Director, HR Business Partner

Starz Entertainment; Denver (CO); On-site; USD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Starz Entertainment seeks a Director, HR Business Partner to serve as the primary HR partner for client groups below VP level. You will translate business priorities into practical people strategies, guiding employee relations, performance management, workforce planning, and talent development while partnering with leaders to drive organizational effectiveness.

In a lean HR function, you will independently manage complex matters, identify workforce trends, and build trust through accessibility

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
• Eight or more years of progressive HR experience.
• Experience independently managing complex employee relations and investigations.
• Experience partnering on organizational design and change management.
• Knowledge of employment practices and HR compliance.

Responsibilities

• Build trusted relationships with leaders and employees to understand business priorities.
• Advise on organizational design, workforce planning, headcount, role clarity, and team effectiveness.
• Coach leaders on performance expectations, feedback, team dynamics, and decision-making.
• Lead reorganizations, leadership transitions, policy updates, and employee support.
• Partner with HR leadership and Legal on high-risk, sensitive, or precedent-setting matters, and elevate appropriately.
• Use data to identify trends and propose targeted interventions.

Skills

Employee relations

Investigations

Performance management

Corrective action

Separation management

Organizational design

Workforce planning

Talent reviews

Change management

HR compliance

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience

Job description

Job Description

The Director, HR Business Partner is the primary HR partner for assigned client groups, supporting employees below the Vice President level. Working closely with people leaders, the Director turns business priorities into practical people strategies and provides guidance on employee relations, performance management, workforce planning, organizational effectiveness, talent development, compensation, and change.

This role pairs strategic partnership with hands-on execution in a lean HR function. The Director independently manages complex matters, identifies emerging workforce trends, and builds trust through accessibility, responsiveness, and fair, consistent application of company practices.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

HR Business Partnership and Organizational Effectiveness

• Build trusted relationships with leaders and employees, and develop a working understanding of each client group's business priorities, operating challenges, and talent needs.
• Advise leaders on organizational design, workforce planning, headcount, role clarity, team effectiveness, succession, and change readiness.
• Coach leaders on performance expectations, feedback, team dynamics, and decision-making.
• Partner with leaders on reorganizations, leadership transitions, policy updates, and other workforce actions, including communications, implementation plans, manager guidance, and employee support.
• Bring employee and leader perspectives into business discussions, and help leaders interpret engagement feedback and prioritize action.
• Coordinate with Talent Acquisition, Learning and Development, Compensation, Benefits, HRIS, Legal, and other partners to deliver integrated HR support.

Employee Relations and Risk Management

• Independently manage employee relations matters from intake through resolution, including assessment, investigations, findings, and recommended actions, remaining impartial throughout.
• Partner with HR leadership and Legal on high-risk, sensitive, or precedent-setting matters, and elevate appropriately.
• Guide leaders through performance concerns, corrective action, performance improvement plans, attendance issues, accommodations, and separations, ensuring decisions are supported and documented.
• Help leaders weigh the broader organizational, cultural, and legal risk of a proposed action alongside the immediate issue.
• Apply HR policies and employment standards consistently, and flag gaps, exceptions, and emerging risks with recommended actions.
• Prepare and review case notes, investigation materials, corrective action notices, separation materials, and other sensitive employee documents.

Talent and Workforce Processes

• Partner with Talent Acquisition and hiring leaders on workforce need, role scoping, job level, selection strategy, and offer alignment.
• Facilitate performance review, goal-setting, calibration, compensation, promotion, and succession processes, guiding leaders toward consistent, well-supported talent decisions.
• Promote internal mobility and career growth by helping leaders and employees clarify role expectations, levels, and growth paths.
• Support onboarding and early-tenure success through manager guidance, employee check-ins, and prompt resolution of integration concerns.
• Work with Learning and Development to identify capability gaps and manager training needs.

Operational Execution and Analytics

• Ensure employee lifecycle changes (hires, transfers, promotions, manager changes, reorganizations, leaves, and exits) are accurately documented and completed with HR Operations and HRIS.
• Prepare or oversee employee letters, agreements, job requisitions, position updates, and separation documents for assigned client groups.
• Partner with HRIS and HR Operations on data integrity, position management, reporting, and audits.
• Use headcount, turnover, employee relations, engagement, and performance data to identify trends, anticipate workforce implications, and recommend targeted interventions.
• Maintain case and compliance documentation in accordance with internal policies, controls, and confidentiality requirements.
• Identify opportunities to simplify HR workflows, document standard operating procedures and improve templates, tools, and service delivery.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
• Eight or more years of progressive human resources experience, including substantial HR business partner experience supporting leaders and a broad employee population.
• Demonstrated experience independently managing complex employee relations, workplace investigations, performance management, corrective action, and separations.
• Experience partnering on organizational design, workforce planning, talent reviews, and change management, with the business acumen to connect workforce decisions to operational goals.
• Working knowledge of employment practices and HR compliance requirements, with sound judgment on when to involve HR leadership, Legal, or other specialis