Director, Human Resources Business Partner

The Andrew W Mellon Foundation; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 220,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work schedule

Generous benefits package

Job summary

The Mellon Foundation is seeking a Director, Human Resources Business Partner in New York to lead strategic HR initiatives and partner with senior leaders on talent and organizational effectiveness. The role focuses on aligning HR programs with business priorities, improving employee experience, and guiding change across a growing foundation.

Reporting to the CHRO, the director will drive workforce planning, leadership development, and people analytics to enable a high-performing, inclusive

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in HR, business, or related field required.
• 10+ years HR leadership experience partnering with senior leaders.
• Strategic advisor influencing organizational decisions.
• Deep expertise in organizational effectiveness and workforce planning.
• Strong business acumen linking people strategies to outcomes.
• Experience leading growth, transformation and new structures.
• Experience leveraging workforce analytics to inform decisions.
• Executive presence with strong communication and coaching.
• Ability to navigate ambiguity and maintain confidentiality.

Responsibilities

• Serve as trusted advisor to senior leaders on workforce, talent, and leadership matters.
• Align people strategies with Foundation priorities and departmental objectives.
• Guide leaders through organizational design, team effectiveness, workforce planning, and change initiatives.
• Facilitate regular workforce planning and organizational reviews to strengthen capacity.
• Use workforce data and insights to identify opportunities and inform decisions.
• Coach leaders on leadership effectiveness, engagement, and organizational health.
• Partner to advance talent reviews, succession planning, and performance management.

Skills

Executive presence

Strategic advisory

Leadership coaching

Communication

Relationship building

Change leadership

Data-driven insights

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR / related field

Advanced degree preferred

Tools

HR systems

Data analytics

Job description

Director, Human Resources Business Partner

Regular Full-Time Management New York, NY, US

13 days ago Requisition ID: 1261

Salary Range: $220,000.00 To $240,000.00 Annually

Director, Human Resources Business Partner

The Mellon Foundation ("Foundation") is a not-for-profit, grant making organization that believes that the arts and humanities are where we express our complex humanity, and we believe that everyone deserves the beauty, transcendence, and freedom to be found there. Through our grants, we seek to build just communities enriched by meaning and empowered by critical thinking, where ideas and imagination can thrive. The Foundation makes grants in four core program areas - Higher Learning, Arts and Culture, Public Knowledge, and Humanities in Place - and through its signature Presidential Initiatives. The Foundation seeks a Director, Human Resources Business Partner, for our Human Resources team.

Position Summary

The Mellon Foundation has experienced significant growth in recent years, creating an opportunity to strengthen and modernise its people practices, organisational structure, HR systems, and employee experience. As part of the continued evolution, the Foundation is establishing a more strategic HR Business Partner model to help leaders align talent strategies with business priorities, build organisational capacity, and navigate change. Reporting to the Chief Human Resources Officer, the Director, HR Business Partner will serve as a strategic advisor and trusted consultant to senior leaders across the Foundation. This role operates at the intersection of business strategy, organisational effectiveness, talent management, workforce planning, and employee experience, helping leaders proactively manage their organisations with the same rigor applied to budgets, programmes, and operational priorities. The Director, HR Business Partner will partner closely with leaders to strengthen organisational effectiveness, support the successful integration of new structures, roles, and ways of working and ensuring HR programmes and practices are translated into meaningful day-to-day experiences for employees. Through data-driven insights, thoughtful consultation, and change leadership, this individual will help advance a high-performing, inclusive, and mission-driven organisation.

Position Description

Responsibilities may include, but will not be limited to, the following:

Strategic Partnership & Organizational Effectiveness

• Serve as a trusted advisor to senior leaders on workforce, talent, organisational, and leadership matters.
• Aligns people strategies with Foundation priorities and departmental objectives.
• Guide leaders through organisational design, team effectiveness, workforce planning, and change initiatives.
• Facilitate regular workforce planning and organisational reviews to strengthen organisational capacity and support business objectives.
• Use workforce data and insights to identify opportunities, mitigate risks, and inform decision-making.

Leadership Consulting & Organizational Performance

• Coach and advise leaders on leadership effectiveness, teamperformance, employee engagement, and organisational health.
• Support leaders in building high-performing, inclusive teams and strengthening leadership effectiveness.
• Partner with the Director, Talent & Culture to advance talent reviews, succession planning, leadership development and performance management practices.
• Foster leader accountability for employee engagement, development, performance, and retention outcomes.

HR Strategy Execution & Employee Experience

• Translate HR strategies, programmes, policies, and practices into effective day-to-day implementation.
• Partner with HR colleagues to deliver coordinated, consistent, and high-quality people solutions.
• Provide feedback and insights to inform the development and continuous improvement of HR programmes and services.
• Champion initiatives that enhance employee experience and reinforce the Foundation's culture and values.
• Assess employee feedback and engagement trends to identify opportunities to strengthen organisational culture and effectiveness.
• Lead and support organisational transformation efforts, including introduction of new structures, systems, and ways of working.
• Help leaders assess organisational readiness, drive change adoption and sustain employee engagement through periods of transition.
• Promote a culture of accountability, collaboration, continuous improvement, and adaptability.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Organisational Development, or a related field required; advanced degree preferred.
• 10+ years of progressive HR leadership experience, including significant experience partnering with senior leaders in complex, evolving organisations.
• Demonstrated success serving as a strategic advisor and influencing organisational and talent-related decisions.
• Deep expertise in organisational effectiveness, workforce planning, organisational design, talent management, and change leadership.
• Strong business acumen with the ability to connect people strategies to organisational priorities and outcomes.
• Proven ability to lead through growth, transformation, and organisational change, including the implementation of new structures, processes, systems, and ways of working.
• Experience leveraging workforce analytics and data-driven insights to inform decisions and influence leaders.
• Executive presence with exceptional consulting, relationship-building and influencing skills.
• Strong communication, facilitation and coaching capabilities, with the ability to challenge and support leaders effectively.
• Demonstrated ability to navigate ambiguity, exercise sound judgement, maintain confidentiality and drive results in dynamic environments.

The Mellon Foundation is committed to building an inclusive workplace where all individuals are treated with dignity and respect. Employment opportunities are based on individual qualifications, merit, and organisational need, without regard to race, colour, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth and related conditions), gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. We welcome applications from qualified individuals of all backgrounds.

Mellon is committed to access and inclusion for our applicants. If you have accessibility requests to support your participation in the hiring process, please let us know at your earliest convenience.

Mellon offers a generous total reward package that includes base salary and a comprehensive benefits programme, as well as an excellent working environment. Mellon is committed to providing compensation that is competitive and equitable within the philanthropic sector. The estimated annual salary range for this role is $220,000 - $240,000 usd. The amount of pay offered will be determined by several factors, including but not limited to qualifications, unique skills, credentials, or experience that is expected to impact the candidate’s contribution to the role. We will also consider market data as well as the Foundation’s internal pay equity framework.

Please note that Mellon maintains a hybrid work schedule, with three days per week in person at the Foundation’s Manhattan offices.

The Foundation will consider each complete application carefully but only contact those individuals it believes are most qualified for the position.