UL Human Resources Partner

About the role

The UL HR Partner (HRP) advances the mission of University Life Human Resources Services by providing strategic, consultative, and operational HR leadership to a designated portfolio of University Life’s unique, student-affairs-focused units.

Responsibilities

• Serves as the primary HR partner for an assigned portfolio of units by providing full-service HR consultation and guidance on recruitment and workforce needs, balancing unit objectives to support effective operations, and a positive employee experience;

• Applies subject-matter expertise and professional judgment in institutional and state HR policies to advise on complex or non-routine matters, balancing compliance requirements and their broader organizational implications in coordination with UL HR leadership and Central HR;

• Serves as a team lead and supervisor for the assigned team of HR professionals, providing front-line oversight, guidance, and support for daily operations, including workload planning, task delegation, and coverage coordination to maintain continuity of services;

• Fosters a collaborative and supportive work environment that promotes employee well-being, engagement, and retention;

• Prepares and conducts timely performance evaluations, and maintains accurate records of employee performance, feedback, and disciplinary actions to address performance concerns;

• Resolves challenges by researching issues, collaborating with appropriate partners, and following up on actions while maintaining confidentiality, professionalism, and effective customer/unit relationships, including use of de-escalation strategies as needed;

• Maintains collaborative relationships across UL and Central HR, communicating clearly and timely through established systems (e.g., meetings, ticketing/workflow tools, email) to facilitate coordinated service delivery;

• Effectively hires, trains, and develops assigned HR staff by coordinating onboarding, cross-functional learning, role-specific skill development, and providing access to training resources and guidance to support consistent, accurate, and effective HR service delivery;

• Encourages and supports ongoing professional development opportunities for all staff, ensuring they have the tools and training needed to succeed in their roles.

Organizes workflow and ensures employees understand their duties or delegated tasks;

• Provides operational back-up support to the UL HR Associate Director, including coverage during absences and coordinating workflow distribution as needed to ensure uninterrupted HR operations.

HR Direct Service Reviews, analyzes, and prepares position descriptions in collaboration with hiring authorities to ensure accuracy, classification alignment, position equity considerations, recruitment strategy considerations, and compliance with divisional and institutional guidelines;

• Supports recruitment and hiring activities for designated UL units in coordination with Central HR and internal stakeholders;

• Oversees student hourly, graduate professional assistant, and wage employee hiring and offboarding, coordinating with HR Specialists, Payroll, and Central HR to manage status changes and employment actions;

• Captures annual non-benefitted staff hiring processes for assigned units to meet operational and staffing needs;

• Manages employee offboarding processes by providing guidance, processing documentation, and directing exit interview options with Central HR and UL HR leadership;

• Evaluates incoming HR requests, exercising professional judgment to resolve issues at the appropriate level or escalate complex, sensitive, or high-risk matters to senior leadership;

• Processes employment actions including transfers, classification changes, salary actions, and cyclical award compensation programs in accordance with policy and timelines.

Assessment, Reporting, Strategic Leadership

• Partners with the UL HR Associate Director and Director of Staff Experience by providing operational insight and making recommendations for new approaches, policies, procedures, and workflows to improve customer experience, service quality, and operational efficiency across UL HR Services;

• Maintains and coordinates shared HR training materials and reference tools, ensuring they are accurate, current, accessible, and aligned with established processes;

• Identifies opportunities for improvement or additional training structures for discussion with the Associate Director;

• Assists in the creation and evaluation of HR data, reports, and metrics to assess service effectiveness, inform decision-making, and support continuous improvement;

• Conducts audits of employee records and HR processes to ensure accuracy, compliance, and data integrity;

• Participates in UL shared services planning initiatives, committees, and working groups by contributing operational perspectives and implementation support;

• Assists with planning and implementation of staff training and employee engagement initiatives as needed;

• Led or coordinated at least one unit-level initiative or project annually to advance HR service goals and operational improvements;

• In partnership with the Associate Director and Director of Staff Experience, is responsible for the oversight of coordination, execution, and communication of the UL HR unit coordinator collective group meetings and Teams group.

Departmental And Divisional Responsibilities

• Supports divisional planning initiatives and special projects by participating in UL-wide meetings, initiatives, and in-person events to remain aligned with institutional priorities and support cross-unit collaboration;

• Participates in professional development and training opportunities to maintain current knowledge and support continuous learning relevant to HR practice;

• Stays informed of legal updates, best practices, and emerging trends in HR and higher education to support responsive and effective service delivery to UL units;

• Represents UL HR at divisional and institutional initiatives, in-person events, and volunteer opportunities as needed in support of unit outreach and engagement;

Required Qualifications

• A high school diploma or equivalent;

• Demonstrated full-time work experience typically obtained in 3+ years in Human Resources, Payroll, Business/Accounting or closely related field;

• Demonstrated experience managing standard recruiting processes, including candidate communication, interview coordination, application tracking within an ATS, and collaboration with hiring managers throughout the selection process;

• Experience working effectively within a team environment, contributing to shared goals and supporting cross-functional initiatives;

• Demonstrated experience in creating, maintaining, and strengthening productive working relationships with colleagues, leadership, and/or external partners;

• Experience managing multiple concurrent tasks or projects, maintaining organization, and effectively prioritizing daily responsibilities in a fast-paced environment;

• Experience communicating complex topics clearly with audiences of varying backgrounds including presenting issues concisely, making recommendations, and providing solutions to colleagues and stakeholders;

• Experience compiling, organizing, and analyzing information to support HR reporting and decision-making;

• Ability to maintain confidentiality and exercise discretion when working with sensitive employee and personnel information;

• Ability to work effectively independently and within a collaborative, team-driven environment;

• Ability to exercise independent judgment when responding to complex inquiries or situations, including determining when to escalate issues to appropriate stakeholders and how to apply procedures within established guidelines and/or policy;

• Demonstrated organizational and problem-solving skills with the ability to navigate complex challenges;

• Ability to meet deadlines, work accurately and efficiently with attention to detail, and effectively balance multiple programs and projects simultaneously and adapt to changing priorities;

• Demonstrated interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills with the ability to communicate and engage effectively with varying audiences of constituents and departmental stakeholders;

• Ability to prioritize work and function effectively in a fast-paced, dynamic environment that involves frequent interaction and business process coordination;

• Ability to seek and apply new knowledge or techniques in response to changing requirements, and to document lessons learned for future cycles.

Preferred Qualifications

• A bachelor’s degree in related field or equivalent combination of education and experience;

• Preferred degree based in Human Resources Management, Business Administration, or a closely related field;

• Certification issued from HR Professional Association such as SHRM or HRCI;

• Experience working in a higher education environment;

• Experience using HRIS platforms and other HR-related systems and tools, such as time reporting, applicant tracking, performance management, and employee self-service modules, to support HR transactions;

• Experience effectively supervising full-time professional staff;

• Experience reviewing, analyzing, and refining position descriptions, including evaluating role scope, responsibilities, and qualifications for alignment with organizational objectives, classification guidelines, and recruiting strategies;

• Exercising judgment to recommend revisions that enhance clarity, compliance, and effectiveness in attracting qualified candidates;

• Knowledge of the Commonwealth's HR policies and procedures;

• Knowledge of the Commonwealth's job family and classification structure, including how positions align within established frameworks;

• Ability to use standard business software tools (e.g., word processing, spreadsheets, presentations) to support documentation, tracking, and communication;

• Fluency in Spanish.