tax frameworks, and financial controls
Advanced Excel and modelling capability, HRIS and reward systems (e.g. SAP, SuccessFactors, SAGE, or Oracle)
Strong financial literacy and ability to partner with Finance on costing, ROI, and budget alignment
Excellent board-level presentation and stakeholder management skills
Advanced skills in HR analytics, Excel modelling, and digital reward tools.
Strong influencing, negotiation, and stakeholder engagement skills at ExCo and Board level.
Key Attributes
High levels of discretion, integrity, and professional judgment.
Strategic and future-oriented thinker with strong business alignment.
Resilient, composed, and able to manage ambiguity and pressure.
Strong values orientation with a focus on equity, transparency, and sustainability.
Results-driven, detail-oriented, and hands-on leader.
Commercially savvy with an ability to translate data into strategic decision-making.
Key Stakeholders
Rainbow Executive Committee and Business Unit/Functional Leadership.
Board Remuneration & Nominations Committee.
Group Finance/Commercial, Legal, Company Secretary and Investor Relations.
Unions and collective bargaining forums.
External reward consultants and auditors
Key Performance Indicators
Delivery of a competitive, compliant, and sustainable total rewards strategy linked to business outcomes and affordability.
Shareholder and RemCo satisfaction with remuneration disclosures and governance.
Retention and engagement of top talent linked to reward outcomes.
Effective delivery of incentive programmes with measurable business impact.
Strength of internal reward capability and process governance.
Accuracy and compliance of payroll operations across all legal entities.
Equity and consistency in grading and reward structures.