Director, People Business Partner

600 UMG Recordings Inc; Santa Monica (CA); On-site; USD 133,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive medical, dental, and vis

Wellbeing reimbursements

401(k) with employer contributions

Generous PTO and holidays

Job summary

Universal Music Group is seeking a Director, People Business Partner to lead the People Inclusion and Culture function across several business units in Santa Monica. You will partner with senior management to drive organizational effectiveness, advise on policy, staffing, compensation, employee relations, culture and change management.

You will build strong relationships, coach leaders, align practices, and lead talent assessment, organizational design and learning initiatives, with a proactive

Qualifications

• 10+ years of Business Partner experience.
• HR experience in a creative industry is a plus.
• Knowledge of employment laws; multi-state experience.
• HRIS experience in SAP and Workday is a plus.
• Excellent written and verbal communication; strong interpersonal skills.

Responsibilities

• Build collaborative relationships with management and employees across multiple business units to deliver PIC services.
• Develop a detailed understanding of client business—departments, jobs, structure, processes, financials, vision & strategy.
• Influence and coach client leadership on sound people-related business decisions.
• Proactively assess client needs for PIC services and develop strategies to meet those needs.
• Address employee relations issues with Legal Counsel and Employee Relations to minimize risk.
• Manage a process-driven workload and transactional responsibilities.
• Facilitate onboarding and exit processes.
• Align practices; act as a credible activist, operational executor and business ally.
• Promote positive employee relations and communication; escalate issues as appropriate.

Skills

Leadership

Relationship Building

Strategic Thinking

Change Management

Communication Skills

Project Management

HRIS (SAP, Workday)

Analytical Skills

Business Partnering

Education

Bachelor's Degree in HR-related field

Tools

SAP

Workday

MS Office

Visio/Org Plus

Job description

About Universal Music Group

UMG is the world’s leading music company, committed to artistry, innovation and entrepreneurship across recorded music, publishing, merchandising, and audiovisual content.

Position Summary

Universal Music Group is currently seeking a Director, People Business Partner to manage the People Inclusion and Culture (PIC) function for several business units. The Director partners with senior management to drive people and organizational effectiveness, manages day‑to‑day HR activities, and advises on policy, staffing, compensation, employee relations, culture and change management.

Key Responsibilities

• Build and maintain collaborative relationships with management and employees across multiple business units to deliver value‑added PIC services.
• Develop a detailed understanding of client business—departments, jobs, structure, processes, financials, vision & strategy.
• Influence and coach client leadership on sound people‑related business decisions.
• Proactively assess client needs for PIC services and develop strategies to meet those needs.
• Address employee relations issues, working closely with Legal Counsel and Employee Relations to minimize risk.
• Manage a process‑driven workload and transactional responsibilities.
• Facilitate effective onboarding and exit processes.
• Align individual, business unit and corporate practices; act as a credible activist, operational executor and business ally.
• Promote positive employee relations and communication through counseling and conflict resolution; escalates issues as appropriate.
• Coach employees and managers on career development, goal setting, performance improvement and people management.
• Partner with the PIC team on talent assessment, organizational design and learning & development initiatives.
• Identify and recommend developmental and culture‑enriching initiatives in partnership with the Learning team.
• Collaborate with PIC COEs to ensure consistent PIC practices, approaches, and rollout of new initiatives.
• Represent UMG and the PIC function positively by maintaining industry trend knowledge and general business acumen.

Required Experience & Skills

• 10+ years of prior Business Partner experience.
• HR experience in a creative industry (music, fashion, television, advertising, etc.) is a plus.
• HRIS experience, SAP and Workday a plus.
• Strong knowledge of employment laws; multi‑state experience.
• Proficient in MS Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, Powerpoint). Visio and/or Org Plus experience a plus.
• Bachelor’s Degree, preferably in HR‑related coursework.
• Ability to think strategically and translate concepts into actionable items.
• Experience using AI tools to design frameworks, draft policies and model organizational structures.
• Talent management and succession planning experience.
• Proven ability to influence senior leadership decisions.
• Consultative style and strong relationship‑building skills.
• Comfortable with ambiguous business situations and rapid change.
• Strong analytical, problem‑solving and project management skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills.
• High professionalism, diplomacy and confidentiality.
• Excellent follow‑through and proactive business‑needs anticipation.
• Strong work ethic, self‑motivation and initiative.
• Excellent time management and prioritization across multiple tasks and business units.
• Adaptability to a fast‑paced, fluid work environment.
• Leadership and people‑management capabilities.
• Team‑oriented with ability to work independently.
• Sense of urgency and high motivation.

Benefits

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage; 100% coverage for out‑patient in‑network mental health services.
• Fertility coverage for eligible medical plan participants.
• Wellbeing reimbursements for fitness classes, spa treatments, meal services, travel, up to $720/year.
• Student loan repayment assistance and tuition reimbursement.
• 401(k) with 100% immediate vesting on the first 5% of contributions, plus UMG contribution.
• Flexible Paid Time Off (PTO) for exempt employees.
• 3‑weeks PTO for non‑exempt employees.
• 2‑weeks paid Winter Break.
• 10 Company Holidays (including Juneteenth and Wellbeing Day).
• Summer Fridays (between Memorial Day and Labor Day).
• Generous paid parental leave for all types of parents.
• Benefits overview available on the careers site.

Legal & Equal Opportunity

Universal Music Group is an Equal Opportunity Employer. UMG is an E‑Verify employer in Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Utah. UMG is not enrolled in E‑Verify in California and New York, and cannot support employment of candidates whose employer must enroll in E‑Verify, for example candidates on STEM‑OPT.

Job Category and Compensation

• Job Category: People, Inclusion & Culture
• Salary Range: $133,350 – $200,000 (actual base salary depends on qualifications, experience, skills, education, certifications and location).

Application

All candidates are encouraged to apply.