Human Resources Partner

📋 Description

• • Serve as the strategic HR catalyst for Barnard College’s 800 faculty and staff, translating institutional priorities into human-capital solutions that directly advance the College’s mission of delivering an extraordinary liberal-arts education to 2,600 students. You will own the full employee lifecycle for assigned client groups, ensuring every hire, promotion, transition, and exit strengthens organizational capability and culture.
• • Partner with deans, department heads, and senior administrators to diagnose workforce needs using data, surveys, exit interviews, and Workday analytics. Translate findings into actionable talent strategies—organizational redesign, succession pipelines, targeted recruitment, and change-management roadmaps—that close critical skill gaps and elevate diversity, equity, and inclusion outcomes.
• • Act as the day-to-day, frontline advisor on employee relations, guiding managers through complex policy interpretation, performance challenges, conflict resolution, and disciplinary processes. Maintain meticulous documentation and ensure every interaction reinforces fair, transparent, and legally compliant practices that reduce risk and bolster trust.
• • Own end-to-end recruitment for unionized and administrative roles—from workforce planning and Budget Committee justification through interviewing, offer negotiation, and seamless onboarding. Collaborate closely with Talent Acquisition to craft inclusive job descriptions, manage search committees, and deliver a candidate experience that reflects Barnard’s values and brand.
• • Design and deploy performance-management programs that move beyond annual reviews to continuous coaching, goal alignment, and career development. Coach supervisors on probationary feedback, performance-improvement plans, and recognition strategies that lift engagement and retention.
• • Serve as the first point of contact for absence, leave, and accommodation requests—translating federal, state, and collective-bargaining requirements into clear guidance for employees and managers. Partner with Benefits & Wellness to track FMLA, ADA, parental, and personal leaves, ensuring smooth return-to-work transitions and minimal disruption to operations.
• • Investigate sensitive employee concerns—harassment, discrimination, misconduct, policy infractions—gathering facts, interviewing witnesses, and partnering with Employee & Labor Relations to recommend proportionate corrective action. Maintain strict confidentiality while fostering a climate where all voices are heard and respected.
• • Translate collective-bargaining agreements into everyday practice, advising supervisors on disciplinary steps, grievance responses, and contract interpretation. Liaise with union leadership to resolve disputes proactively and sustain productive labor-management relationships.
• • Champion employee-engagement initiatives—years-of-service celebrations, wellness campaigns, recognition events, and learning labs—that reinforce Barnard’s vibrant, intellectually stimulating community. Measure impact through pulse surveys and iterate programming to keep morale high and turnover low.
• • Collaborate with HRIS & Compensation to ensure Workday data integrity, smooth transactions, and accurate reporting. Provide user feedback that drives system enhancements and self-service adoption, reducing administrative burden across departments.
• • Serve as subject-matter expert for HR compliance—Title IX, FLSA, ADA, FMLA, ACA, NY State labor law—translating regulatory change into updated policies, training, and manager toolkits. Participate in continuing education and deliver micro-learning sessions that keep the College ahead of evolving requirements.
• • Contribute to enterprise-wide HR projects—policy rewrites, HR technology rollouts, leadership-curriculum design, and crisis-response planning—bringing a systems-thinking lens that connects individual initiatives to the College’s broader strategic plan.
• • Model Barnard’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in every interaction, ensuring equitable access to opportunity and fostering a workplace where all identities thrive. Mentor junior HR staff and serve as an ambassador for the Office of Human Resources across campus.