Head of HR Business Partners & HR Business Partner

Solutions for Today’s Challenges. Vision for Tomorrow’s Opportunities.

Join William Blair, the Premier Global Partnership.

The Head of HR Business Partners serves as the strategic leader of the HR BP function, overseeing a team of twelve and ensuring cohesive, high‑impact HR support across all business units. This leader drives alignment across HR BP client teams, strengthens collaboration between the HR BP teams and the broader HR organization, and advances the HR BP function’s use of Workday, other digital tools, and data to enhance decision-making, streamline processes, and drive innovative solutions that support business goals.

In addition to leading the HR BP team, this leader serves as the primary U.S. HR Business Partner for one of our business units. Acting as a trusted advisor to senior leadership and ensuring people strategies enable business goals, this leader will partner closely with the Director, HR BP in London. This team supports more than 300 colleagues. Key work will include talent development processes, organizational design, leadership effectiveness, total rewards alignment, employee relations, change management, compliance, and culture—delivered in partnership with Talent Development & Culture, Compensation & Benefits, HRIS, and Talent Acquisition HR peers.

Key responsibilities include but may not be limited to:

HR BP Team Leadership (Enterprise Scope)

• Set the strategic direction for the HR BP function, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and HR’s strategic priorities.

• Drive consistency, alignment, and collaboration across HR BP client teams to ensure a unified approach to HR service delivery.

• Establish shared practices, frameworks, and cadences that enable cross-team communication, transparency, and accountability.

• Champion effective use of existing HR systems, tools, and analytics to improve efficiency and data-driven decision making.

• Identify and integrate emerging technologies that enhance HR BP service delivery, collaboration, and leader/employee experience.

• Promote consistent adoption of digital workflows, tools, and HR technologies across the HR BP team to ensure scalable and compliant practices.

• Allocate HR BP resources to optimize support based on business priority, growth, and capability needs.

• Develop HR BP capabilities in workforce planning, coaching, organizational effectiveness, analytics, and change management.

• Champion a culture of curiosity, continuous improvement, accountability, and innovative thinking within the HRBP organization.

• Foster strong partnerships across all HR teams to deliver seamless HR support.

• Manage budgets, vendor relationships, and external partnerships, as necessary.

• Ensure compliance with legal and regulatory standards across regions.

HR Business Partner Responsibilities

• Serve as a key partner to business leaders in achieving their business goals and strategies by supporting the team with effective talent lifecycle management.

• Partner with Talent Development to lead performance management, talent reviews, calibrations, and development planning.

• Support organizational design initiatives, including job architecture and job leveling in partnership with Compensation team.

• Guide leaders on workforce planning, team structure optimization, and capability needs.

• Manage employee relations matters in alignment with legal requirements and organizational values.

• Provide guidance on compliance expectations, policy standards, and risk mitigation.

• Promote a culture aligned with organizational values through coaching and team development.

• Use data and insights to support engagement, inclusion, and leadership effectiveness.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Organizational Development, Human Resources, Business, or related field, or equivalent combination of education and relevant experience required (Master’s preferred).

• 15+ years of progressive HR experience, primarily in the HR generalist/business partner capacity, with 5+ years experience in investment management.

• Experience leading global teams, implementing enterprise-wide programs and processes, including in geographies outside of the United States.

• Workday experience preferred.

• Current knowledge of HR laws, regulations, and best practices.

Skills & Competencies

• Skilled at quickly building trust and collaborative relationships at all levels across an organization.

• Strategic thinker with a hands-on approach and strong project management skills.

• Excellent people skills, influence skills with a strong accountability and client service orientation.

• Well-developed critical thinking, analytical and problem-solving skills

• Data-driven leadership style, including experience using data, insights, and technology-enabled recommendations to influence strategic decisions.

• Exceptional communication, facilitation, and stakeholder engagement skills.

• Demonstrated ability to apply innovative thinking and technology-driven solutions to complex talent and organizational challenges.

• Ability to lead change, influence culture, and drive performance across diverse teams.

• Strong Microsoft skills, including PowerPoint and Excel, and experience with AI tools preferred.

A reasonable estimate of the current base salary range at time of posting is below. Base salary does not include other forms of compensation or benefits. Actual base salary within the specified range is based on several factors, including but not limited to applicant's skills, prior relevant experience, specific degrees and certifications, job responsibilities, market considerations and, if applicable, the location of the position.

This role is eligible for either a discretionary annual bonus (based on company, business unit and individual performance) and/or commission-based incentives.

Our featured benefit offerings include medical, dental and vision coverage, employer paid short & long-term disability and life insurance, 401(k), profit sharing, paid time off, Maven family & fertility benefit, parental leave (including adoption, surrogacy, and foster placement), as well as other voluntary benefits.

Salary Range
$270,000—$290,000 USD

About Our Firm

William Blair strives to attract qualified candidates who specialize in investment banking, investment management, private wealth management, and other strategic resource groups. We are committed to empowering our colleagues to deliver client success and engage in our communities. Our firm has delivered trusted advice for nine decades, continuing to deepen our expertise and relationships across asset classes and markets throughout North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. We provide advisory services, strategies, and solutions to meet clients’ evolving needs amid dynamic market conditions and varying industries. What sets us apart is that we are an independent partnership, with colleagues who have unique experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds. We empower our people to bring their best thinking so we can deliver the tailored, thoughtful work and problem-solving abilities that our clients expect. We invite you to learn more about us by visiting williamblair.com.

William Blair is an equal opportunity employer. It complies with all laws and regulations that prohibit discrimination in employment practice because of race, color, religion, creed, ancestry, marital status, gender, age, national origin, sexual orientation, unfavorable discharge from the military service or on the basis of a physical or mental disability that is unrelated to the employee's ability to perform the duties of the job applied for. EOE m/f/d/v

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