Senior Human Resources Business Partner

Southern New Hampshire University is a team of innovators. World changers. Individuals who believe in progress with purpose. Since 1932, our people-centered strategy has defined us — and helped us grow a team that now serves over 180,000 learners worldwide.

Our mission to transform lives is made possible by talented people who bring diverse industry experience, backgrounds and skills to the university. And today, we're ready to expand our reach. All we need is you.

This position will be partially based in the following office location:

For hybrid roles, employees must be able to commute to Manchester, NH on a regular basis.

The opportunity

At SNHU, people are at the heart of everything we do, our students, our employees, and the communities we serve. The Senior HR Business Partner contributes in bringing that vision to life by aligning university goals with people strategies that foster a growing, supportive, and inclusive workplace.

You will report to the Director of HR in Academic Experience. The Senior HR Business Partner (Senior HRBP) plays a critical role in driving strategic HR initiatives that align with business objectives. This position partners with senior leadership to enhance organizational effectiveness, talent management, and employee engagement while ensuring compliance with employment laws and company policies. The Senior HRBP acts as a trusted advisor, leveraging data-driven insights to improve business performance and workforce planning.

The Senior HR Business Partner is a business consultant, data-driven strategist, and change leader. The Senior HRBP brings a consultative mindset to every engagement — asking great questions, listening deeply, thinking holistically, and challenging business leaders when critical talent insights are at stake. In the age of AI and organizational transformation, the Senior HRBP also serves as a key partner in redesigning work, building talent density, and activating the full potential of the workforce.

This work matters because there are people on the other side of every decision. The HRBP influences how employees experience change, performance, pay, growth, and the workplace overall. This role brings SNHU’s people strategy to life within the business by helping leaders achieve results in ways that are thoughtful, fair, and aligned with how we want people to be treated. Success means holding business outcomes and the employee experience as one standard, not two. This is a dual place position, with some requirement on site. "#LI-Remote"

What you'll do:

Strategic HR Leadership

• Partner with leaders to develop and execute HR strategies that drive business success.
• Function as a change agent to support organizational growth, transformation, and workforce planning.
• Lead HR initiatives focused on improving employee experience, engagement, and retention.
• As needed, lead a small team of HRBPs to better align support within larger verticals.
• Partner with business leaders to evaluate and redesign job architectures, work structures, and operating models as AI and market forces reshape organizational needs.

Talent Management & Succession Planning

• Develop and implement workforce planning strategies that attract, retain, and grow top talent.
• Lead talent reviews, succession planning, and leadership development programs that prepare us for the future.
• Coach leaders to strengthen their effectiveness, team culture, and employee career development.

Partnership & HR Ecosystem Collaboration

• Function as the primary connector between Leaders & People Team departments, including Talent Acquisition, Learning & Development, Compensation, and Employee Experience — ensuring specialist expertise is applied to the right business problems at the right time and solutions are integrated.
• Identify when a business challenge requires People Team expertise and lead the coordination effort, ensuring the right HR capabilities are brought to bear efficiently and at the right time.
• Contribute to people strategy development by surfacing recurring business needs and patterns, helping specialist teams build scalable solutions that work across the university.
• Develop deep knowledge across all HR departments so the Senior HRBP can hold credible, informed conversations with business leaders across the full spectrum of people topics — without duplicating or undermining People Team expertise.

Talent Management & Succession Planning

• Develop and implement workforce planning strategies to attract, retain, and develop top talent.
• Lead talent reviews, succession planning, and creating leadership development programs.
• Provide coaching and mentorship to managers to enhance team performance and career growth.
• Shift workforce planning from headcount-centric models toward talent mobility — building capability through reskilling, rotation, and coaching rather than defaulting to hiring.
• Identify training needs and collaborate with Talent Development to ensure learning programs are aligned with evolving business and role requirements, including AI-adjacent skill development.

Employee Relations & Organizational Culture

• Serve as a senior advisor on complex employee relations matters, ensuring fair and consistent resolutions.
• Foster a culture of inclusion, collaboration, and high performance.
• Analyze employee engagement data to drive initiatives that improve workplace satisfaction.
• Partner with ER investigations team to assist in investigation closure and alternative resolution solutions.
• Advance employee collaboration — move beyond traditional engagement surveys to co-design workplace practices with employees, enabling stronger employee voice and a sense of genuine partnership in shaping the organization.

Organizational Design & Work Redesign

• Support organizational design efforts at the business unit level, going beyond gap assessments to actively co-design structures, roles, and reporting relationships with business leaders.
• Support work redesign initiatives such as AI reshapes tasks and roles across the business, helping leaders understand the talent implications and transition paths for affected employees.
• Champion internal mobility as a primary talent lever, facilitating role transitions, cross-functional assignments, and skills-based career pathways.

HR Analytics & Data-Driven Decision-Making

• Utilize HR metrics and analytics to assess trends, provide insights, and drive strategic decision-making.
• Develop and track key performance indicators (KPIs) related to talent management and business objectives.
• Leverage AI-enabled analytics tools to generate faster, richer workforce insights — including predictive analysis on attrition risk, talent gaps, and capability readiness.
• Use data visualization tools and workforce analytics software to communicate insights clearly to senior business leaders.

Compensation, Benefits, & Compliance

• Collaborate with HR leadership to design competitive compensation and benefits programs.
• Ensure compliance with labor laws, company policies, and industry best practices.
• Partner with Legal and Compliance teams to mitigate HR-related risks.
• Utilize internal compensation data and grade structure to inform salary decisions and maintain salary equity across all groups.

AI & Technology Enablement

• Maintain working proficiency with AI-based HR analytics platforms, HRIS tools, and emerging HR technology to advise business leaders on workforce implications of AI adoption.
• Partner with HR technology teams and business units to evaluate and implement AI tools that support work processes, talent mobility, workforce planning, and employee experience.
• Model AI-enabled working practices within the HRBP community, supporting peers in developing comfort with new tools and data sources.

Employee Relations & Organizational Culture

• Be a senior advisor on complex employee relations matters, balancing fairness, consistency, and compassion.
• Partner with teams on investigations, supporting, fact-based, equitable resolutions.
• Foster a culture of inclusion, and results by listening to employee and manager feedback and guiding improvements.
• Analyze engagement data and work with leaders to co-create solutions that strengthen employee experience.

HR Analytics & Data-Driven Decision-Making

• Use HR metrics and analytics to identify trends, provide insights, and inform strategies that enhance both results and employee experience.
• Track Indicators related to talent management, engagement, and organizational effectiveness.
• Leverage external market data and best practices to ensure HR strategies remain results and people focused.

Compensation, Benefits, & Compliance

• Partner with the compensation team to apply and uphold equitable, and transparent pay practices.
• Support leaders in applying compensation structures in their departments.
• Ensure compliance with labor laws, company policies, and industry best practices, while communicating requirements.
• Partner with Legal and Compliance to mitigate risks and ensure employees are informed and supported.

Other responsibilities as assigned.

What we're looking for:

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field.
• Experience: 6+ years of progressive HR experience—including employee relations, labor law, performance management, L&D, organizational development, and compensation/benefits—with at least 2+ years in a strategic HRBP role.
• Skills: Constructive problem solving; Business Acumen; Strategic HR Alignment; HR Data Analysis and Insight translation; AI, HR Technology and digital fluency; Relationship management, Communication and Influence; Employment Law; Change Leadership

We believe real innovation comes from inclusion - where different experiences, perspectives and talents are celebrated. So if you're wondering whether SNHU is right for you, take the leap and apply. You might be just the person we're looking for.

If you have a disability and require a reasonable accommodation to fully engage in any part of the application or hiring process, please complete the Accommodation Request form or contact us at 603-626-9447. A member from the Employee Accommodation Support Center will be in contact with you within two business days to discuss your request.

Compensation

Exceptional benefits (because you’re exceptional)

You’re the whole package. Your benefits should be, too. As a full-time employee at SNHU, you’ll get:

• High-quality, low-deductible medical insurance

• Low to no-cost dental and vision plans

• 5 weeks of paid time off (plus almost a dozen paid holidays)

• Employer-funded retirement

• Free tuition program

• Parental leave

• Mental health and wellbeing resources