Human Resources Business Partner

Graham Media Group; Detroit (MI); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Graham Media Group is seeking an HR Business Partner for Corporate to partner with leaders, drive organizational effectiveness, and elevate HR services across the employee lifecycle.

The role emphasizes data analytics, policy compliance across states, and leveraging AI-enabled tools to improve HR work, while coaching managers and leading change initiatives.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in HR, business administration, or equivalent required.
• 5+ years of progressive HR experience; 2+ years in HRBP or equivalent preferred.
• Working knowledge of Workday or similar HRIS and transactional HR processes.
• Experience managing complex employee relations end-to-end.
• Experience facilitating training or learning programs for adults.
• Proven ability to drive process improvements and SOP development.
• Working knowledge of employment laws across multiple states.
• Experience using AI tools to enhance HR work.
• Strong written and verbal communication; able to influence across teams.
• Comfort operating across strategic and transactional HR activities.

Responsibilities

• Build trusted relationships with leaders and managers as the primary HR partner.
• Analyze people data to surface risks, gaps, and opportunities with proactive solutions.
• Support lifecycle processes: hiring, onboarding, changes, leaves, offboarding; coordinate with benefits/payroll/recruiting.
• Create and maintain SOPs for core HR processes across multi-market teams.
• Partner with HR Director on workforce planning and change-management initiatives.
• Use data and AI-enabled tools to build a continuous workforce health picture.
• Manage employee relations matters end-to-end, including investigations and resolutions.
• Advise and coach managers on performance management and documentation.
• Coach on delivering feedback, performance management, and team capability.
• Identify talent gaps and assist with succession planning and development strategies.
• Collaborate with leaders on headcount planning and talent strategy.
• Work with hiring managers to ensure understanding of talent needs.
• Facilitate HR-related learning experiences and onboarding programs.
• Ensure policy consistency and compliance across states.

Skills

Workday proficiency

Employee relations

Training delivery

Process improvement

Employment law

AI in HR

Communication

HR strategy

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR or related

SHRM certification (preferred)

Tools

Workday HCM

Job description

Graham Media Group (GMG) is a dynamic media organization committed to informing, connecting, and serving the communities where we live and work. Through our local television stations, digital platforms, and evolving media businesses, we create trusted journalism, meaningful content, and innovative solutions that make a difference in our communities. As part of Graham Holdings Company, GMG combines the strength and resources of a larger organization with the entrepreneurial spirit and local impact of our individual markets. Our culture is grounded in integrity, collaboration, innovation, and a commitment to excellence - and we believe our people are at the heart of our success.

The HR Business Partner-Corporate 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 equivalent work experience
• Minimum of 5 years progressive HR experience; 2 years in an HR Business Partner or other comparable consultative role is strongly preferred
• 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 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
• Exposure to union environments and labor relations
• 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)

Work location:

Remote, hybrid or on-site (preference given to candidates who can work on-site at GMG HQ in Detroit but also open to candidates who can work hybrid or remotely in MI, FL, or TX).

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.