People Operations (HR) Business Partner

Learning Without Tears•Gaithersburg, MD

6d•Hybrid

About The Position

Learning Without Tears (LWT) is a family-owned company dedicated to revolutionizing education through innovative and engaging products and digital resources. We foster a collaborative and creative environment focused on excellence and continuous improvement. This role supports a growing organization of 220 employees, leading full-cycle talent acquisition and serving as the primary resource for employee relations. The position requires a strategic and tactical approach, partnering with leaders at all levels while executing recruiting and employee relations tasks. The ideal candidate is a strong communicator with business acumen, high emotional intelligence, and a self-driven work ethic. Experience with AI and modern recruiting tools is highly valued.

Requirements

5+ years of HR experience in a generalist or HRBP role, with strong emphasis on full-cycle recruiting and employee relations.
Demonstrated success operating in a small to mid-sized (100-300 employee) organization or similar fast-paced environment.
Exceptional communication skills with the ability to confidently engage, influence, and advise executive leadership.
High emotional intelligence and strong judgment in handling sensitive employee matters.
Proven ability to independently manage multiple priorities with accountability for outcomes.
Strong work ethic with a proactive, solution-oriented, and ownership-driven mindset.
Familiarity with HRIS and ATS platforms (e.g., UKG, Greenhouse, Lever, or similar).
Experience supporting organizational growth or scaling recruiting functions.

Nice To Haves

Experience leveraging AI tools in talent acquisition (sourcing platforms, screening tools, recruiting analytics, etc.) is strongly preferred.
HR certification (SHRM-CP/SCP, PHR/SPHR) is strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

Own and execute end-to-end recruiting, typically managing 5–8 concurrent requisitions.
Partner with hiring managers and senior leaders to define hiring needs, success profiles, and recruiting strategies.
Actively source and engage passive candidates, building pipelines for critical and recurring roles.
Leverage AI tools and automation to enhance sourcing, screening, interview coordination, and candidate insights.
Drive a structured, high-quality interview process, ensuring strong hiring decisions and a positive candidate experience.
Track and manage recruiting metrics and adjust strategies in real time.
Serve as the primary point of accountability for hiring outcomes.
Design, launch, and manage a scalable internship program aligned to business needs and early talent strategy.
Partner with functional leaders to identify internship opportunities and define meaningful projects.
Own full-cycle recruiting for interns, including campus outreach, sourcing, selection, and offer management.
Leverage AI and recruiting tools to enhance intern sourcing strategies, pipeline development, and candidate engagement.
Develop a structured and engaging intern experience, including onboarding, mentorship, and performance feedback.
Coordinate program milestones to ensure consistency and impact.
Partner with managers to ensure interns are set up for success with clear objectives and support.
Build a repeatable early talent pipeline with a focus on converting high-performing interns into full-time hires.
Track key program metrics and continuously improve program effectiveness.
Establish relationships with local high schools, universities, professional programs, and relevant networks to build long-term talent pipelines.
Serve as the go-to advisor for managers and employees on employee relations matters, including performance concerns, conflict resolution, and workplace issues.
Conduct investigations and resolve issues with sound judgment, consistency, and discretion.
Coach managers on performance management, accountability, and effective team leadership.
Balance employee advocacy with business needs, ensuring fair, compliant, and practical outcomes.
Identify patterns or risks and proactively recommend solutions to improve engagement and reduce turnover.
Build strong, trusted relationships with leaders across functions.
Support workforce planning, organizational changes, and team effectiveness initiatives.
Partner cross-functionally to align hiring and people strategies with business priorities.
Contribute to continuous improvement of HR processes, with a focus on scalability and efficiency.
Operate with a "roll up your sleeves" mindset, balancing strategy with execution in a lean HR team.