Director of HR Business Partners and Employee Relations

NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

2d•Onsite

About The Position

Reporting to the Head of Human Resources, the HR People Operations Manager is key to shaping JPL’s culture and future workforce. In this role, you will lead JPL’s HR Business Partner and Employee Relations functions to align people strategies with business goals, advise and guide leadership in talent and performance, manage the Lab and employee relationship, ensure compliance with labor laws, and foster a positive workplace culture. In this role, you will be the manager of a team that includes an HR Business Partner Manager, Employee Relations Manager, and HR Business Partners and Employee Relations Specialists who provide subject matter expert consultation with all levels of management colleagues across JPL. You will be part of the Human Resources Senior Leadership team while also participating in JPL senior leadership meetings with a strong understanding of business unit goals, challenges, and plans, to then share insights, guide strategy, and bring a consultative approach to drive effective actions. We are looking for an individual who is proactive, responsive, resilient, and understands how to develop strong relationships to achieve priorities and business goals in a consultative and persuasive way. The best individual for this position will use knowledge, influence, data, analytics and metrics to advise decisions, identify concerns, and support action, as well as have a proven ability to lead, manage, and grow the HR Business Partner and Employee Relations teams.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required with an advanced degree preferred
Leadership experience with at least 15 years in HR roles with progressive responsibility
At least 4 years of experience managing HR Business Partners and/or other HR professionals
Experience with supporting a highly technical client base
Experienced leader with a consultative approach and influence skills
Strategic and collaborative approach to relationship building and problem solving
Robust analytic skills to support talent decisions with facts and data
Required knowledge and experience of California and Federal labor law include wage and hour law, California Civil Rights Department, and EEO
Ability to exercise independent judgement, discretion and confidentiality
Proven experience building teams and processes to scale in a growth stage organization
Experience with platforms and virtual environments, such as Workday
Demonstrated ability to research, gather information, and recommend solutions to fit the strategic vision and organizational needs
Demonstrated ability to influence and bring resources together to implement solutions and enact change within the framework of ongoing activities.
Excellent interpersonal skills, both oral and written, are required. Communication is confident, professional, and polished
Awareness of key market industry trends and recruiting best practices to maintain a competitive presence
Excellent time management skills, the ability to lead multiple projects at once and work in a fast-paced, ever-changing environment with strong organizational skills, excellent execution and follow-through
Ability to develop solid relationships and collaboration skills at all levels of the organization

Nice To Haves

Experience within engineering and computer science disciplines strongly preferred
Knowledge of JPL or other FFRDCs

Responsibilities

Lead the HR Business Partners and Employee Relations teams towards a function that is consistently viewed as a trusted, strategic, consultative, and proactive partner with the business, including ensuring strong partnerships within the HR organization
Collaborate with business leaders and HR managers and colleagues to deliver aligned and consistent support
Build and sustain high levels of team engagement by setting clear standards of performance, monitoring and motivating them by providing constructive feedback and continuous coaching for their professional development and career growth
Provide leadership, mentoring, and development for the team to act as a consultative resource directing and guiding strategic thinking and consistent processes
Be a creative problem-solver who is open to new ideas, solution oriented, organized, knowledgeable about employee engagement and human resources efforts
Exercise appropriate balance of functional expertise and a flexible leadership style across the team and JPL leadership to understand and provide effective consultation that considers both a broad and integrated approach to all levels of problem-solving and identifying creative solutions
Offer insights and consultative support for HR Business Partners and management
Be a strategic resource and trusted advisor for internal stakeholders including providing insights on organizational and people-related strategy and execution
Develop and use data and analytics to guide decision-making and create proactive solutions to anticipated challenges
Study trends and use metrics to propose, advance and implement solutions, programs, and best practices
Strong capability in balancing multi-faceted approaches to support the business and HR processes, including a consultative partnership with HR leadership, moving forward with confidence, and remaining flexible to the unique pace that will best support the business.
Build relationships with technical leaders and provide consultative support as a talent and people-strategy SME
Lead complex projects and deliverables both independently and with the team(s)
Challenge assumptions and develop new and innovative ideas to continuously improve employee experience at JPL within the unique business environment of a Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC)
Strong working knowledge of California and Federal labor law including wage and hour law, DFEH, EEO, and Affirmative Action