HR Partner (UHR)

University of Southern California; Glendale (CA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Southern California is seeking an HR Partner to serve as a trusted talent advisor within a unit, partnering with managers and HR leadership to deliver coordinated services. The role will tailor HR strategy to the unit and address employee relations, performance management, onboarding, compensation, and related people initiatives.

You will collaborate with Centers of Expertise and the HR Solution Center to provide guidance, develop talent plans, and drive improvements while aligning

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business, psychology, human resources, industrial relations or another related field.
• Five or more years of experience in human resources or human capital management.
• Understanding of HR domains including total rewards, recruitment, employee and labor relations, talent management, performance management, learning and development, change management, and workforce planning.
• Experience consulting with units about workforce planning, talent assessments and performance management.
• Experience presenting complex information to executive leadership.

Responsibilities

• Engage with leaders and HR centers of expertise to tailor a talent management strategy for units, providing coaching to mitigate risk.
• Understand unit goals to support talent management strategy including workforce and succession planning.
• Develop an HR strategy addressing unit needs and provide guidance to management.
• Communicate complex HR policies in clear, audience-tailored ways and maintain open lines of communication with business units and HR Partners.
• Leverage workforce data to develop talent strategies and stay updated on employment laws and HR practices.
• Partner across the organization to analyze talent indicators and support decision-making and planning.

Skills

HR strategy

Talent management

Employee relations

Performance management

Change management

Data analysis

Communication

Project management

Education

Bachelor's degree in business, psychology, HR

Tools

Workday HCM

Microsoft Office

Job description

The HR Partner will act as a trusted talent advisor to their unit. This role will work closely with unit managers and their HR leadership to deliver coordinated HR services for their customers. The HR Partner will develop and implement a robust HR strategy tailored to their unit. This role will be well‑versed in the talent nuances of the unit, as well as talent management leading practices in order to make strategic recommendations for unit talent strategy. The HR Partner will address employee and labor relations matters with managers and employees and escalate issues as needed. This role will lead HR activities within their unit that align to the overall talent and organizational strategy in areas such as performance management, talent and succession planning, employee onboarding and assimilation, compensation, etc. The team of HR Partners will work closely with the centers of expertise for deep domain expertise and the HR Solution Center for employee questions and HR transactions. This role will work primarily with their unit but will report into HR for operational guidance, including leading practices, standard HR processes and procedures, HR‑related expertise and learning development, and for personal career growth in the HR field from HR leadership. This role will help enable USC’s vision while championing USC’s culture and values.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business, psychology, human resources, industrial relations or another related field.
• Five or more years of experience in human resources or human capital management.
• Understanding of a broad spectrum of HR domains including total rewards (including compensation), recruitment, employee and labor relations, talent management (including performance management, learning and development), continuous process improvement, change management, training, diversity and inclusion, workforce planning, and organizational development.
• Experience consulting with business/organizational units about workforce planning, talent assessments and performance management.
• Experience presenting complex information articulately through presentations or data/reports to executive leadership.
• Ability to drive HR strategy by applying a broad HR skillset in the areas of, but not limited to, organization design and development, workforce planning, coaching, employee and labor relations consultation, program/project management, facilitation and communication and design and implementation of key talent metrics.
• Analytical and problem‑solving skills including conflict resolution skills.
• Ability to manage multiple concurrent projects with diverse teams.
• Ability to learn quickly and flexibly adapt HR expertise to different business units. Ability to develop positive working relationships and a strong rapport with team members.
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite.

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree in business, psychology, human resources, industrial relations or related field.
• Seven or more years of experience in human resources or human capital management.
• Experience in higher education or consulting.
• Excellent mentoring and coaching skills to enhance client management and leadership abilities and relationships among teams.
• Knowledge of Workday HCM applications and analytics.
• Chester Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), Certified Professional in Learning and Performance (CPLP), Organization Development Certified Professional Program (ODCP), Society for Human Resource Management Certified Professional/Senior Certified Professional (SHRM‑CP/SHRM‑SCP), Professional in Human Resources/Senior Professional in Human Resources (PHR/SPHR) or other similar certifications.

Job Responsibilities

• Engage proactively and tactically with leaders and HR centers of expertise leaders (e.g., Talent Acquisition, Total Rewards) to develop a tailored talent management strategy for units. Work with HR subject matter experts, as needed, to provide units with the best advice and coaching to mitigate risk at the university. Be knowledgeable of legal requirements related to day‑to‑day management of employees, reducing legal risks and ensuring regulatory compliance. As directed, assist with employee or labor relations matters and litigation.
• Understand the short and long‑term goals of a unit, nuances related to talent management, etc., to support talent management strategy including workforce planning and succession planning. Demonstrate understanding of the complex business environment and identify how business managers can partner with HR productively and proactively to respond to issues as they arise.
• Develop an HR strategy that addresses the unique needs of the unit, and provide advice to unit management. Address employee or labor relations matters through problem solving, coaching and advising, escalating as needed. Provide day‑to‑day guidance to line management (e.g., performance management, career development, disciplinary actions).
• Communicate complex HR related policies and procedures in a way that enables units to easily plan, act, and respond. Demonstrate effective written and verbal communication skills to produce documents, proposals, presentations and reports tailored to individual audience needs. Maintain open lines of communication with the business unit as well as the HR Partner team. Be prepared to escalate employee conflicts as needed.
• Leverage workforce data and insights to develop a tailored talent management strategy, conduct talent planning and design/implement action plans. Expand and update knowledge of existing and proposed federal, state and local employment laws/regulations, as well as HR Partner leading practices.
• Partner across the organization to gather and analyze information on key talent and organizational indicators to support effective decision‑making and workforce planning. Leverage leading practices and data to advise the units for all areas of HR including hiring decisions, promotion, compensation, learning, professional development, and succession planning.
• Promote culture and values by proactively educating and advising to improve the employee experience and mitigate risk. If compliance breaches or workplace concerns occur, record and report to HR leadership and required reporting systems as well as provide on‑the‑ground support to rectify. Provide guidance and counsel on complex employee matters. Promote an environment that fosters inclusive relationships and creates unbiased opportunities for contributions through ideas, words, and actions that uphold principles of the USC culture and values including Code of Ethics.
• Demonstrate, through words, actions, and ideas, alignment to USC’s strategic plan and the HR organization’s strategic plan. Enable the university to fulfill its academic and people missions through enhanced HR service.
• Perform other related responsibilities as requested and when necessary. The university reserves the right to add or change duties at any time.

The annual base salary range for this position is $90,000.00 – $100,000.00. When extending an offer of employment, the University of Southern California considers factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate’s work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, federal, state, and local laws, contractual stipulations, grant funding, as well as external market and organizational considerations.

The University of Southern California is an Equal Opportunity Employer