Rewards Business Leader Italy (Data Solutions & Advisory) - Milano, Italy

Rewards Business Leader Italy (Data Solutions & Advisory) - Milano, Italy

Rewards Business Leader Italy (Data Solutions & Advisory)

About the Role

We are searching for a Rewards Business Leader to establish and run our Rewards Division in Italy. This role focuses on Data Solutions, such as compensation research tools and repositories, alongside comprehensive Advisory services that include overall rewards planning, compensation principles, job architecture, and pay transparency. In the Associate Partner role, you will act in an enterprising, client-facing, and commercial capacity. You are passionate about defining strategy, driving revenue growth, building the group, and handling the Rewards portfolios P&L for Italy.

The leader will develop Aons compensation surveys and databases locally, increasing participation from Italian organisations and integrating data into client decision-making. In addition, you will coordinate high-value Rewards consulting initiatives. You will serve as the lead guide in discussions with Human Resources and Compensation & Benefits (C&B) leaders. You will ensure the effective delivery of consulting engagements. Partnerships alongside Aons Italian leadership and EMEA Data Solutions and Advisory teams will be significant to deliver the best data, tools, and expertise to clients in Italy.

Key Responsibilities

Business Leadership & Growth

• Define and implement a growth strategy for our Rewards Business in Italy, emphasizing Data-driven offerings and complementary Advisory services.
• Build, lead, and develop a high-performing local Rewards team with responsibilities for recruitment, coaching, and performance management.
• Handle our Rewards P&L across Italy, covering revenue growth, pricing, cost control, forecasting, and profitability.
• Integrate Rewards offerings with the broader Aon portfolio in Italy, collaborating with country leadership and colleagues in Commercial Risk and Human Capital (Health, Wealth, Talent).

Data Solutions & Survey Development

• Handle the commercial development of salary surveys and data acquisition in Italy, growing both the number and quality of participants.
• Ensure cross-selling of survey and database offerings within client engagements and across Aons solution lines.
• Provide actionable insights from survey data to support evidence-based decisions on pay levels, structures, and policies.

Client Development & Market Positioning

• Lead business development for Rewards in Italy, including pipeline generation, client targeting, proposal development, and deal closure.
• Act as the senior point of contact for key clients and prospects, encouraging long-term strategic relationships with HR Directors, C&B Leaders, and business interested parties.
• Represent our company at conferences, webinars, client events, and through thought leadership on Rewards and pay topics, improving our brand and visibility in Italy.

Technical Rewards Expertise

• Lead sophisticated technical discussions with clients on market benchmarking, compensation analysis, total rewards strategy, compensation philosophy, base pay structures, job architecture and job levelling, incentive design, sales compensation, pay transparency, and emerging trends.
• Translate sophisticated client issues into clear, pragmatic solutions using Aons analytics, resources, and global expertise.

Project Delivery & Quality

• Coordinate and, when needed, directly conduct the delivery of Rewards advisory projects, ensuring high quality, timely, and on-budget outcomes.
• Provide direction, quality assurance, and technical oversight to project teams, especially in survey design, benchmarking, and reward design.
• Engage cross-regional EMEA Advisory teams as vital.
• People Leadership & Capability Building
• Mentor and develop team members, building strong capabilities in both data examination and advisory services.
• Develop a synergic, comprehensive, and high-performance vision aligned with our values and our global Rewards and Talent Advisory teams.

Required Experience / Profile

• Extensive experience in Rewards or Compensation & Benefits, with deep technical expertise in compensation surveys, market benchmarking, job framework, and incentive design.
• Strong background in consulting or advisory firms, with a track record of selling, delivering sophisticated engagements, and leading senior interested parties.
• Experience handling a P&L or business line, supervising revenue growth, profitability, and investment decisions.
• Confirmed business development skills, including pipeline building, sales leaderships, and closing deals with large and mid-sized organizations.
• Confirmed capability in team leadership and talent development, preferably in a professional service or data-driven environment.
• Excellent communication and influencing abilities to engage HR Leaders and Business Executives.
• Experience working in an international or matrix environment and collaborating across countries and practices.
• Experience with AI-enabled tools and analytics within consulting or environments passionate about data-driven decision-making, including practical use of generative AI for insight generation, delivery, and commercial efficiency.
• Fluency in Italian and English; additional languages are considered a plus.
• University degree or equivalent experience in Economics, Business, HR, Finance, or related fields; relevant postgraduate qualifications are useful.

What Makes This Opportunity Different

This Associate Partner-level position offers the chance to build and coordinate our Rewards Operations in Italy, taking full responsibility for strategy, P&L, team development, and market positioning. You will work at the intersection of Data Analytics and Consulting, improving our local compensation studies and data collections while advising strategic consulting projects. Direct engagement with HR and C&B Leaders lets you influence how Italian organizations apply compensation insights. You will also build reward solutions to attract and retain talent. With access to Aons worldwide methodologies, tools, and survey infrastructure, you will have the freedom to tailor offerings for the Italian market. You will also expand these offerings with support from local and EMEA leadership and teams.

Office: Milano, Via Ernesto Calindri 6