VP, HR Business Partner

Unum Ireland; Chattanooga (TN); On-site; USD 145,000 - 274,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, Vision, Dental

PTO including volunteering

401(k) match up to 5% + 4.5% employer

Tuition reimbursement

Job summary

Unum Group in Chattanooga, TN seeks a highly visible senior HR leader to partner with executive teams and shape enterprise talent and organizational strategies that fuel transformation, elevate leadership, and drive business performance.

You will work across HR centers of excellence to align people strategies with priorities, manage large-scale programs, use analytics to inform decisions, and coach leaders through change in a fast-paced, matrixed environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree preferred.
• 12+ years HR experience, with executive partner leadership in large, complex organizations.
• Proven success partnering with executives to drive transformation, workforce strategy, and talent outcomes.
• Strong business acumen with ability to link enterprise strategy to people initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Serve as trusted advisor to executive leaders on organizational, talent, leadership, and workforce matters.
• Partner with senior teams to develop and execute Human Capital strategies aligned to priorities.
• Lead enterprise-level talent initiatives including workforce planning, leadership development, and succession planning.
• Drive organizational effectiveness to improve agility, accountability, collaboration, and efficiency across functions.
• Coach executives to strengthen leadership capability, team effectiveness, and organizational health.
• Collaborate with HR Centers of Excellence to deliver integrated talent solutions across acquisition, development, performance, and rewards.
• Guide large-scale transformation initiatives and evolving operating models.

Skills

Executive leadership

Strategic thinking

People analytics

Change management

Talent strategy

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree preferred

Job description

Benefits

When you join the team at Unum, you become part of an organization committed to helping you thrive. Here, we work to provide the employee benefits and service solutions that enable employees at our client companies to thrive throughout life’s moments. And this starts with ensuring that every one of our team members enjoys opportunities to succeed both professionally and personally. To enable this, we provide: Award-winning culture Inclusion and diversity as a priority Performance Based Incentive Plans Competitive benefits package that includes: Health, Vision, Dental, Short & Long-Term Disability Generous PTO (including paid time to volunteer!) Up to 9.5% 401(k) employer contribution Mental health support Career advancement opportunities Student loan repayment options Tuition reimbursement Flexible work environments *All the benefits listed above are subject to the terms of their individual Plans. And that’s just the beginning… With 10,000 employees helping more than 39 million people worldwide, every role at Unum is meaningful and impacts the lives of our customers. Whether you’re directly supporting a growing family, or developing online tools to help navigate a difficult loss, customers are counting on the combined talents of our entire team. Help us help others, and join Team Unum today!

General Summary

This is a highly visible strategic leadership role reporting to the SVP, Global Talent & Inclusion. The incumbent will partner closely with executive leadership teams to develop and execute integrated talent and organizational strategies that enable enterprise transformation, strengthen leadership capability, and drive business performance. This role plays a critical part in aligning people strategies with evolving business priorities, helping leader areas scale effectively while fostering organizational agility, accountability, and high performance. They will be an integral member of the People and Communications extended leadership team working collaboratively with senior executives across the enterprise to develop and drive our Human Capital strategy to support Unum’s growth and transformation as we scale new initiatives. As a member of the broader People & Communications leadership team, this role will collaborate across HR Centers of Excellence and enterprise stakeholders to deliver forward-thinking talent solutions that support Unum’s strategic priorities, operational effectiveness, and culture aspirations. The incumbent will bring strong executive presence, enterprise thinking, business acumen, and demonstrated success influencing senior leaders through periods of transformation and change. This role requires a balance of strategic advisory capability and executional excellence, with the ability to translate complex business challenges into practical and impactful people solutions.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

• Serve as a trusted advisor and strategic thought partner to executive leaders on organizational, talent, leadership, and workforce matters.
• Partner with senior leadership teams to develop and execute Human Capital strategies aligned to enterprise priorities, transformation efforts, and business objectives.
• Lead enterprise-level talent and organizational initiatives including workforce planning, leadership effectiveness, succession planning, organizational design, change management, culture evolution.
• Drive organizational effectiveness efforts that improve agility, accountability, collaboration, and operational efficiency across corporate functions.
• Provide strategic coaching and consultation to executives and leadership teams to strengthen leadership capability, team effectiveness, and organizational health.
• Partner closely with HR Centers of Excellence to deliver integrated talent solutions across areas such as talent acquisition, leadership development, performance management, learning, inclusion & diversity, employee engagement, and total rewards.
• Lead and support large-scale transformation initiatives, helping leaders navigate organizational change, evolving operating models, and workforce impacts.
• Utilize workforce analytics, talent insights, and external market trends to inform strategic decision-making and identify opportunities to improve organizational performance and talent outcomes.
• Assess organizational capabilities and identify talent gaps, risks, and succession considerations while developing actionable strategies to strengthen bench strength and future readiness.
• Influence and guide organizational design decisions, including role clarity, team structures, spans and layers, and capability alignment to support business strategy and enterprise transformation objectives.
• Foster a high-performance, inclusive culture that enables innovation, collaboration, accountability, and employee engagement.
• Partner with leaders to proactively manage organizational risks, employee relations matters, and complex people issues with sound judgment and business alignment.
• Build strong partnerships across the enterprise and contribute to broader People & Communications strategic initiatives and priorities.
• Lead, coach, and develop HR team members while fostering collaboration, strategic thinking, and execution excellence.
• Stay informed on emerging workforce trends, market practices, AI-enabled workforce strategies, and evolving organizational models to continuously strengthen talent and business outcomes.
• May perform other duties as assigned.

Job Specifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree in Human Resources, Business, Organizational Development, or related field preferred.
• 12+ years of progressive Human Resources experience, including significant HR Business Partner leadership experience supporting senior executives in large, complex organizations.
• Demonstrated success partnering with executive leaders to drive organizational transformation, workforce strategy, and talent outcomes aligned to business priorities.
• Strong business acumen with the ability to understand enterprise strategy, operational drivers, and financial implications impacting corporate functions and enterprise performance.
• Proven ability to influence and build credibility with senior executives through strategic insight, executive presence, and trusted partnership.
• Strong organizational effectiveness and change leadership capability, including experience supporting large-scale transformation initiatives and evolving operating models.
• Demonstrated capability in organizational design, talent planning, succession management, leadership coaching, and workforce strategy.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to leverage data, workforce insights, and market intelligence to inform decision-making.
• Ability to operate effectively in fast-paced, highly matrixed, and evolving environments while managing multiple priorities and stakeholders.
• Strong collaboration and relationship-building skills with the ability to work effectively across functions, levels, and teams.
• Demonstrated ability to navigate ambiguity, influence without authority, and lead through change with resilience and agility.
• Innovative mindset with an interest in leveraging technology, AI-enabled solutions, and modern talent practices to improve organizational effectiveness and employee experience.
• Exceptional communication skills with the ability to communicate effectively with executives, senior leadership teams, and enterprise stakeholders.
• Strong judgment, discretion, and ability to manage highly sensitive and confidential matters.
• Ability to travel up to 20%.
• Position to be based in Chattanooga, TN.

Unum and Colonial Life are part of Unum Group, a Fortune 500 company and leading provider of employee benefits to companies worldwide. Headquartered in Chattanooga, TN, with international offices in Ireland, Poland and the UK, Unum also has significant operations in Portland, ME, and Baton Rouge, LA - plus over 35 US field offices. Colonial Life is headquartered in Columbia, SC, with over 40 field offices nationwide.

Unum is an equal opportunity employer, considering all qualified applicants and employees for hiring, placement, and advancement, without regard to a person’s race, color, religion, national origin, age, genetic information, military status, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, or protected veteran status.

The base salary range for applicants for this position is listed below. $144,900.00-$273,800.00

Additionally, Unum offers a portfolio of benefits and rewards that are competitive and comprehensive including healthcare benefits (health, vision, dental), insurance benefits (short & long-term disability), performance-based incentive plans, paid time off, and a 401(k) retirement plan with an employer match up to 5% and an additional 4.5% contribution whether you contribute to the plan or not. All benefits are subject to the terms and conditions of individual Plans.

Company: Unum

Unum Group is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations for any applicant with a disability.