Sr Human Resources Business Partner

CW Talent; Rockville (VA); On-site; USD 81,000 - 112,000; Full time

Job summary

Colonial Williamsburg Foundation seeks an experienced Human Resources Business Partner to align business initiatives with employees and leadership. You will serve as a strategic partner to senior leaders, assess HR needs, and deliver value-added services across COEs, including talent management, succession planning, and total rewards.

This role emphasizes change management, policy interpretation, and data-driven HR decisions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in HR, Business Admin, or related field required.
• 7–10+ years progressive HR experience including HRBP experience.
• Strong knowledge of employment laws and workforce policy.
• Experience partnering with senior leaders to implement people strategies.

Responsibilities

• Align business initiatives with employees and management for assigned areas.
• Partner with leadership to deliver value-added HR support and change plans.
• Coordinate with COEs to address HR deliverables and initiatives.
• Lead investigations and resolve employee relations issues objectively.
• Advise leaders on talent management, succession, and total rewards.
• Analyze HR metrics to identify trends and propose solutions.
• Support regulatory hearings and arbitration documentation as needed.
• Develop leadership presence and trust at the business-unit level.

Skills

HR Business Partner

Leadership partnership

Employee relations

HR metrics

Change management

Policy interpretation

Communication skills

Project management

Regulatory knowledge

Executive coaching

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR / Business

7–10+ years HR experience

PHR/SPHR or SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP preferred

Not-for-profit experience

Tools

HRIS

Workday

Microsoft Office

Job description

Who We Are

Founded in 1926, the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation is a private, not-for-profit educational, historic, and cultural institution that owns and operates one of the largest and best-known museum complexes in the world. Our mission is “that the future may learn from the past” through preserving and restoring 18th-century Williamsburg, Virginia’s colonial capital. We engage, inform, and inspire people to learn about this historic capital, the events that occurred here, and the diverse peoples who helped shape a new nation.

Today, Colonial Williamsburg is the largest living history museum in the U.S. The Historic Area is the 301-acre restored colonial capital with 89 original buildings and 525 buildings reconstructed to how they appeared in the 18th century through extensive archaeological, architectural, and documentary research. The Historic Area is staffed by highly trained, historically dressed interpreters and expert tradespeople who bring the 18th century to life. The Foundation also owns and operates two world-class museums, the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum, and the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum, The Bob and Marion Wilson Teacher Institute, and a renowned research library, the John D Rockefeller Jr Library.

Additionally, Colonial Williamsburg is home to five world class accommodations at the Williamsburg Inn, Williamsburg Lodge Autograph Collection, the Griffin Hotel, the Williamsburg Woodlands Hotels and Suites and the unique Colonial Houses in the Historical Area. Visitors may also indulge in food and drink at our many on site restaurants and taverns that blend a historically inspired dining experience with today’s evolved tastes. Each year over 5 million people visit Williamsburg and another 20 million engage with us digitally.

About the Position

The Human Resources Business Partner (HRBP) supports the alignment of business initiatives with employees and management for their assigned areas. The HRBP will serve as a strategic partner to leadership in the line of business they serve and will assess and anticipate HR-related needs and deliver value-added service that addresses organizational initiatives. Additionally, the role will leverage partnerships across the Centers of Excellence (COE) to ensure HR deliverables are addressed in a timely manner.

Main Duties

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Responsible for understanding the business initiatives affecting business areas assigned, to include any operational, financial and performance improvement initiatives impacting their groups
• Actively evaluates and provides feedback and direction on trends and metrics that have an impact on operations and provides consultation regarding measures to address and develop solutions. (Overtime, Turnover, etc.)
• Ensure people, processes, programs, and systems are aligned to CW’s mission and objectives.
• Consult with leadership to provide applicable HR guidance, critical evaluation and recommended solutions based on operational drivers or outcomes to include developing and leading implementation plans and analysis of business information to process various ongoing HR actions.
• Develop leadership presence, establish credibility and trustworthiness at the business unit level and influences change management effectively.
• Act as a liaison to the HR Centers of Excellence in advising leaders on learning and development needs, talent management, succession planning, and total rewards.
• Manage and resolve employee relations issues, through effective, thorough, and objective investigations and recognize when to escape problems to a higher level when warranted.
• In partnership with leaders, proactively engage and identify people gaps and opportunities, propose changes and facilitate the change processes necessary to mitigate risk.
• Interpret HR specific policies, practices and guidelines across the organization and recommend policy changes to support business needs.
• Interpret and support departmental action planning based on employee engagement survey outcomes and provide coaching to leaders.
• Develop partnerships across the HR functions to collaborate with other members of the HR team (COEs) to share best practices, identify areas of common improvement and participate in team initiatives and projects.
• Coordinate to provide HR specific education, training and development support for managers and employees.
• Represent Colonial Williamsburg in regulatory hearings such as unemployment hearings, appeals, EEOC mediations, etc. Provide support to Director HRBP in coordination and preparation of all documentation for arbitration, mediation and EEOC hearings.
• Maintain knowledge of trends, best practices, regulatory changes, and new technologies in human resources, talent management, and employment law and recommend programs that will enhance employee and labor relations, and craft new policies for approval.

This job description reflects the general responsibilities of the position and is not intended to be an exhaustive list. Duties and responsibilities may evolve over time based on operational needs.

Education and Experience:

Required:

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Organizational Development, or a related field.
• 7–10+ years of progressive Human Resources experience, including at least 3–5 years as an HR Business Partner supporting business leaders.
• Demonstrated experience partnering with senior leaders to develop and execute people strategies aligned with business objectives.
• Strong knowledge of employment laws and regulations and experience applying them to employee relations and organizational decisions.
• Demonstrated experience leading organizational change initiatives, workforce planning, and talent management programs.
• Proven ability to coach executives and managers and on leadership effectiveness, performance management, employee development, and conflict resolution.
• Experience analyzing HR metrics and workforce data to identify trends and recommend solutions.
• Strong project management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent communication, influencing, negotiation, and relationship-building skills.
• Proficiency with Human Resources Information Systems (HRIS) and Microsoft Office applications. Workday experience helpful.

Preferred:

• Professional (PHR), Senior Professional (SPHR) in Human Resources; SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP; experience working within not-for-profit industry

Qualifications:

• Excellent communications skills both verbal and written.
• Demonstrated analytical skills associated with employee relations coupled with excellent interpersonal skills with an emphasis on building partnerships, conflict resolution, negotiation, mediation, facilitation, and communication.
• Demonstrated ability to help create a collaborative work environment, work as a team member and maintain confidentiality while keeping open communications at all levels of the organization.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze work related problems, assess needs and design and implement solutions that support organizational goals.
• Demonstrated ability to recognize and connect the linkages and relationships between functions and processes as well as the impact of decisions on people and the organization.
• Demonstrated ability to establish and manage multiple priorities in a changing and fast paced environment.
• Demonstrated ability to be an advocate for organizational change while coaching employees on professional and interpersonal issues which may impact performance.

Physical and Environmental Demands:

Stand Occasionally (up to 2 hrs/shift)

WalkOccasionally (up to 2 hrs/shift)

SitFrequently (2-5 hrs/shift)

Use hands/fingersFrequently (2-5 hrs/shift)

Climb or balanceRarely (does not exist as regular part of the job)

Stoop/kneel/crouch/crawlRarely (does not exist as regular part of the job)

Reach with hands/armsRarely (does not exist as regular part of the job)

Talk or hearFrequently (2-5 hrs/shift)

Lifting up to 10 lbs.Frequently (2-5 hrs/shift)

Lifting up to 25 lbs.Rarely (does not exist as regular part of the job)

Lifting up to 50 lbs. (with assistance)Rarely (does not exist as regular part of the job)

Lifting up to 100 lbs. (with assistance)Rarely (does not exist as regular part of the job)

More than 100 lbs. (with assistance)Rarely (does not exist as regular part of the job)

Wet/humid conditions:Rarely (does not exist as regular part of the job)

Work near moving mechanical parts:Rarely (does not exist as regular part of the job)

Fumes/airborne particles:Rarely (does not exist as regular part of the job)

Extreme cold:Rarely (does not exist as regular part of the job)

Extreme heat:Rarely (does not exist as regular part of the job)

Risk of electrical shockRarely (does not exist as regular part of the job)

Driving requirement:NA

Typical Work Schedule:

This is a full-time position, Monday – Friday 8:30am – 5pm

Compensation Disclaimer:

The compensation listed below for this position represents the anticipated hiring range and is provided in accordance with Virginia pay transparency requirements. Actual compensation will be determined based on factors such as the selected candidate’s skills, qualifications, experience, education, certifications, internal equity, and the specific requirements of the role.

Range: $81,200 - $111,700