Position Summary: The HR Business Partner (HRBP) - HR Operations is the operational engine of the HR department, owning the day-to-day execution of payroll support, benefits administration, leave management, talent acquisition, and employee relations for designated business units. This role directly manages the Payroll Specialist, the Benefits & Leave Specialist, and the Talent Acquisition Manager/HR Generalist, and provides functional guidance to the broader talent acquisition team. It exists to take the tactical, transactional, and case-level work off the desk of the SVP of Human Resources. The HRBP resolves routine and moderately complex issues independently - either personally or through the team it supervises - and escalates only matters that are high-risk, precedent-setting, legally sensitive, or strategic in nature. The HRBP also partners closely with the SVP on the implementation of compensation strategy and performance management strategy (currently the quarterly check-in process), translating SVP-set direction into day-to-day practice across the organization. The HRBP is expected to exercise sound judgment about what can be handled at the operational level versus what requires SVP visibility, and to keep the SVP informed of trends rather than individual transactions.
Key Duties / Responsibilities: - HR Operations & Tactical Ownership
- Serve as the first point of contact for day-to-day HR operational matters across payroll, benefits, leave, and employee relations, resolving issues independently wherever possible.
- Own the tactical execution of HR programs and policies, ensuring consistent, timely, and compliant delivery across all designated business units.
- Maintain HR operational documentation, workflows, and checklists (payroll cutovers, leave intake, ER case files, benefits enrollment steps) to ensure consistency and continuity.
- Triage incoming HR issues and determine appropriate handling: resolve directly, route to the appropriate specialist team, or escalate to the SVP with a clear summary and recommendation.
- Provide the SVP with periodic trend reporting (payroll error rates, leave volume, ER case types, benefits inquiry themes) rather than routine transactional updates.
Team Leadership & Supervision
- Directly manage the Payroll Specialist, the Benefits & Leave Specialist, and the Talent Acquisition Manager/HR Generalist, including hiring, onboarding, training, coaching, employee relations and performance management.
- Provide functional guidance and direction to the broader talent acquisition team through the Talent Acquisition Manager/HR Generalist, ensuring consistent recruiting practices without necessarily serving as their direct manager of record.
- Assign and prioritize daily workload across the payroll, benefits/leave, employee relations, and talent acquisition functions, and ensure adequate coverage and cross-training for absences and peak periods (open enrollment, year-end, audits, hiring surges).
- Conduct regular one-on-ones and formal performance reviews for direct reports; set goals and support their professional development.
- Serve as the escalation point for issues direct reports cannot resolve, applying judgment on what to handle personally versus route to the SVP.
- Remain accountable for the accuracy, timeliness, and compliance of payroll, benefits/leave, employee relations and talent acquisition work even when day-to-day tasks are delegated to direct reports.
Payroll Support & Oversight
- Directly supervise the Payroll Specialist, who owns day-to-day payroll transactions, pay discrepancies, direct deposit changes, timekeeping corrections, and system access issues (e.g., Paycom).
- Serve as the escalation point for payroll issues the specialist cannot resolve, and remain the point of contact for managers on more complex or sensitive pay matters.
- Oversee coordination with Payroll/Finance to ensure timely, accurate processing of new hires, terminations, pay changes, garnishments, and off-cycle payments.
- Ensure payroll deadlines are tracked and communicated, and that payroll practices comply with the FLSA, Washington wage-and-hour law, and other applicable state and federal regulations.
- Escalate systemic payroll errors, vendor/system failures, or compliance exposure to the SVP promptly.
Benefits Administration (Day-to-Day)
- Directly supervise the Benefits & Leave Specialist, who serves as the front-line point of contact for employee benefits questions, including medical, dental, vision, retirement, and ancillary plans.
- Oversee day-to-day eligibility, enrollment, and billing issue resolution with carriers, brokers, and internal HRIS systems, stepping in personally on escalated or complex cases.
- Oversee new-hire benefits onboarding, qualifying life event changes, and COBRA administration performed by the specialist.
- Lead annual open enrollment planning, logistics, communications, and employee education sessions.
- Escalate carrier-level disputes, funding issues, or plan design questions to the SVP.
Leave of Absence Management
- Directly supervise the Benefits & Leave Specialist's administration of leave programs, including FMLA, Washington Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML), ADA accommodation requests, and company personal/medical leave policies.
- Review and approve leave eligibility determinations, required notices and certifications, and return-to-work coordination handled by the specialist; personally manage unusual or contested cases.
- Ensure accurate leave tracking and documentation is maintained to support compliance with federal and Washington State leave laws.
- Partner with managers on staffing impact of leaves and advise on reasonable accommodation options.
- Escalate contested, legally sensitive, or unusually complex leave and accommodation cases to the SVP.
Employee Relations
- Directly supervise the HR Generalist (who is also the Talent Acquisition Manager) and provide oversite to employee relations related matters, including manager/employee coaching, informal conflicts, and policy questions.
- Serve as another point of contact for day-to-day employee relations matters, including informal conflicts, policy questions, and manager coaching.
- Conduct or support workplace investigations, document findings, and recommend resolutions consistent with policy and past practice.
- Advise the HR Generalist and managers on progressive discipline, terminations, and consistent application of policy across their teams.
- Identify trends in employee relations activity and proactively recommend process or policy improvements.
- Escalate matters involving legal risk, executive-level employees, potential litigation, or reputational exposure to the SVP immediately.
Talent Acquisition & Talent Management
- Directly supervise the Talent Acquisition Manager/HR Generalist, who leads day-to-day recruiting execution for designated business units, including job postings, candidate screening, interviews, and offer negotiations.
- Provide guidance and direction to the broader talent acquisition team on sourcing strategy, recruiting tools and platforms, and consistent candidate experience.
- Partner with hiring managers on job requirements and job descriptions for roles that require HRBP-level involvement (senior, manager level, specialized, or hard-to-fill positions).
- Oversee training needs assessment and the development and delivery of training programs.
- Oversee talent development, retention, and succession planning strategies for designated business units, escalating organization-wide succession or workforce planning questions to the SVP.
Performance Management Strategy & Administration
- Partner with the SVP of HR on the implementation of performance management strategy across the organization, translating SVP-set direction into day-to-day process and manager guidance.
- Own the administration of the current performance management approach - the quarterly check-in process - including scheduling, manager reminders, completion tracking, and documentation templates. May provide guidance to the HR Generalist on the execution of said programs, etc.
- Will be responsible for the training and coaching of managers on conducting effective quarterly check-ins, feedback sessions, and goal setting. May utilize HR Generalist to execute on these matters as well.
- Assist with the development and monitoring of performance improvement plans.
- Gather feedback on the quarterly check-in process and recommend refinements to the SVP; escalate any changes to the overall performance management philosophy or cadence to the SVP for decision.
Organizational Development
- Provide guidance on organizational structure and design to drive efficiency and effectiveness.
- Support change management initiatives and manage the day-to-day HR aspects of internal and external change.
Compensation Strategy Implementation
- Partner with the SVP of HR on the implementation of compensation strategy across the organization, translating SVP-set guidelines, structures, and philosophy into day-to-day pay decisions and manager guidance.
- Support the annual salary review process, applying established compensation guidelines to individual pay decisions and advising managers accordingly.
- Monitor consistency of pay decisions across designated business units and flag outliers or equity concerns to the SVP.
- Flag salary benchmarking or compensation strategy questions that fall outside established guidelines to the SVP.
Compliance
- Ensure day-to-day compliance with local, state, and federal regulations across payroll, benefits, leave, and employment practices.
- Stay current on HR best practices, trends, and legislation, particularly changes affecting Washington State employers.
- Partner with the SVP on the development of new policies or responses to significant regulatory change.
- Performs other duties as assigned.
Education / Experience:- Bachelor's degree in business, HR, or related field required; Master's degree a plus. Equivalent experience accepted in lieu of degree.
- A minimum of at least 4+ years of related HR generalist or operations experience preferred, including direct exposure to payroll, benefits/leave administration, and talent acquisition.
- Prior experience directly supervising HR, payroll, benefits, employee relations and/or recruiting staff strongly preferred.
- SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP credential preferred.
Job Knowledge / Requirements:- Working knowledge of payroll processing and systems (e.g., Paycom or similar HRIS/payroll platforms).
- Working knowledge of FMLA, Washington Paid Family and Medical Leave, ADA, and other applicable leave and accommodation laws.
- Working knowledge of group benefits administration, including enrollment, eligibility, and COBRA processes.
- Thorough understanding of recruiting methods and best practices, as well as applicable federal, state, and local employment laws and regulations.
- Working understanding of compensation principles and performance management practices sufficient to translate SVP-set strategy into day-to-day application.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and an organized, deadline-driven approach to work.
- Sound independent judgment regarding when to resolve an issue directly, delegate to a direct report, or escalate to senior leadership.
- Demonstrated ability to supervise, coach, and develop direct reports, including setting priorities and managing performance.
- Clear, professional communication skills; remains solutions-focused while interacting with employees, managers, and leadership.
- Ability to work both independently and as an effective member of the HR team, adapting to changing requirements, deadlines, and priorities.
- Computer skills: MS Office and Google applications, HRIS/payroll systems, query tools, and database systems and applications.
Physical Requirements / Working Conditions:- General office positions may require some reaching, bending, stooping, squatting, crawling, kneeling, pushing, pulling, lifting and carrying up to 20 pounds, finger dexterity, repetitive motions, standing, walking, sitting, hearing, visual acuity, color vision, and 2-way written/verbal communication. More specific details may be provided as needed or requested.
- Use of computer and telephone.
- Travel requirement of 10-20%; must be able to obtain travel documents.
- Work hours outside normal business hours may be required to meet business needs.
Salary Range
$120,000-$150,000 USD
