Hermès HR Business Partner, Compensation & Benefits
About Hermès
Hermès Australia operates as the local entity of the Hermès luxury goods maison, part of the wider Hermès Group. The brand is renowned for artisanal craftsmanship, meticulous attention to detail and an emphasis on enduring client relationships. As an employer, Hermès values discretion, creativity and service excellence while maintaining strong ties with regional and corporate HR teams based in Paris and the wider APAC region.
Hermès Australia seeks an HR Business Partner, Compensation & Benefits in Sydney to lead rewards strategy, payroll governance and workforce analytics.
Role & Responsibilities
- Design, govern and continuously improve compensation frameworks, salary structures and employee benefits to ensure competitiveness, equity and legislative compliance.
- Lead the annual compensation cycle including salary reviews, bonus programs and incentive schemes; provide market intelligence and benchmarking to inform executive decision-making.
- Own payroll governance: oversee payroll accuracy, statutory compliance, reconciliations and audits (taxation, superannuation, workers’ compensation, enterprise agreements).
- Act as primary liaison with payroll and tax advisory partners and with regional/corporate HR to ensure service quality and alignment with group policies.
- Partner with HRBPs and business leaders to advise on complex compensation cases, retention strategies, workforce planning and enterprise agreement obligations.
- Provide HR advisory and employee relations support to managers; equip leaders with tools to manage performance, grievances and industrial matters.
- Support recruitment activities for key roles, campus and internship programmes, and store openings; prepare offers, contracts and onboarding arrangements as required.
- Develop HR reporting, dashboards and analytics to deliver actionable insights on compensation, benefits utilisation and workforce trends; support statutory reporting obligations.
- Oversee compensation elements of the employee lifecycle (contracts, onboarding, offboarding) and identify HRIS/digital opportunities to optimise administration.
Qualifications
- Tertiary qualification in Business, Human Resources or a related discipline.
- Minimum 6 years' HR experience with at least 3 years specialising in compensation and benefits.
- Demonstrated capability designing and implementing compensation frameworks and benefits strategies.
- Strong knowledge of Australian employment legislation, enterprise agreements, payroll processes and statutory compliance.
- Advanced analytical and numerical aptitude with high proficiency in Excel and HRIS reporting.
- Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills with ability to influence senior leaders.
- High level of discretion and integrity in handling sensitive information.
- Proven track record managing complex projects, multiple priorities and driving continuous improvement.
Skills
Experience
Minimum 6 years of professional HR experience, including at least 3 years focused on compensation & benefits, payroll governance and working with regional or corporate HR teams; experience managing audits, enterprise agreement obligations and compensation projects is essential.
Education
Tertiary qualification in Business, Human Resources or a related discipline.
Workplace
This position is based in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Culture
Hermès fosters a culture rooted in craftsmanship, quality and understated elegance, with an emphasis on long-term client relationships and employee discretion. The Australian operation operates collaboratively with regional and Paris-based HR teams, valuing thoughtful execution, professional development and attention to detail.
About Cerulean
Cerulean is the definitive career portal for the global luxury industry. We match exceptional professionals with exclusive opportunities at the world's most prestigious brands. From haute couture and fine watchmaking to prestige beauty, hospitality, and boutique retail, Cerulean centralises luxury employment to help you find the career for which you were destined.
Frequently Asked Questions
The luxury industry is characterised by a diverse and nuanced nomenclature. Esteemed houses frequently employ proprietary terminology, and even within a single organisation like Hermès, titles may vary across global markets to reflect local conventions. To ensure absolute clarity, Cerulean assigns a standardised, industry-coherent canonical title to every listing. However, it is worth noting that this role is functionally synonymous with «Compensation & Benefits Business Partner», «Rewards & Benefits HR Partner», «People Partner — Compensation & Payroll», «HRBP, Rewards & Payroll Governance», and other variations. Our sophisticated search architecture anticipates these variations, ensuring that inquiries using related terms will seamlessly yield the exact roles you desire.