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Lead Compensation & Benefits

Posted 12 Jul 2025
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Work experience
7 to 15 years
Full-time / part-time
Full-time
Job function
Degree level
Required language
English (Fluent)

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Shape global rewards strategy at Heerema and lead the way in compensation, benefits, and payroll transformation

A unique maritime adventure

At Heerema Marine Contractors, the Human Resources department plays a vital role in supporting our mission as a leading global marine contractor in the offshore oil and gas and renewables industry. Our HR team focuses on operational excellence to be a proactive partner, aligning with the company’s goals and supporting each department’s needs.

The HR department is looking for an experienced Lead Compensation & Benefits to oversee and enhance our rewards strategy, our policies and pay-rolling.

In this role, you will be globally responsible for developing and managing competitive compensation and benefits programs that attract, retain, and motivate talent. You will develop fit for purpose policies and ensure high-quality, efficient pay-rolling.

You will lead a team with dedicated Compensation & Benefits Officers and Payroll Accountants. You will act as a strategic advisor to the Board and play a leading role in shaping long-term compensation strategy aligned with business priorities, market developments, and workforce trends.

Your Impact as Lead Compensation & Benefits

As the Lead Compensation & Benefits, you will play a crucial role in the following areas:

  • Develop and maintain global C&B policies and processes in line with laws and regulations
  • Align with Work Council and Union Relations regarding HR topics
  • Manage Global Mobility and expat management
  • Design and implement future proof processes, including the implementation of HR IT systems (SAP4Hana), overhaul of current policies, compensation structure, employee benefits programs (including pension schemes)
  • Set-up international contracting entities
  • Manage and develop the team, leading them through a transformation to a more strategic, digitally enables function

Who You Will Work With

You will collaborate with a dynamic team of C&B Specialists and Payroll Accountants including, as well as other key stakeholders within HR and across the organization. You will also be the first point of contact for the Works Council and Unions on HR-related topics, ensuring effective communication and alignment. You will be a trusted advisor for the HR leadership team and the Board.

What You Will Be Working On

  • Team Development and Leadership: Lead a team of C&B and Payroll professionals to enhance global total rewards governance, ensuring consistency and fairness across regions while allowing for local flexibility
  • Global Compensation and Reward Management: Drive compensation transformation to futureproof our EVP, optimize costs, and elevate employee experience by modernizing pay, benefits, and performance rewards. Manage the annual compensation cycle.
  • Works Council and Union Liaison: Act as the main HR liaison, managing strong relationships and negotiations with the Works Council and Unions
  • Expat and global mobility: Oversee global mobility and expat management to ensure compliant, efficient processes across immigration, tax, payroll, and vendor management.
  • Global entity support: Support set-up of international contracting entities worldwide
  • Process Improvement: Contribute to our HR/IT system implementation project. Drive continuous improvement initiatives, implementing best practices and enhancing systems.

Key Ingredients for Success

To excel in this role, you are a hands-on pragmatic people manager. You thrive in a dynamic, entrepreneurial environment and have a passion for continuous improvements in Compensation & Benefits and Payroll.

General:

  • Experience: Minimum of 7-10 years of experience in Compensation & Benefits, including payroll management and flexible benefits implementation.
  • Educational Background: University degree, preferably in Labor or Fiscal Law, HR, or Business Administration.
  • Competencies:
  • Leadership Skills: natural authority with demonstrated leadership skills, proactive, down-to-earth and self-assured. Proven track record in bringing people along in transformation, bringing structure and reducing complexity.
  • Team player: excels in collaboration, building strong relationships across the organisation with all stakeholders.
  • Result driven: achieves outcomes through focused, pragmatic actions, ensuring lasting results (‘make it stick’), adaptable in an entrepreneurial environment
  • Communicative: excellent verbal and written communication skills, with a natural tendency to keep things simple.
  • Cultural sensitivity: seeks to understand through inquiry and listening, constructively challenging the status quo with respect for the legacy. Listen, learn and then react.
  • Business acumen: understands business priorities, proactively defines and implements strategies to stay competitive and attractive throughout the employee life cycle

Content experience:

  • Reward structures: experience in building competitive and affordable schemes including flexible benefits programs
  • Pension and Insurance: strong understanding of pension schemes and employee insurance programs.
  • Payroll: affinity with payroll processes, including system application

A unique maritime adventure

At Heerema Marine Contractors, we make the impossible possible offshore. We operate the world’s largest crane vessels and with them we install wind turbines, remove retired offshore oil and gas platforms, and install platforms up to 50,000 metric tons, all while focusing on sustainability and reducing our impact on the planet. Our people have a learning mindset, are curious and take ownership of their own work and development. We would love to welcome you to our community of proud and passionate colleagues!

Here's why people love working with us

  • Working on innovative and challenging projects;
  • Strong compensation and benefits package, including a bonus system
  • Free access to our in-house gym, including fitness classes;
  • Activities to socialize with colleagues outside your team, such as our Friday-afternoon get together;
  • 30 days off to fully recharge;
  • A modern and easily accessible office in Leiden.

We are looking forward to hearing from you. We are interested in your CV, but we mainly want to find out more about your ambitions, your personality, and what is your motivation to succeed. So be sure to include a brief cover letter explaining why you are the perfect fit for this position.

So hit the button, apply, and make the impossible possible with Heerema. We’d love to meet you!

#Makingtheimpossiblepossible

Heerema has been solving challenges for over 60 years. With four of the world's largest crane vessels, including the innovative Sleipnir that has a 20,000 MT lifting capacity and runs on emission-reducing fuel, we have built a reputation for excellence, innovation, and safety. Our journey is far from over, and we welcome you to join us in creating waves of your own at Heerema!

Engineering
Leiden
Active in 5 countries
1,000 employees
70% men - 30% women
Average age is 35 years