HR Business Partner

Graham Media Group; Detroit (MI); On-site; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Graham Media Group seeks an HR Business Partner to serve assigned client groups, driving organizational effectiveness and a high-performance culture. You will partner with leaders to implement HR solutions, analyze people data, and surface proactive insights across the employee lifecycle.

The role encompasses strategic and operational HR, policy consistency, and multi-state employment compliance, with a focus on coaching managers and leading process improvements.

Qualifications

• 5+ years progressive HR experience, including at least 2 years in an HR Business Partner or consultative role.
• Working proficiency in Workday (or comparable HRIS), including transactional actions and strategic work.
• Demonstrated experience managing complex employee relations matters end-to-end.
• Experience designing and facilitating training for adult audiences.
• Proven track record of process improvement—building SOPs, redesigning workflows, or leading structured improvement initiatives.
• Working knowledge of employment law across multiple states.
• Demonstrated use of AI tools to improve HR work.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; ability to influence without authority.

Responsibilities

• Build trusted, credible relationships with business leaders and managers within assigned client groups, serving as their primary HR partner.
• Analyze people data and workforce trends to proactively identify risks, gaps, and opportunities—bringing forward solutions before issues escalates.
• Support and execute employee lifecycle processes, including hiring, onboarding, employee changes, leaves of absence, and offboarding; coordinate with benefits, payroll and recruiting, and other partners to resolve employee and manager needs.
• Build and maintain SOPs for core HR processes, ensuring consistency across a distributed, multi-market workforce.
• Partner with the HR Director on workforce planning and change management initiatives.
• Use data, analytics, and AI-enabled tools to build a continuous picture of workforce health; translate findings into actionable recommendations.
• Manage employee relations matters from intake through resolution, including investigations involving policy violations, harassment, discrimination, retaliation, conduct and workplace conflict; document findings and recommend appropriate resolutions in partnership with Director of HR.
• Advise and coach managers on performance management, corrective action, and documentation.
• Coach managers on delivering effective feedback, managing performance, and building team capability.
• Identify talent gaps and partner with the HR Director on succession planning and development strategies.
• Partner with business leaders to understand current and forward-looking talent needs within assigned client groups — headcount planning, role definition, and team composition.
• Work directly with hiring managers to ensure talent needs within assigned client groups are well understood and supported.
• Facilitate HR-related learning experiences, including manager development, policy training, and onboarding programs; partner with the HR Director to identify training needs and ensure learning solutions are aligned with company-wide priorities and standards.
• Ensure consistent policy application across assigned client groups and support compliance with federal, state, and local employment regulations across multiple states.

Skills

Employee relations

Training design

Process improvement

Communication

Strategic / transactional HR

AI in HR

Education

Bachelor’s degree in HR or related field

SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP/PHR/SPHR certification

Tools

Workday

HRIS

Data analytics tools

Job description

The HR Business Partner serves assigned client groups with trust and understanding of business needs, providing expertise across the full employee lifecycle. This role partners closely with leaders and employees to drive organizational effectiveness, support a high-performance culture, and deliver HR solutions that move the business forward. The HRBP operates as a proactive trusted advisor — analyzing people data to surface insights before problems arise, bringing forward solutions, and equally comfortable navigating complex employee relations matters, coaching managers, facilitating learning experiences, and leading process improvement work that raises the bar for how HR operates.

This role represents an opportunity to help shape and strengthen HR business partnership at GMG as the organization continues to build its HR infrastructure, processes, and vendor support. The HRBP will operate across both strategic and operational areas of HR, with responsibility for supporting the employee lifecycle and ensuring a high-quality experience for leaders and employees. As the HR function and its infrastructure continue to evolve, the scope and balance of responsibilities may also evolve, creating opportunities for this role to contribute to how HR work is structured, delivered, and continuously improved.

Responsibilities

Build trusted, credible relationships with business leaders and managers within assigned client groups, serving as their primary HR partner

Analyze people data and workforce trends to proactively identify risks, gaps, and opportunities — bringing forward solutions before issues escalates

Support and execute employee lifecycle processes, including hiring, onboarding, employee changes, leaves of absence, and offboarding; coordinate with benefits, payroll and recruiting, and other partners to resolve employee and manager needs.

Build and maintain SOPs for core HR processes, ensuring consistency across a distributed, multi-market workforce

Partner with the HR Director on workforce planning and change management initiatives

Use data, analytics, and AI-enabled tools to build a continuous picture of workforce health; translate findings into actionable recommendations without waiting to be asked

Manage employee relations matters from intake through resolution, including investigations involving policy violations, harassment, discrimination, retaliation, conduct and workplace conflict; document findings and recommend appropriate resolutions in partnership with Director of HR.

Advise and coach managers on performance management, corrective action, and documentation

Coach managers on delivering effective feedback, managing performance, and building team capability

Identify talent gaps and partner with the HR Director on succession planning and development strategies

Partner with business leaders to understand current and forward-looking talent needs within assigned client groups — headcount planning, role definition, and team composition — translating business strategy into workforce and talent decisions

Work directly with hiring managers to ensure talent needs within assigned client groups are well understood and supported

Facilitate HR-related learning experiences, including manager development, policy training, and onboarding programs; partner with the HR Director to identify training needs and ensure learning solutions are aligned with company-wide priorities and standards

Ensure consistent policy application across assigned client groups and support compliance with federal, state, and local employment regulations across multiple states

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in human resources, business administration, or related field, or equivalent experience

Minimum of 5 years progressive HR experience, including at least 2 years in an HR Business Partner or other comparable consultative role.

Working proficiency in Workday (or a comparable HRIS), including comfort executing transactional processes (hiring actions, leave tracking, verifications) alongside strategic work

Demonstrated experience managing complex employee relations matters end-to-end

Experience designing and facilitating training or learning programs for adult audiences

Proven track record of process improvement — building SOPs, redesigning workflows, or leading structured improvement initiatives

Working knowledge of employment law across multiple states

Demonstrated use of AI tools to improve HR work — whether for communications, documentation, data analysis, research, or workflow automation

Strong written and verbal communication skills; ability to influence without authority across a distributed organization

Comfort operating across both strategic and transactional levels of HR work, with the flexibility to shift focus as the function’s infrastructure matures

Preferred

Experience in media, broadcasting, or a similarly distributed, multi-site environment

SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, or SPHR certification

SHRM AI & Human Intelligence (AI&HI) credential or equivalent AI-focused professional development

Six Sigma, Lean, or formal process improvement experience

Experience with Workday HCM modules beyond core HR (e.g., Time Off/Leave, Recruiting, Benefits)

Graham Media Group is an Equal Opportunity Employer. In addition to complying with the requirements of federal law, GMG will comply with applicable state and local laws prohibiting employment discrimination. Any offer of employment is conditional upon the successful completion of a pre-employment drug screening, investigative background check, employment/education verifications and reference checks.