HUMAN RESOURCES BUSINESS PARTNER

City of Asheville; Asheville (NC); On-site; USD 85,000 - 115,000; Full time

Job summary

The City of Asheville is seeking a qualified Human Resources Business Partner to serve as a strategic advisor to City leadership and staff. You will partner on talent acquisition, employee relations, and engagement initiatives to foster a high‑performing and inclusive workplace.

Responsibilities include advising on performance management, applying the city's total rewards framework, maintaining HRIS data integrity, conducting investigations, and supporting workforce planning with department

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent in HR, business, public administration or related field.
• SHRM-CP or similar certification preferred.

Responsibilities

• Advise supervisors on performance issues, coaching and discipline; interpret City policies.
• Administer talent acquisition, assist with interviews, offers and onboarding.
• Apply the City’s total rewards program; guide offer terms and compensation changes.
• Draft and edit job descriptions; support workforce planning and recruitment strategy.

Skills

Employee relations

Talent acquisition

Strategic consulting

Policy interpretation

Coaching & discipline

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR/Business/Public Admin

SHRM-CP certification (preferred)

Tools

HRIS systems

Job description

About our opportunity:

The City of Asheville is seeking qualified applicants for the position of Human Resources Business Partner in the Human Resources department. The Human Resources Business Partner serves as a trusted advisor, strategic consultant, and support resource for City leadership and employees. This role is responsible for assisting with talent acquisition, employee relations, and engagement strategies, while helping build and maintain a strong, inclusive organizational culture.

The following duties are normal for this position. The omission of specific statements of the duties does not exclude them from the classification if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment for this classification. Other duties may be required and assigned.

• Advises supervisors on appropriate response to performance issues, coaching, and discipline. Assists leaders in assigned departments with the administration of Human Resources policies and procedures including but not limited to time and attendance, leave, disability accommodation, compensation and corrective action. Interprets and applies understanding of City policies as a trusted advisor to supervisors.

• Administers talent acquisition and selection processes in collaboration with hiring authorities. Promotes hiring efforts online and in person to ensure appropriate candidate volume. Screens applicants for qualifications and job fit, participating in interviews as appropriate. Garners approval for hiring and offers. Issues verbal and written offers of employment.

• Applies the City’s formal total rewards program to walk leaders through relevant decision‑making. Guides leaders through formal review and determination of offer terms as well as other discretionary requests with compensation implications, e.g., position parameter changes or establishment of interim assignments.

• Authors and edits job descriptions for new and existing positions in collaboration with departmental leadership, surfacing significant changes for analysis of possible fiscal / compensation impact. Assists stakeholder departments with the collection and analysis of people‑centric data to support workforce planning. Collaborates with department leaders to forecast needs, plan work statements and implement recruitment strategies.

• Inputs and authorizes changes to people‑centric data in HR information systems (HRIS), within a formal delegation of authority. Stewards the integrity of data housed in the HRIS.

• Performs administrative investigations as authorized and directed to address allegations of misconduct. Interviews witnesses, reviews data, documents findings, and recommends corrective action as appropriate.

• Supports grievance processes and mediates conflict resolution efforts. Meets with employees to address concerns or complaints and recommends appropriate solutions.

• Participates in cross‑functional process improvement initiatives. Proposes change initiatives and tweaks to policies and procedures to address and better meet departmental and organizational goals. Stays current on laws, regulations, and trends affecting the HR profession and HR operations in particular.

• Performs other related duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications:

Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resources, Business or Public Administration, or a related field required; supplemented by a minimum of two years of experience in employee relations, strategic consulting and talent acquisition; or any equivalent combination of education, training, and experience which provides the requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities for this job.

Preferred Qualification:

Certification in Human Resources, such as a Society of Human Resources Certified Professional (SHRM‑CP)

Specific License or Certification Required:

Must possess and maintain a valid North Carolina driver’s license.

Data Utilization:

Requires the ability to evaluate, audit, and/or assess data using established criteria. Includes exercising discretion in determining actual or probable consequences and in referencing such evaluation to identify and select alternatives.

Human Interaction:

Requires the ability to work with and apply principles of persuasion and/or influence over others to coordinate programs or activities of a project, and resolve typical problems associated with the responsibilities of the job.

Equipment, Machinery, Tools, and Materials Utilization:

Requires the ability to operate, maneuver and/or control the actions of equipment, machinery, tools, and/or materials used in performing essential functions.

Verbal Aptitude:

Requires the ability to utilize a wide variety of reference, descriptive, and/or advisory data and information.

Mathematical Aptitude:

Requires the ability to perform addition, subtraction, multiplication and division; ability to calculate decimals and percentages; may include ability to perform mathematical operations with fractions; may include ability to compute discount, interest, and ratios; may include ability to calculate surface areas, volumes, weights, and measures.

Functional Reasoning:

Requires the ability to apply principles of influence systems, such as motivation, incentive, and leadership, and to exercise independent judgment to apply facts and principles for developing approaches and techniques to resolve problems.

Situational Reasoning:

Requires the ability to exercise judgment, decisiveness and creativity in situations involving the evaluation of information against sensory, judgmental, or subjective criteria, as opposed to that which is clearly measurable or verifiable.

Critical thinking:

Ability to analyze complex information and draw logical conclusions, evaluate data from multiple sources to make informed decisions, proactively identify potential issues and develop effective solutions, question assumptions and consider alternative perspectives, and demonstrate strong problem‑solving skills.

ADA Compliance:

Physical Ability:

Light work involves lifting no more than 20 pounds at a time with frequent lifting or carrying of objects weighing up to 10 pounds. Even though the weight lifted may be very little, a job is in this category when it requires a good deal of walking or standing, or when it involves sitting most of the time with some pushing and pulling of arm or leg controls. To be considered capable of performing a full or wide range of light work, you must have the ability to do substantially all of these activities. If someone can do light work, we determine that he or she can also do sedentary work, unless there are additional limiting factors such as loss of fine dexterity or inability to sit for long periods of time.

Sensory Requirements:

Tasks require regular use of sensory input, including color perception, shape or pattern recognition, and hearing or speaking in routine situations. Sensory acuity is necessary to perform essential functions reliably, but does not involve complex discrimination under challenging conditions.

Environmental Factors:

Essential functions are regularly performed without exposure to adverse environmental conditions.