People & Culture Business Partner, Professional Programs

Title: People & Culture Business Partner, Professional Programs
Department: People & Culture
Report to: VP of People & Culture  
Compensation: $85,400-97,600
FLSA: Exempt 

LOCATION/HOURS 

This is a full-time, hybrid position based out of our New York City office. It is expected that some duties will be performed on-site at least 2-days a week, and some remotely, with the understanding that government and public health guidelines will help determine the extent to which it is safe to carry out in-person and onsite activities.

All candidates must be within commutable distance of SEO’s offices at 55 Exchange Place, New York, NY 10005, upon hire.

ABOUT SEO  

For more than 60 years, SEO has created a more equitable society by closing the educational and career opportunity gap for ambitious Black, Hispanic/Latinx, and Native American young people. All are welcome to apply to our programs.   

POSITION OVERVIEW

The People & Culture Business Partner (PCBP) will collaborate with a multi-disciplined People & Culture team to support the assigned Professional program teams to create an optimal employee experience that attracts, develops, and retains talent in service of SEO’s mission, vision, and values. By cultivating strong, trusting internal client relationships and serving as strategic advisor and expert HR liaison to the Professional Program team leaders, the PCBP will help drive talent strategy and initiatives. Key responsibilities include consultation and support in talent management and development, total rewards, talent acquisition, DEIB, and employee relations.

In collaboration with the VP of People & Culture, the PCBP will also be responsible for devising and implementing the learning & development strategy for 400 person, and growing, national team. Moreover, the PBCP will partner with other operations teams and people leaders to develop, implement, communicate, and evaluate People & Culture initiatives based on critical needs.

RESPONSIBILITIES

HR Generalist and Business Partnership

• Employee Relations & HR Policies – Serve as primary point of contact for people managers in responding to ER concerns in a timely manner. Facilitate and mediate difficult conversations. Conduct ER investigations and make recommendations based on findings as needed. Escalate ER issues to Operations leadership and Professional program leadership as appropriate. Collaborate with People & Culture team leadership and Legal Counsel to address complex or highly sensitive ER issues. Maintain an expert understanding of the Employee Handbook and SEO policies to coach, guide, and support staff while holding all team members accountable for conduct and compliance.
• Performance & Development – Partner with the Professional program leadership and People & Culture colleagues to manage the performance and development review cycle and milestones throughout the year. Liaise between the people managers and People and Culture team to develop and deliver content for learning in support of organizational priorities, Professional program participant needs, and individual/team development.
• Compensation & Benefits – Partner with the Total Rewards team to execute annual compensation review with the Professional program leadership and perform ad hoc analyses throughout the year. Collaborate with the Total Rewards team to drive high participation in annual benefits open enrollment processes and connect staff to key resources.
• Recruitment, Onboarding & Retention – Support the Talent Acquisition team to ensure a conscious, deliberate approach to attracting and retaining top talent. Partner with the Talent Acquisition team to ensure that the selection processes (e.g., conducting interviews, supporting new hiring managers, etc.) and onboarding processes (e.g., ensuring timely submission of new hire paperwork, supporting New Hire Orientation, etc.) are implemented. Execute retention strategies to minimize attrition, particularly in the Professional program’s critical roles and specialty skillsets.
• Employee Engagement – Respond to employee engagement indicators in collaboration with People & Culture colleagues and work with the Professional program leadership to develop action plans to address areas of concern for staff. Communicate with staff regarding People & Culture initiatives and assist in the change management. Su