Senior HR Partner, Student Life

University of Southern California; California; Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Southern California (USC) Human Resources, Ethics, and Compliance seeks a Senior HR Partner to act as a strategic advisor to USC Student Life leaders and drive people strategies aligned with organizational goals.

The role partners with HR Centers of Expertise to deliver solutions across talent acquisition, total rewards, HR systems & analytics, learning, and organizational development. A hybrid work arrangement is expected, combining onsite and remote collaboration.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's 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 across HR domains including total rewards, labor relations, talent management, learning and development, and organizational design.
• Demonstrated ability to advise leaders and navigate sensitive employee matters.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a trusted strategic advisor to USC Student Life leaders.
• Coach leaders through complex people decisions and provide HR guidance.
• Partner with USC HR Centers of Expertise to deliver cross-functional HR solutions.
• Manage employee relations matters and workplace investigations.

Skills

Strategic HR

Coaching leaders

Employee relations

Workforce planning

Change management

Talent development

Org design

Education

Bachelor's degree in business, psychology, human resources, industrial relations or related field

Job description

Position Overview

USC Human Resources, Ethics, and Compliance (HREC) is seeking an experienced Senior HR Partner to serve as a trusted strategic advisor to USC Student Life leaders.

USC Student Life is a multifaceted, student-facing organization focused on creating an outstanding student experience. The Senior HR Partner will work closely with leaders across the client group to understand their business and priorities, build trusted relationships, and provide strategic HR guidance on complex people and organizational needs.

This position is part of University Human Resources' Client Services, reports to a Director, and is assigned to USC Student Life to provide dedicated HR partnership while collaborating with USC's HR Centers of Expertise.

Learn more about USC Student Life: https://studentlife.usc.edu/

The Opportunity

The Senior HR Partner will join a complex and highly engaged client environment where building trust, learning the organization, and maintaining a strong presence with leaders will be essential to success.

The role requires someone who can confidently coach and consult with leaders and drive people strategies that build a culture aligned with organizational goals and priorities. The role requires the ability to navigate difficult conversations, manage employee relations matters and workplace investigations. The Senior HR Partner also provides guidance to HR Partners and Associate HR Partners.

This opportunity is well suited for an HR professional who is curious, organized, and relationship-driven; uses sound judgment; and takes the time to understand the client before recommending solutions. The successful candidate will be comfortable navigating complexity and ambiguity while serving as a strategic partner to leaders across Student Life.

Key Accountabilities

• Serve as a trusted strategic advisor to the assigned client organization, developing a strong understanding of its business, people, culture, priorities, and long-term goals.
• Build relationships with employees and leaders at all levels, providing proactive HR consultation, coaching, and guidance.
• Participate in strategic planning and advise leaders on workforce planning, change management, succession planning, performance management, talent development, and organizational effectiveness strategies.
• Manage and resolve employee and labor relations matters, including workplace investigations, performance concerns, disciplinary actions, and other sensitive employee matters.
• Coach leaders through complex people decisions and provide thoughtful HR guidance, including appropriately challenging assumptions when needed.
• Partner with USC HR Centers of Expertise to deliver solutions across Talent Acquisition, Total Rewards, HR systems and analytics, learning and organizational development, and other HR functions.
• Leverage workforce data, employee feedback, and organizational insights to support hiring, promotion, compensation, professional development, succession planning, and other talent decisions.
• Communicate complex HR policies, practices, and employment requirements in ways that enable leaders and employees to understand and act.
• Manage competing priorities and changing business needs with sound judgment, discretion, responsiveness, and follow-through.
• Provide leadership, coaching, and guidance to HR Partners and Associate HR Partners and contribute to a collaborative HR environment.
• Maintain current knowledge of HR leading practices and applicable federal, state, and local employment laws and regulations.

Performs other related duties as assigned or requested. The university reserves the right to add or change duties at any time.

Work Schedule & Work Arrangement

The regular work schedule for this position is Monday through Friday. This position follows a hybrid-fixed work arrangement with an expectation of working onsite at least three days per week and remotely two days per week. Additional onsite days will be required during onboarding and to meet client needs.

Onsite days will be spent within the assigned client organization at various locations. Travel between USC locations is required based on client and business needs.

The university reserves the right to modify work schedules and arrangements based on business needs.

Minimum Requirements

The candidate for the position of Senior HR Partner must meet the following qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in business, psychology, human resources, industrial relations or related field.
• Seven or more years of experience in human resources or human capital management.
• In-depth understanding of and experience working in a broad spectrum of HR domains including total rewards (including compensation), employee and labor relations, talent management (including performance management, learning and development), continuous process improvement, change management, training, community and inclusion, workforce planning, and organizational development and design.
• Demonstrated success in consu