Associate Human Resources Business Partner

Centers For Independence; Milwaukee (WI); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Centers For Independence is seeking an Associate Human Resources Business Partner in Milwaukee to serve as a trusted HR partner for frontline teams. You will guide employee relations, performance management, and workplace investigations, working with both union and non-union employees and leaders to strengthen the employee experience.

You will collaborate across HR functions, support strategic initiatives, and help turn HR strategies into practical solutions while maintaining compliance with

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; HR certification a plus.
• 2–4 years of progressive HR experience, with emphasis on employee relations, investigations, performance management, and coaching.
• Experience in a unionized environment is a plus; frontline workforce experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Serve as primary point of contact for employee relations, guiding employees and leaders on workplace concerns, policy interpretation, performance issues, and conflict resolution in union and non-union teams.
• Lead employee relations activities including coaching, performance management, disciplinary actions, documentation, investigations, and terminations with consistency and compliance.
• Build strong relationships with employees and leaders through site visits and engagement, focusing on frontline staff needs.
• Support HR Business Partner and HR leadership in planning and executing strategic HR projects and initiatives.
• Identify trends and training gaps via interactions, investigations, feedback, and workforce data; recommend improvements.
• Document and maintain records including employee files and unemployment matters.
• Collaborate on design, administration, collection, analysis, and reporting of employee feedback and engagement programs.
• Partner with Talent Acquisition, Learning & Development, HRIS, and other HR areas while ensuring compliance with laws and CBAs.

Skills

Trust & credibility

Employee relations

Coaching & relationship-building

Analytical mindset

Communication & project mgmt

MS Office

Education

Bachelor’s degree

PHR/SHRM certification a plus

Job description

Associate Human Resources Business Partner

Job Purpose:

The Associate Human Resources Business Partner is a trusted partner to leaders and employees, helping create a positive, productive, and people-first workplace. In this role, you’ll be a visible HR presence supporting frontline teams, building strong relationships, and providing guidance on employee relations, performance management, workplace concerns, and investigations. You’ll partner with both union and non-union employees and leaders, identify trends and opportunities to strengthen the employee experience, and help turn HR strategies into meaningful solutions that support our people and organization.

Essential Job Functions:

(Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions.)

• Serves as the primary point of contact for employee relations matters, providing guidance and support to employees and leaders on workplace concerns, policy interpretation, performance issues, and conflict resolution in both union and non-union teams.
• Leads employee relations activities including coaching, performance management, disciplinary actions, documentation, workplace investigations, and terminations while ensuring consistency and compliance.
• Builds strong relationships with employees and leaders through regular site visits and engagement, with a focus on supporting frontline staff and understanding workforce needs.
• Supports the HR Business Partner and HR leadership team in the planning and execution of strategic HR projects and organizational initiatives.
• Identifies trends, recurring issues, training gaps, and engagement opportunities through employee interactions, investigations, feedback, and workforce data analysis, making recommendations for improvement.
• Documents and maintains records, including employee files, discussions, unemployment, etc.
• Collaborates on the design, administration, collection, analysis, and reporting of employee feedback and engagement programs to drive organizational effectiveness and employee experience improvements.
• Partners with HR functions, including Talent Acquisition, Organizational Learning & Development, HRIS, and other HR areas, while supporting strategic HR projects and ensuring compliance with employment laws, policies, and collective bargaining agreements.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Required Education, Experience, Certifications, Licensure and Credentials:

(Where appropriate, education and/or experience may be substituted)

Minimum Required Education:

Bachelor’s degree required. PHR, SHRM or other HR certification a plus.

Minimum Required Experience:

Minimum 2-4 years of progressive Human Resources experience, with significant experience in employee relations, workplace investigations, performance management, and employee coaching.

Experience working in a unionized environment is a plus. Experience supporting frontline and operational workforces preferred.

Travel Type:

Less than 10%

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities:

• Ability to build trust and credibility with frontline employees and leaders.
• Expertise in employee relations, conflict resolution, workplace investigations, labor relations, and HR compliance, with the ability to navigate sensitive situations objectively and confidentially.
• Strong coaching, consultation, and relationship-building skills, serving as a trusted partner to employees and leaders at all levels.
• Analytical and strategic mindset with the ability to identify trends, recommend proactive solutions, and drive effective outcomes in a dynamic environment.
• Excellent verbal and written communication, organizational, and project management skills, with the ability to work independently and manage multiple priorities.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office applications.

Physical Requirements, Visual Acuity, and Work Conditions:

Physical Requirements: Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects, including the human body. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time.

Visual Acuity: The worker is required to have close visual acuity to perform activities such as preparing and analyzing data and figures, transcribing, and viewing a computer terminal.

Working Conditions: The work environment can be busy and noisy. This can be a high-traffic department; People may be seeking assistance.