HR Business Partner

CP15 Keene State College; United States; On-site; USD 58,000 - 103,000; Full time

Job summary

Keene State College is seeking a Human Resources Business Partner (HRBP) to provide strategic HR guidance and hands-on consultation across a diverse workforce, including union and non-union environments. The role spans organizational development, employee relations, and training, with a strong emphasis on data-driven decision making and policy application.

The position is full-time, on-campus in Keene, NH, with a Monday–Friday schedule and a focus on strategic partnership with campus leadership

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and five years of related HR experience, or Master’s degree and three years of related experience.
• Experience advising leaders and employees on HR policies and labor relations.
• Ability to analyze data to guide HR programs and organizational change.
• Strong communication, confidentiality, and professionalism in a complex environment.

Responsibilities

• Provide guidance on workforce planning, design, and organizational development across multiple units.
• Lead employee relations, investigations, and compliance with policies and laws.
• Design and deliver HR training and lead special projects and process improvements.
• Collaborate with HR, Legal, Finance, and Academic Administration to drive initiatives and decision making.

Skills

Confidentiality

Communication

Change management

Data analysis

Policy development

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Master’s degree

Tools

HCM system

Job description

Keene State College invites applications for a Human Resources Business Partner (HRBP) to support achievement of the College's mission by providing strategic guidance and hands-on consultation in human resources and organizational development.

The HRBP partners with leaders and employees across a diverse workforce, including operational, academic, administrative, unionized, and non-union environments, tailoring HR strategies to meet the needs of the organization.

This is a full-time, benefited, on-campus position based in Keene, New Hampshire, with a Monday-Friday work schedule.

Key responsibilities include workforce planning, organizational design, employee development, performance management, employee relations, employee initiatives and training, policy development and application.

Organizational Development and Strategic Partnership (40%)

• Using independent judgment and metric based assessment of each organization's climate, culture and strategic initiatives, provide guidance to leaders throughout management levels on organizational development, including workforce planning, staffing structure, succession planning, recruiting, employee development, performance management, organizational learning and labor relations.
• Act as a change agent through process design analysis to support change and transformation driving towards best practice solutions.
• Provide consult in the engagement of employees in strategic department/unit/college initiatives.
• Counsel, educate, and advise managers and employees on KSC and USNH policies, and collective bargaining agreements.
• Provide guidance to management regarding HR processes for job changes, new position requests, position updates, position reviews, increase requests, temporary assignments, equity requests and performance bonuses.
• Liaise cross functionally with colleagues across the Human Resource, Legal, Finance and Academic Administration teams.
• Drive strategic decision making through use of data and analytics, leveraging our internal HCM system, to evaluate patterns and trends and provide insight for HR program initiatives.
• Gather feedback through stay and exit interviews and collaborate with managers on action items.
• Champion strategic HR initiatives and programmatic changes and the engagement with employees and supervisors related to these activities, including training and communication support.

Employee Relations and Compliance (40%)

• Manage employee issues in both formal and informal situations, through investigation, mediation, and data collection and analysis to recommend and facilitate resolutions.
• Foster a fair and equitable workplace culture by partnering, coaching, and advising supervisors/managers and employees on issues that pertain to employee relations, ADA, legal compliance, collective bargaining agreement parameters and performance management.
• Manage complex issues involving understanding, interpreting, communicating, and consistently applying KSC and USNH policy, state/federal laws and their interdependencies, Collective Bargaining Agreements, often involving partnership with other KSC/USNH departments and offices.
• Research/investigate and compile pertinent data to influence consistent and compliant resolutions.
• Serve as an advocate for employee needs and concerns and represent employees in a broader context to the campus community.

Training and Special Projects (20%)

• Act as a cultural ambassador for continuous improvement and learning.
• Design and deliver standard and custom training programs on a broad range of HR topics (e.g., performance management, team building, supervisory development, succession planning, orientation etc.) resulting in improved supervisory and management practices and improved employee retention.
• Provide leadership for HR and campus initiatives, special projects, process improvement and committees.
• Review and provide feedback on policy revisions, updates to the HR Website, and campus communications.
• Stay current on HR laws and attend professional development.
• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Minimum Acceptable Education & Experience: Bachelor’s degree and five years of related experience in personnel/human resources work or Master’s degree and three years of related experience, involving a year or more in a specialized field, if required.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Ability to work with and maintain confidential data and information.
• Ability to communicate clearly, concisely, accurately, and professionally, both verbally and in writing.
• Process improvement capability and flexibility to find better solutions to complete the work.
• Ability to thrive in an ambiguous and rapidly changing environment.
• Ability to organize, multi-task and prioritize tasks.
• Ability to make recommendations to effectively resolve problems or issues.

Other Requirements

• Effective interpersonal skills and desire to work in a collaborative environment with institutional leaders and System, as well as colleagues within HR.
• Demonstrated attention to detail and accuracy within a fast-paced environment.
• Professionalism, confidentiality, discretion, and good judgment.
• Proficiency with standard technology platforms.
• Demonstrated problem-solving skills that result in resolution of issues/concerns in a timely manner.

Preferred Qualifications

• Higher Education experience a plus, along with work experience in a unionized setting preferred.
• Professional Human Resources certification from SHRM/HRCI or other similar professional organization is also preferred.

Compensation Pay Range: $57,590.00 - $102,850.00 The pay range for this position is listed above. Actual offer will be based on skills, qualifications, experience, and internal equity, in addition to relevant business considerations.

More information on benefits can be found here: USNH Employee Benefits | Human Resources

Location: Keene

EEO Statement

The University System of New Hampshire is an Equal Opportunity/Equal Access employer.

The University System is committed to creating an environment that values and supports diversity and inclusiveness across our campus communities and encourages applications from qualified individuals who will help us achieve this mission.

The University System prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or marital status.

Keene State College is located in the scenic Monadnock region of Southwest New Hampshire and is an affiliate of the University System of New Hampshire. Located approximately 2 hours from Boston or Hartford CT, and 4 hours from New York City, the region contains many opportunities to enjoy outdoor recreation, cultural events, and a strong sense of community.

The University System of New Hampshire is the largest provider of postsecondary education in the Granite State. With approximately 30,000 enrolled students annually and more than 90,000 alumni living in state, the institutions of the University System - the University of New Hampshire - Durham, the University of New Hampshire School of Law, the University of New Hampshire at Manchester, Plymouth State University, and Keene State College - have a direct impact on hundreds of thousands of New Hampshire citizens every year.