Senior Management Consultant (Total Rewards)

Shape how organisations attract, reward and retain their people — and enable strategy through Total Rewards.

At Korn Ferry, we help public service organisations deliver their strategy by ensuring their approach to reward is aligned, sustainable and built to drive performance. Our work goes beyond policy — we design Total Rewards frameworks that connect pay, progression, benefits and recognition to organisational priorities and workforce needs.

In local public services, this means tackling complex challenges around attraction, retention, fairness and workforce sustainability — all within financially and politically constrained environments.

We are now looking for a Principal to join our Local Public Services (LPS) team — someone with strong Total Rewards expertise who can lead significant workstreams and support clients in translating reward strategy into practical, deliverable change.

This is a role for someone who sees reward as a critical lever in organisational performance — shaping behaviour, enabling capability and supporting long-term delivery.

The opportunity

As a Principal, you will play a key role in delivering large‑scale transformation programmes across local authorities and wider public service organisations — with a focus on Total Rewards and workforce alignment.

You will work closely with senior clients to design and implement reward frameworks that support organisational priorities, while navigating complexity around governance, affordability and stakeholder expectations.

Your work will typically include:

• Supporting the design of Total Rewards strategies aligned to organisational objectives
• Leading workstreams on pay structures, grading frameworks and job architecture
• Analysing and advising on pay equity, transparency and external competitiveness
• Aligning reward approaches with workforce capability, skills and critical roles

You will be responsible for delivering high‑quality outputs, managing workstreams and contributing to overall programme success.

The role is UK‑wide, with a base in Manchester or London, and will involve travel and occasional overnight stays to build strong client relationships.

Your impact

As a Principal, you will:

• Lead key elements of reward and workforce transformation programmes
• Translate reward strategy into practical, implementable solutions
• Provide informed input and challenge on reward design and workforce implications
• Build strong working relationships with senior stakeholders and client teams
• Ensure delivery is high quality, evidence-based and commercially grounded
• Support the development of junior colleagues and contribute to team capability

Why Korn Ferry

Korn Ferry is a global organisational consulting firm with deep expertise across reward, workforce and organisation design. We are known for helping clients create reward frameworks that are both market-informed and aligned to how their organisation operates.

Within the Local Public Services team, you will work on complex, high‑impact challenges — supporting clients to rethink how reward enables attraction, retention and performance in a highly constrained environment.

You’ll be part of a collaborative team, with the opportunity to build your expertise and take on increasing responsibility across programmes.

Is this you?

This role will suit someone who:

• Has experience in Total Rewards, compensation & benefits, or reward consulting
• Is confident managing workstreams and contributing to complex programmes
• Understands how reward supports workforce performance and organisational outcomes
• Is comfortable working with senior stakeholders in structured environments
• Is motivated by delivering high‑quality, practical solutions

If you’re looking to take the next step in your consulting career — with more ownership, broader exposure and the opportunity to shape how reward supports public services — we’d love to hear from you.