Senior HR Business Partner, Wharton Human Resources & People Operations - University of Pennsylvania

University Overview


The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn’s distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America’s Best Large Employers in 2023.




Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.




The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.








Posted Job Title

Senior HR Business Partner, Wharton Human Resources & People Operations





Job Profile Title

Associate Director D, Human Resources





Job Description Summary

The Senior HR Business Partner works to continually develop a high-performing workplace that reflects our commitment to nurturing an engaged, successful, and inclusive workplace culture. This Sr HRBP will contribute to developing a people-centric organization focused on DEIB, managing employee relations, curating professional development opportunities, and fostering employee engagement.





Job Description


Job Responsibilities


As a primary function, this BP will navigate and negotiate complex relationships to support people management, organizational development, talent management, and optimizing business processes to facilitate/improve all activities that enable staff to be more productive at work. This position requires skillful navigation and negotiation within complex interpersonal dynamics, playing a crucial role in supporting people management and infusing empathy into HR business processes. This approach aims to optimize staff productivity and workplace satisfaction while also continually aligning with supporting and advancing Wharton's strategic priorities. The role also contributes to the development, utilization, and optimization of employee professional development programs that bolster well-being, talent management, and leadership skills to enhance the overall employee experience. In addition to these core responsibilities, this role will also:



+ Serve as the Wharton HR Executive Director’s strategic thought partner, contributing to high-level decision-making and, where appropriate, acting as a proxy on key matters.


+ Take an active role in setting up strategic projects—both within Wharton HR and across the school—by taking abstract concepts and creating concrete plans, structures, and roadmaps. This includes mapping out the steps necessary to bring strategic initiatives from conception to implementation.


+ Collaborate closely with Core HR, fostering productive working relationships and serving on relevant university committees to ensure alignment and consistency with broader institutional HR practices.


+ As a strategic HR partner, this role provides a holistic approach to serving as the go-to person for all employee-related issues and questions related to workplace challenges, professional development, and retention while considering future implications, ripple effects, and potential legal risks.



Additional duties of this role include contributing to the overall creation of a people strategy, supporting a positive culture, and creating and analyzing people analytics to identify trends & future-focused decisions. Participate in the planning, promoting, and implementing of best-in-class people practices while effectively administering operational excellence in HR processes. Lead and support talent acquisition efforts, including workforce planning, recruitment, selection, and compensation reviews, while continually optimizing hiring practices to ensure diverse candidate pools and successful onboarding. Collaborate with managers to strategically structure future staff roles and conduct position classification and salary reviews to align with school priorities and internal equity considerations. We are seeking a highly organized, committed, and team-oriented professional who thrives in overseeing every stage of the employee life cycle. Success in this role requires a blend of independent, strategic thinking and the ability to collaborate seamlessly with experts in a complex, matrixed environment. If you bring a strong HR background and the vision & courage to redefine your impact in the field, this could be the ideal opportunity for you!




Qualifications


A bachelor's degree and 5-7 years of experience in Employee Relations/Employee Experience, DEI, and other relevant Human Resources generalist experience is required, or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Master's degree preferred.




Additional required qualifications include:



+ Human Resources Generalist experience. Strong administrative and operational background with a solid knowledge of employee relations and labor law.


+ Proven experience managing a high volume of employee relations cases, with a strong background in labor law and conflict resolution. Ability to provide practical guidance and strategic coaching on performance management, retention strategies, and disciplinary actions. Experience providing management guidance on complex performance challenges. Experience crafting robust improvement plans.


+ Experience with managing/leading all elements of the employee lifecycle (e.g. hiring, goal setting, retention, development, offboarding) and supporting people operations


+ Experience supporting and leading recruitment efforts (e.g. candidate reviews, interviews, onboarding)


+ Strong DEI literacy skills. Ability to manage sensitive cultural situations with discretion and diplomacy. Adept at handling a variety of sensitive matters in a professional, mature, and confidential manner


+ Strong time management, multitasking, organizational, and prioritization skills.


+ Excellent written, verbal, and visual communication and interpersonal skills


+ Empathetic and emotionally intelligent with a genuine passion for working with people and helping them succeed


+ Ability to build relationships and trust. Must have a collaborative and collegial approach to seeking input. Team player who is committed to building a positive environment for all employees


+ Open-minded, creative, and imaginative. Be excited by non-traditional and creative approaches to enhancing employee connection and collaboration


+ Ability to leverage systems thinking and design thinking to solve employee problems. Committed to continuous improvement and able to operationalize new processes effectively.


+ Strategic mindset - comfortable thinking one week, one month, or one year ahead of where the team is now. Strong ability to think ahead and align HR strategies with organizational goals, including experience with data-driven decision-making and using analytics to inform interventions.





Preferred qualifications:



+ Experience evaluating and managing job classifications and compensation


+ HR certification (PHR/SPHR/SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP)


+ Proven project management ability and track record in developing, driving, and delivering programs and initiatives


+ Openness to learning and using various tech platforms (e.g., Workday, Qualtrics, Trello, Canva, Slack)


+ Survey design and analysis skills


+ Experience with CA employment law a plus





Wharton HR actively seeks and welcomes people of color, women, the LGBTQIA+ community, persons with disabilities, and people at intersections of these identities to apply.






Job Location - City, State

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania





Department / School

Wharton School





Pay Range

$61,046.00 - $115,000.00 Annual Rate

Salary offers are made based on the candidate’s qualifications, experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to the requirements of the position, as well as internal and market factors and grade profile.




Affirmative Action Statement Penn adheres to a policy that prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, creed, national or ethnic origin, citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected class.




Special Requirements Background check required after a conditional job offer is made. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job.




University Benefits

+ Health, Life, and Flexible Spending Accounts : Penn offers comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits to protect you and your family’s health and welfare. You can also use flexible spending accounts to pay for eligible health care and dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars.

+ Tuition : Take advantage of Penn's exceptional tuition benefits . You, your spouse, and your dependent children can get tuition assistance here at Penn. Your dependent children are also eligible for tuition assistance at other institutions.

+ Retirement: Penn offers generous retirement plans to help you save for your future. Penn’s Basic, Matching, and Supplemental retirement plans allow you to save for retirement on a pre-tax or Roth basis. Choose from a wide variety of investment options through TIAA and Vanguard.

+ Time Away from Work: Penn provides you with a substantial amount of time away from work during the course of the year. This allows you to relax, take vacations, attend to personal affairs, recover from illness or injury, spend time with family—whatever your personal needs may be.

+ Long-Term Care Insurance: In partnership with Genworth Financial, Penn offers faculty and staff (and your eligible family members) long-term care insurance to help you cover some of the costs of long-term care services received at home, in the community or in a nursing facility. If you apply when you’re newly hired, you won’t have to provide proof of good health or be subject to underwriting requirements. Eligible family members must always provide proof of good health and are subject to underwriting.

+ Wellness and Work-life Resources : Penn is committed to supporting our faculty and staff as they balance the competing demands of work and personal life. That’s why we offer a wide variety of programs and resources to help you care for your health, your family, and your work-life balance.

+ Professional and Personal Development: Penn provides an array of resources to help you advance yourself personally and professionally.

+ University Resources: As a member of the Penn community, you have access to a wide range of University resources as well as cultural and recreational activities. Take advantage of the University’s libraries and athletic facilities, or visit our arboretum and art galleries. There’s always something going on at Penn, whether it’s a new exhibit at the Penn Museum, the latest music or theater presentation at the Annenberg Center, or the Penn Relays at Franklin Field to name just a few examples. As a member of the Penn community, you’re right in the middle of the excitement—and you and your family can enjoy many of these activities for free.

+ Discounts and Special Services : From arts and entertainment to transportation and mortgages, you'll find great deals for University faculty and staff. Not only do Penn arts and cultural centers and museums offer free and discounted admission and memberships to faculty and staff. You can also enjoy substantial savings on other goods and services such as new cars from Ford and General Motors, cellular phone service plans, movie tickets, and admission to theme parks.

+ Flexible Work Hours: Flexible work options offer creative approaches for completing work while promoting balance between work and personal commitments. These approaches involve use of non-traditional work hours, locations, and/or job structures.

+ Penn Home Ownership Services: Penn offers a forgivable loan for eligible employees interested in buying a home or currently residing in West Philadelphia, which can be used for closing costs or home improvements.

+ Adoption Assistance: Penn will reimburse eligible employees on qualified expenses in connection with the legal adoption of an eligible child, such as travel or court fees, for up to two adoptions in your household.




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To learn more, please visit: https://www.hr.upenn.edu/PennHR/benefits-pay



The University of Pennsylvania's special character is reflected in the diversity of the Penn community. We seek talented faculty and staff who will constitute a vibrant community that draws on the strength that comes with a substantive institutional commitment to diversity along dimensions of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, disability, veteran status, interests, perspectives, and socioeconomic status. Grounded in equal opportunity, nondiscrimination, and affirmative action, Penn's robust commitment to diversity is fundamental to the University's mission of advancing knowledge, educating leaders for all sectors of society, and public service. The University of Pennsylvania prohibits unlawful discrimination based on race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, creed, national or ethnic origin, citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected class.