HR Strategic Partner

Job Description

UW Human Resources has an outstanding opportunity for an HR Strategic Partner to join their team.

About this Opportunity

Reporting to the Vice President for UW Human Resources, the HR Strategic Partner serves as a senior strategic HR advisor to executive leaders and their HR leadership teams, helping them achieve organizational goals through strategic workforce planning, organizational effectiveness, leadership development, and integrated human resources solutions.

This is a highly influential individual contributor role operating at the intersection of institutional strategy and people strategy. The HR Strategic Partner develops deep knowledge of assigned organizations, their strategic priorities, operational challenges, workforce needs, and organizational culture. Through broad HR expertise, strong relationships, influence, and systems thinking, the position helps leaders anticipate challenges, identify opportunities, strengthen organizational performance, and connect with specialized expertise across UWHR.

Rather than providing day-to-day HR administration, the HR Strategic Partner brings an enterprise perspective to complex organizational challenges and opportunities. The position works closely with Deans, Vice Presidents, Chancellors, senior leaders, and their HR leadership teams while helping align local priorities with University-wide workforce strategies and institutional goals.

Key Responsibilities

25% – Strategic Partnership & Executive Advising

• Serve as a senior strategic advisor to assigned Deans, Vice Presidents, Chancellors, and other executive leaders on workforce strategy, organizational effectiveness, leadership challenges, and organizational performance.
• Develop a deep understanding of organizational priorities, business needs, workforce dynamics, and future talent requirements.
• Facilitate strategic discussions and planning efforts that align workforce priorities with organizational and University goals.
• Advise leaders on complex organizational issues, balancing institutional priorities, workforce considerations, and operational needs.

20% – Organizational Effectiveness & Workforce Strategy

• Lead workforce planning efforts to address current and future talent needs.
• Advise on organizational design, leadership structures, role clarity, succession planning, and talent strategies.
• Support the development and implementation of recruitment, retention, engagement, and leadership development strategies.
• Identify workforce trends, organizational risks, and emerging opportunities, and develop proactive recommendations to address them.
• Partner with leaders to improve organizational performance and effectiveness.

20% – Strategic Partnership with Unit HR Leaders

• Develop and maintain strong partnerships with school, college, and administrative unit HR leaders.
• Serve as a strategic thought partner on organizational effectiveness, workforce planning, leadership challenges, and institutional initiatives.
• Support local HR leaders in navigating complex organizational issues while respecting their operational authority and deep knowledge of their organizations.
• Facilitate access to specialized HR expertise and enterprise resources to address emerging organizational needs.
• Foster alignment between local priorities and University-wide workforce strategies and initiatives.

15% – Change Leadership & Organizational Transformation

• Lead and support major organizational initiatives, restructures, and change efforts.
• Develop change management strategies that support successful implementation and long-term sustainability.
• Help leaders navigate organizational transitions, workforce impacts, and organizational realignment efforts.
• Ensure effective communication, stakeholder engagement, and leadership alignment throughout change initiatives.

10% – Enterprise Coordination & HR Integration

• Coordinate across Employee Relations, Compensation, Benefits, Labor Relations, Organizational Development, Talent Acquisition, and other HR functions to deliver integrated solutions.
• Ensure leaders receive coordinated and consistent guidance across HR disciplines.
• Connect organizational needs with institutional resources, programs, and enterprise initiatives.
• Facilitate alignment between local organizational priorities and University-wide strategies.

10% – Institutional Leadership & Other Duties as Assigned