Senior People & Talent (HR) Business Partner

The salary range for this role takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to skill sets; experience and training; licensure and certifications; and other business and organizational needs.

At WGU, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their role, and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. A reasonable estimate of the current range is:
 

If you’re passionate about building a better future for individuals, communities, and our country—and you’re committed to working hard to play your part in building that future—consider WGU as the next step in your career.

Driven by a mission to expand access to higher education through online, competency-based degree programs, WGU is also committed to being a great place to work for a diverse workforce of student-focused professionals. The university has pioneered a new way to learn in the 21st century, one that has received praise from academic, industry, government, and media leaders. Whatever your role, working for WGU gives you a part to play in helping students graduate, creating a better tomorrow for themselves and their families.

**Current WGU employees must submit their internal application before 03/29/2024 to be considered for the position.**

This position resides in the Salt Lake City, UT office - ability to work in the Salt Lake City office a minimum of 3 days per week or based upon business needs is required.

The Senior People & Talent Business Partner will support the business, by providing strategic guidance to ensure effective planning and implementation of people initiatives. This is a senior-level individual contributor position working with and supporting all levels of leadership to build leadership talent, manage culture, enhance employee engagement, and ensure that decisions and actions are centered on doing the right thing. This individual will have broad accountability for organization results and is an individual with the ability to partner and influence without having official organizational people management responsibility. This individual will effectively assimilate information, identify appropriate actions or solutions, and will have a capacity for dealing with ambiguity and change. The ideal candidate for this role has passion for the employee experience, believes in employee potential, and has the humility that comes from understanding a diverse set of personal situations and limitations.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities:

• Fosters and builds trusted advisor relationships with assigned business leaders.

• Manages complex People & Talent projects and practices cross-organizationally. This includes competency model, talent assessment, succession planning, employee engagement, career development, talent management, talent development, change management, performance management.

• Analyzes trends and metrics in partnership with the People & Talent team to develop solutions, programs and policies.

• Works closely with business leaders to improve working relationships, build morale, and increase productivity and retention.

• Partners with business leaders to manage culture and enhance employee experience.

• Facilitates group learning activities and ad hoc leadership discussions to build leadership competencies.

• Provides guidance and input on restructures, workforce planning, talent selection, leadership acquisition.

• Identifies employee and leadership development gaps and collaborates with the People & Talent Learning Team to identify plans in order to close gaps.

• Participates in operational and strategic business department meetings with senior leadership.

• Manages and resolves complex employee relations issues. Conducts effective, confidential, thorough and objective investigations leading to actions or solutions for resolution.

• Maintains in-depth knowledge of legal requirements related to day-to-day management of people, reducing legal risk and ensuring regulatory compliance.

• Spearheads people initiatives to ensure clear understanding, articulation of and application of initiative.

• Represents business group priorities/initiatives to People & Talent leadership to ensure solid understanding of business group challenges and deliverables.

• Has a comprehensive understanding of People & Talent policies, processes and procedures and successfully applies them to people situations.

• Demonstrates solid business acumen – develops a deep understanding of WGU and assigned business group(s).

• Contributes to the continuous improvement of People & Talent processes, policies and procedures.

• Navigates the systems and internal WGU processes to support WGU’s mission, People & Talent strategic initiatives, and assigned business group objectives.

• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Strong understanding of employment law and other state and federal compliance regulations

• The ability to make recommendations to effectively resolve problems or issues, by using sound judgment and problem-solving skills consistent with WGU philosophy and within applicable legal parameters.

• Ability to objectively and effectively coach employees and people leaders through complex, difficult, and emotional issues within a diverse organization.

• Ability to work strategically and collaboratively across departments and with all levels of individuals.

• Self-starter who takes initiative, is inquisitive, seeks out information, self-engages, and achieves results based on established goals.

• Clear, effective communicator – exceptional and persuasive communication skills, oral and written, in addressing audiences, is vocally self-critical, and exudes ownership in engagement style.

• Superior interpersonal skills and professional presence – significant capacity to engage, inspire, develop and influence.

• Demonstrated results in innovation – ability to inspire creative thinking, new ideas, new ways of accomplishing tasks and creating results.

• Strong business acumen.

• Excellent organizational skills, along with the ability to set and meet goals/priorities.

• Proven track record of making and implementing tough decisions.

• Demonstrated ability to apply excel and other data management and analysis tools in researching and analyzing various types of data. 

• Consistently exhibits WGU Leadership Principles.

Competencies: 

Organizational Impact:

• Responsible for implementing initiatives and projects established by university or department leadership; establishes strategic, operational plans for department, function, or office with short to mid-term impact on results. ​

• Delivers measurable input into new processes, standards, or plans that impact the achievement of overall university or department results.

Problem Solving & Decision Making:

• Leverages a systems-thinking approach for improving existing processes and systems using significant conceptualizing, reasoning, and interpretation.​

• Problems and issues faced are numerous, may not be clearly defined, and may have missing information. Conducts extensive investigation to understand the root cause. Problems span a wide range of difficult and unique issues.

Communication & Influence:

• Collaborates cross-functionally across the University or department and typically has responsibilities for communicating with external parties. ​

• Works to influence others to accept the job area’s views, practices, concepts, and approaches. ​

• Requires ability to communicate with executive leadership regarding matters of significant importance to the University. May conduct briefings with leaders within the University or department. 

Leadership & Talent Management:

• Responsible for providing guidance, coaching, and training to other employees across the University within the area of domain-specific expertise. Provides direction to project team members, including feedback on performance.​

• Demonstrates the WGU leadership principles in all aspects of service to students, employees, and partners of WGU.

Job Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree

• 10+ years of human resources experience including a minimum of 5 years as a Human Resources Business Partner or equivalent role

• Experience in fast-growth and fast-paced environments and with a distributed workforce mode

• Experience working with HRIS systems, Applicant Tracking Systems, Performance Management Systems

• Ability to work in the Salt Lake City, UT office a minimum of 3 days per week or as needed based upon business needs

Preferred Qualifications:

• Broad knowledge of project management

• Practical experience with change management or Change Management certification

• Human Resources Certification (PHR/SPHR or SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP)

Physical Requirements:

• Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer.

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As an equal opportunity employer, WGU recognizes that our strength lies in our people. We are committed to diversity.