Organization Business Partner

The J.M. Smucker Company; Orrville (OH); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

The J.M. Smucker Co. is seeking an Organization Business Partner to serve as a strategic advisor to business leaders, aligning people strategies with organizational objectives to drive performance, capability, engagement, and organizational effectiveness.

You will partner with HR and business leaders to develop and execute talent strategies across Corporate and manufacturing functions. The role requires deep expertise in organisational design, workforce planning, and change management, plus

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field.
• 7–10 years progressive HR/OD or related experience.
• Experience partnering with leaders on organisational design and workforce planning.
• Experience leading cross-functional HR initiatives and coaching leaders.

Responsibilities

• Serve as strategic advisor and trusted partner to business leaders.
• Lead talent strategies, workforce planning, and organisational design initiatives.
• Provide leadership coaching and change management expertise.
• Deliver data-driven insights and HR analytics to influence decisions.
• Collaborate with Centres of Excellence to provide integrated talent solutions.
• Guide enterprise-wide initiatives and manage major organisational transitions.

Skills

Strategic partnership with leaders

Data-driven decision making

Organisational design

Workforce planning

Leadership coaching

Change management

HR analytics

Influencing stakeholders

Education

Bachelor’s degree

7–10 years HR/OD experience

3–5 years consulting/business partner experience

Job description

Your Opportunity at the Organization Business Partner

Serve as a strategic advisor and trusted partner to business leaders, aligning people strategies with organisational objectives to drive performance, capability, engagement, and organisational effectiveness. Partner closely with leaders in the business and across HR to develop and execute talent strategies, workforce planning, organisational design initiatives, leadership development, and people programmes that support business priorities and enable sustainable growth. Anticipate and address organisational and talent challenges, providing data-driven insights, leadership coaching, and change management expertise. Champion our Company’s Culture-in-Action values to create an environment where employees and teams can thrive while supporting enterprise-wide priorities and transformational initiatives. Leverage your strengths across both strategy and execution; functional expertise and an enterprise-wide perspective; HR knowledge and business acumen; individual contribution and leadership through coaching and development; specialist capabilities and a generalist mindset; and the ability to work autonomously while collaborating thoughtfully with others.

In this role you will:

• Strategic Business Partnership Serve as a trusted advisor to business leaders, aligning talent priorities and organisational strategies with business objectives; translate strategy into practical action plans and supporting materials, in close collaboration with partners across HR and the business Build and maintain strong relationships with leaders and key stakeholders across supported functions and HR; fair, objective, and balanced member of both teams, not one or the other Develop a deep understanding of business strategy, operational priorities, workforce challenges, and organisational opportunities and drivers of the whole business across Corporate and manufacturing functions In partnership with the business, anticipate and plan for the future evolution of the business and its impact on the workforce (e.g., AI, technology, etc.), always thinking multiple steps ahead Influence business decisions through thoughtful consultation, strategic workforce planning, and organisational insights that effectively balance both functional and enterprise objectives Partner with leaders to identify future talent needs and build plans to support long-term business success; balance short-term objectives with long-term needs
• Organisational Design & Workforce Planning Lead discussions related to organisational structure, role design, workforce planning, and headcount management Consult with leaders to ensure organisational resources are aligned to business priorities and evolving needs Lead the organisation work for a function or business unit to support mergers, acquisitions, restructures, and other organisational transitions, such as organisation design, achievement of financial metrics, headcount management, synergies, etc. Balance talent investment decisions with financial considerations and organisational effectiveness goals
• Leadership Coaching & Talent Management Coach leaders and managers on performance management, employee development, career growth, talent reviews, succession planning, and team effectiveness; promote a “clear is kind” approach to providing employees with regular feedback Facilitate talent reviews and succession planning processes to ensure strong talent pipelines for critical roles Partner with leaders to identify, develop, and retain top talent Strengthen manager effectiveness through coaching, feedback, and leadership development initiatives Support employee engagement and retention strategies that enhance organisational performance
• Change Leadership & Organisational Effectiveness Lead and support organisational change initiatives that drive transformation and continuous improvement; serve as a role model and ambassador for change and effectively “bring others along” the change curve Challenge conventional thinking and lead with innovative approaches to solving business and people challenges; serve as a “bold thinker” and thought partner to the business and HR Guide leaders and teams through periods of change by providing coaching, communication, and change management support, conveying difficult messages, when necessary, to ensure visibility to the facts, and that leaders and teams understand all facets of complex situations Facilitate alignment across teams and functions to improve organisational effectiveness and collaboration; role model for effectively bringing people together toward compromise and practical, “best balanced decisions” When needed, independently lead sub-teams or dedicated workstreams on large, complex enterprise projects, from strategy to execution
• Data Analytics & Workforce Insights Leverage workforce analytics, engagement data, turnover trends, talent metrics, and HR system insights to inform decision-making Partner with Finance and other stakeholders to analyse organisational and headcount data Monitor organisational health indicators and identify opportunities to improve employee experience, engagement, and retention Present data-driven recommendations to leaders that support business outcomes and workforce effectiveness
• Enterprise Partnership & Program Leadership Collaborate with Centres of Excellence including Talent Acquisition, Learning & Development, Total Rewards, Employee Relations, and HR Operations to deliver integrated talent solutions Support enterprise-wide initiatives such as leadership development, employee engagement, performance management, compensation planning, and culture-building efforts; at times, this includes independently producing the supporting materials needed to advance the work through project timelines (e.g., Excel spreadsheets, PowerPoint decks, meeting summaries, written announcements, talking points, cross-functional project plans, etc.) Lead with an enterprise mindset by balancing functional and Company priorities, which at times, can mean delivering difficult messages when a functional “want” doesn’t align at the enterprise level
• People Leadership Provide oversight, developmental coaching and performance support for a direct report, if applicable Provide indirect leadership of individuals and cross-functional teams in support of large, complex total Company initiatives Act as an ambassador and role model for the Company’s culture, values, and leadership principles across the organisation

What we are looking for:

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree 7 – 10 years of progressive Human Resources, Organisational Development, Talent Management, or related experience
• 3 – 5 years of experience in a business-facing consulting, business partner, or client-service-oriented role
• Demonstrated experience partnering with leaders on organisational design, workforce planning, talent management, and change initiatives and autonomously leading a cross-functional HR team (indirect reports) to support the Company’s largest, most complex organisation priorities
• Experience leading complex cross-functional projects and influencing diverse stakeholder groups
• Proven success coaching leaders and supporting organisations through transformation, growth, or significant change
• Experience utilising workforce data, analytics, and HR technology to drive business decisions
• Strong business acumen and strategic thinking skills; deep understanding of the financial metrics that drive the business
• Ability to build credibility and effectively influence leaders at all levels of the organisation, most especially Company Officers, using objectivity, data, and facts, without requiring more senior leaders to intervene to achieve balanced decisions
• Expertise in organisational design, workforce planning, talent management, and succession planning
• Strong leadership coaching and consulting capabilities, including ability to independently lead difficult conversations with care and compassion, when necessary
• Excellent conflict resolution and problem-solving skills
• Data literacy with the ability to analyse workforce trends and translate insights into action
• Effective change management and project management skills
• Expert communication, facilitation, and presentation abilities with proven ability to “rise above the noise” and synthesize disparate ideas and opinions into a succinct summary of action items that progressively advance the work
• High level of subjective judgment, professional maturity, and emotional intelligence; ability to converge across varying viewpoints, devoid of self-interest, and independently decide on the next logical course of action, appropriately balancing when there’s a need to solicit additional input and when it’s time to make a decision and keep moving
• Ability to confidently navigate ambiguity and independently lead teams who don’t report to you (in HR and the business) through complex organisational challenges
• Demonstrated intellectual curiosity that keeps teams in pursuit of continuous improvement and holistic thinking about the factors and functions that drive business success
• Commitment to fostering an inclusive, high-performing, and values-based culture

Additional skills and experience that we think would make someone successful in this role (not required):

• Master’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Organisational Development, Psychology, or a related field

The Right Place for You

We are bold, kind, strive to do the right thing, we play to win, and we believe in a strong community that thrives together. Our culture is rooted in our Basic Beliefs, and we believe in supporting every employee by meeting their physical, emotional, and financial needs. Stay connected with us on LinkedIn® We’re an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, age, national origin, disability status or protected veteran status. We’re a community of passionate, talented professionals dedicated to creating food people and pets love—while supporting the communities in which we work and live. We value what makes each person unique, champion growth and development, and foster collaboration that fuels productivity and drives our shared success. Learn more about our Thrive Together purpose At Smucker, we're passionate about creating a workplace where you truly belong. With a culture rooted in our Basic Beliefs and a competitive Total Rewards program, we aim to support every employee by meeting their physical, emotional, and financial needs. Learn more about working at Smucker Our culture is sustained and brought to life every day by the people of Smucker and our hiring process is designed to identify the right candidate for every position at our company. Learn more about our hiring process The J. M. Smucker Co. (the “Company”) is an Equal Opportunity Employer. No person will be discriminated against in hiring or in any other aspect of their employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), age, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, transgender status, marital status, familial status, disability, genetic information, protected veteran/military status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local law.