HR Business Partner

This contract role is based at Chicago Downtown at our direct client which is a large government organization. 

Reporting to the Human Resources Manager, the Human Resources Business Partner (HR Business Partner) provides HR support to multiple offices and departments in the organization.

This position plays a critical role in supporting strategic priorities and operational functions in areas such as compensation, employee relations, talent management, and workforce planning. Additionally, the HRBP is instrumental in implementing new and impactful HR programs, policies and processes that embrace diversity, foster inclusion and promote equity (i.e. DEI) throughout the organization.

The Human Resource Business Partner will be held accountable for the following responsibilities:

• Serve as the primary contact providing counsel and consultative support to an assigned portfolio of Central Office and other departments, internal partners, and employee populations across all levels of the organization.
• Develop an in-depth knowledge of the assigned portfolio and provide differentiated support to meet the departments unique needs.
• Partner with portfolio hiring managers to review, create and refine accurate, comprehensive job descriptions and support effective, DEI-rooted hiring processes.
• Act as a thought partner to portfolio leaders to diagnose departmental and organizational.
• challenges and develop and implement strategies to resolve issues.
• Partner with the portfolio leaders, HR Director, and the Office of Administrative Hearings to resolve employee relations issues effectively and proactively, HR investigations, disciplinary proceedings, and other performance management processes for union and non-union staff.
• Collaborate with the compensation and organizational design team to manage staff organization analysis for central office, school-based, and citywide staff to ensure the optimization of talent and resources; provide support in the event of layoffs, as needed.
• Coach, train and advise managers and staff regarding employee relations, talent management and human resources issues using sound judgment and ensuring counsel is in line with organization s policies and applicable laws/regulations.
• Effectively manage relationships with stakeholders and escalate issues to the HR Manager and other senior leaders as needed.
• Guide and support staff in following Talent processes and procedures related to position management, job descriptions and postings, etc., and in the use of related HR systems including our HRIS (PeopleSoft), applicant tracking (Taleo).
• Support HRIS, Oracle and Taleo data integrity and accuracy by operating with high levels of attention to detail and facilitating regular data cleanups.
• Analyze and interpret policies, law changes, and procedures to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements.
• Aid in the implementation and administration of centralized processes supporting the employee lifecycle, such as onboarding/orientation, exit interview, and offboarding process, for Central Office and other departments.
• Recommend and implement operational improvements to streamline internal HR processes, increase efficiency, and foster a fair and equitable work environment.
• Provide analytical expertise, guidance, and interpretation of varied compensation policies to departments across the organization.
• Support compensation guidelines, including job evaluation, job grading and analysis to provide fair and equitable salary recommendations for internal and external candidates.
• Create offer letters communicating approved job offers, as well as position and/or compensation changes.
• Partner with the HR Manager and other HR Leadership on project management as needed, including determining strategic priorities, defining project scope, objectives, and deliverables, and leading change management when necessary.
• Identify opportunities for continuous improvement to increase organizational, team, and individual performance.

To be successful and achieve the above responsibilities, the Human Resources Business Partner must possess the following qualifications:

Education Required:

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university required.
• HR Certification (PHR/SPHR, SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP) preferred.

Experience Required:

• Minimum of five (5) years of strategic, high-volume human resources business partner or generalist-level experience in a fast-paced work environment is required.
• Project management experience and proven record of building strategic HR systems and programs are preferred.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Strong knowledge of human resources practices and state and federal labor and employment laws.
• Dedicated, entrepreneurial self-starter with excellent project management skills and a drive to succeed.
• Impeccable judgment, integrity, curiosity, and professionalism; strong regard for confidentiality, and the ability to employ sound reasoning to make quick determinations in challenging situations.
• Excellent critical thinking skills: ability to make sound decisions and discern when a matter should be escalated to the next level.
• Motivated, energetic, critical-thinker and problem-solver who is highly organized.
• Comfortable with ambiguity and establishing a direction on one s own, with frequent support but without requiring constant supervision.
• Ability to initiate, build, and manage cohesive partnerships and professional relationships at all levels of the organization both internally and externally.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to facilitate/present information to audiences at all levels of the organization, gearing communication toward the target audience; ability to communicate at a high level with an impeccable detail orientation and a focus on customer service and relationships.
• Excellent active listening skills; capable of understanding nuance, and effectively interpreting motivations/perceptions
• Ability to analyze a problem/question, prioritize, and determine the level of intervention or escalation necessary.
• Excellent time management skills; Highly organized and capable of keeping track of upcoming, ongoing, and prior work products.
• Capable of quickly adapting to shifting priorities and deadlines, managing multiple varied projects simultaneously in a high-volume, fast-paced environment.
• Ability to build and create data, analyze statistics, identify trends, and proactively make balanced, objective recommendations and realistic action plans to achieve maximum results.
• Strong leadership presence and ability to influence and gain the confidence of others.
• Able to integrate feedback from others to achieve better results and departmental success.