Temporary People Business Partner

UnitedMasters•Brooklyn, NY

8d•$3,000 - $3,000

About The Position

Translation is seeking a temporary, senior People Business Partner to serve as the day-to-day people advisor to its agency leadership team while the current PBP is on leave. The role participates in leadership decisions and provides guidance on talent, performance, and organizational matters, including owning a live performance review cycle from calibration through delivery. The person will begin in early January with three weeks of full-time onboarding alongside the current PBP, then assume full ownership before the leave begins in February. They will maintain a weekly update log to support a seamless transition back. The role partners with agency leaders, the VP of Agency Operations, People Operations, the UnitedMasters PBP, Finance, Operations, Talent Acquisition, and external search partners. Translation is an independent creative solutions company that helps ambitious brands use culture to address business challenges. It is part of UnitedMasters, Inc., which also operates a software and services platform for independent creators. The listed hiring range is approximately $3,000 per week for New York and California; pay may vary by location and individual factors.

Requirements

At least 5 years of experience as an HR or People Business Partner supporting senior leaders.
Experience working across multiple business functions with first-line and senior leadership.
Proven ability to handle employee relations matters across the spectrum, including performance plans and exits.
Confidence leading difficult conversations with managers, employees, and executives.
Ability to ramp up quickly, work from existing plans, and make sound decisions with limited history.
Strong judgment, discretion, and written communication.
Strong coaching and consulting capabilities.
Demonstrated business acumen, organizational savvy, judgment, and decision-making.
Collaborative style, positive can-do attitude, and a strong drive to create a positive work environment.
Excellent stakeholder management skills, including the ability to engage, influence, and keep stakeholders informed.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including analyzing data, understanding trends, and developing recommendations based on analysis.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to frame a message.
Demonstrated change management capability.

Nice To Haves

Advertising agency experience, strongly preferred, ideally partnering with agency leadership.
Experience supporting creative talent and creative leadership.
Prior interim, leave-coverage, or consulting engagements.
Familiarity with compensation planning, career ladders, and talent differentiation tools such as a 9-box.
Experience supporting executive onboarding or leadership transitions.
Experience executing strategic initiatives and operational plans.

Responsibilities

Serve as the day-to-day people advisor to the agency leadership team and their departments.
Contribute to the Senior Leadership Team agenda, which meets twice weekly, in partnership with the VP of Agency Operations.
Drive agency leadership OKRs by owning people priorities and partnering with Finance and Operations on people, headcount, and financial goals.
Proactively manage and resolve employee relations matters, including coaching conversations, performance plans, and exits.
Guide managers through difficult conversations and deliver difficult messages directly when needed.
Ensure compliance with company policies and escalate matters to leadership and counsel appropriately.
Identify talent and skills gaps and plan full-time, temporary, and freelance staffing needs with Operations and Finance.
Advise on organizational design, workforce planning, and headcount, and identify internal mobility and succession opportunities for critical roles.
Partner with Talent Acquisition and external search partners to maintain a talent pipeline and fill priority roles quickly.
Keep leaders informed about hiring pipeline and progress.
Lead onboarding for incoming agency leadership hires.
Help lead the Q1 agency performance review cycle, advising leaders on ratings, talent decisions, and feedback delivery.
Facilitate calibration sessions with leaders and the VP of People Operations, challenging ratings and maintaining standards.
Support compensation decisions connected to the review cycle, ensuring internal equity and clear rationale.
Support planning for the annual engagement survey, including reviewing questions and rollout timing.
Maintain a weekly update log of decisions, open issues, and next steps.
Partner with People Operations on processing people changes and with the UnitedMasters PBP on cross-company matters.