Senior HR Business Partner for Research & Innovation

Harvard Law School; Cambridge (MA); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid time off

Health insurance

Retirement plans

Tuition assistance

Commuter benefits

Job summary

Harvard Law School seeks a Senior HR Business Partner to provide strategic HR consulting to the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society, the Institutional Data Initiative, and the Library Innovation Lab. You will align HR practices with academic and research needs, guiding design, talent acquisition, and employee engagement.

The role requires at least 8 years of HR experience, strong consultation skills, and the ability to navigate a multidisciplinary research environment within a

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience required.
• Minimum of 8 years’ relevant HR experience.
• Master’s degree and/or professional HR certification desirable.
• Demonstrated experience as an HR Business Partner in a dynamic, multidisciplinary research environment, research institute, or startup-like organization.
• Demonstrated consultative agility in supporting leaders through changing priorities and organizational evolution, moving between organizational design, workforce planning, team effectiveness, role clarity, change management, and practical coaching on individual and team matters.
• Solid financial/business acumen with advanced knowledge of employment law and HR policies and practices.
• Ability to operationalize business strategy through effective management of people, programs, and activities.
• The ability to build and cultivate relationships and work collaboratively in a multi discipline and multi stakeholder environment.
• Strong communication and problem-solving skills with a focus on productive outcomes, and client service excellence.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the Sr. HR business partner to BKC, IDI, LIL, and other clients, providing tailored strategic guidance and operational support based on each group’s mission, organizational structure, workforce composition, and evolving priorities.
• Serve as a trusted advisor and strategic partner to the leadership while ensuring alignment with HLS and University-wide HR policies, practices, and priorities.
• Partner with leadership teams to navigate ambiguity and rapid scaling through organizational design, talent acquisition, professional development, change management, and employee engagement.
• Establish and cultivate partnerships with client groups to enable proactive planning and collaboration on operational and strategic initiatives.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen HR practices and promote consistency, collaboration, and knowledge-sharing across BKC, IDI, LIL, and other research and technology focused groups while respecting the distinct missions and operating models of each organization.
• Lead talent acquisition strategy and execution including sourcing, selection, onboarding, and building diverse, high-quality talent pipelines aligned with business needs.
• Guide and support leaders in resolution of complex employee relations concerns, performance management, team development, retention, and compensation.
• Advise and counsel on best practices and approaches, presenting options for achieving desired results.
• Actively partner with managers, staff, and bargaining unit representatives to strategically address workplace challenges, deliver tangible value, and identify opportunities for improvement.
• Share responsibility for our commitment to inclusion and belonging.

Skills

Consultative agility

Organizational design

Talent acquisition

Employee relations

Change management

Coaching

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent

Master’s degree / HR certification desirable

Job description

Harvard Law School seeks a Senior HR Business Partner to provide strategic HR consulting to the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society, the Institutional Data Initiative, and the Library Innovation Lab. You will align HR practices with academic and research needs, guiding design, talent acquisition, and employee engagement.

The role requires at least 8 years of HR experience, strong consultation skills, and the ability to navigate a multidisciplinary research environment within a