Senior Human Resources Business Partner

Metropolitan State University • Moorhead, MN

9h • Hybrid

About The Position

The Senior HR Business Partner plays a strategic and mission-critical role in advancing Minnesota State Moorhead’s commitment to Academic Relevance, Student Experience, Regional Engagement, and Investment in Place. Serving as a trusted advisor to university leaders, this position provides senior-level human resources expertise in classification, compensation, employee and labor relations, staffing, recruitment, and ADA employment compliance. Working in a dynamic higher-education setting, the Senior HR Business Partner partners across campus to align workforce practices with the university’s academic mission and evolving institutional priorities. This role supports academic relevance by ensuring positions are thoughtfully designed, properly classified, and competitively compensated to attract and retain exceptional talent. Through inclusive recruitment and equitable employment practices, the position directly enhances the student experience by supporting a stable, engaged, and well-supported workforce. The role also advances regional engagement by ensuring compliance with public sector labor agreements, employment laws, and systemwide policies, while fostering strong relationships with campus colleagues, union partners, and system-level stakeholders. As part of Moorhead’s long-term investment in place, the Senior HR Business Partner helps build organizational capacity, supports succession and workforce planning, and contributes to a healthy workplace culture that serves both current employees and future generations.

Requirements

• Two (2) years of progressively responsible human resources experience, including direct experience in classification, compensation, recruitment, and/or employee/labor relations.
• A Bachelor’s degree may substitute for one (1) year of experience.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze complex organizational structures, develop strategic HR solutions, and align workforce planning with institutional goals.
• Proven ability to consult and advise leadership, communicate complex HR concepts clearly, and manage sensitive and confidential matters with discretion.
• Proficient written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong computer skills, especially with software such as Microsoft 365, Zoom, and Adobe.
• Intermediate MS Excel skills sufficient to clean data for reports and create pivot tables.
• Must be able to lawfully accept employment in the United States by the day employment begins.
• The University regrets that we are unable to offer H1-B sponsorship at this time.

Nice To Haves

• Four (4) years of progressively responsible human resources experience, including direct experience in classification, compensation, recruitment, and/or employee/labor relations.
• Bachelor's degree in HR, Business Administration, or related field.
• HR Certification (SHRM-CP or PHR).
• Demonstrated ongoing professional HR development.
• Knowledge of collective bargaining agreements, Minnesota State, Minnesota Management & Budget and/or university policies.
• Knowledge of affirmative action/equal opportunity policies and procedures to ensure compliance.
• Strong customer services principles and adherence to the MSUM core values of Grit, Humility and Heart.

Responsibilities

• Provides strategic leadership in classification and compensation, working closely with the Director of HR to align workforce strategies with institutional goals.
• Advises managers on complex classification issues, including job design, supervisory designations, bargaining unit assignments, and confidential status.
• Leads classification audits and studies at the university level, evaluates new and existing positions, and represents MSUM in campus and system-level evaluation committees.
• Develops and implements compensation strategies that ensure internal equity and market competitiveness.
• Provides employee and labor relations counsel and expertise for employees, supervisors, and Administration to ensure understanding of and compliance with employment laws and regulations, University and Minnesota State system policies, and bargaining agreements and plans.
• Conducts employment investigations into allegations of misconduct to ensure timely and fair resolution of complaints and compliance with state and federal statutes, collective bargaining agreements, and Minnesota State Board of Trustees policies and procedures.
• Provides expert guidance on layoff processes in alignment with applicable union contract provisions.
• Collaborates with divisional leadership to assess staffing needs and develop organizational design strategies that align with institutional goals.
• Conducts positional analysis to support backfilling of vacancies, retirement transitions, and succession planning.
• Leads recruitment coordination for designated positions (Administrator, Managerial, MMA) while ensuring alignment with the university’s broader organizational design and strategic workforce goals.
• Advises hiring managers and search committees on inclusive, equitable hiring practices that reflect the university’s Equity 2030 commitments.
• Serves as the ADA Title I Coordinator, ensuring compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act as it relates to employment.
• Oversees reasonable accommodation processes, advises management and employees on ADA requirements, maintains documentation, and coordinates interactive processes to support equal employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities.
• Develops, updates, and maintains ADA-related employment policies and procedures to ensure legal compliance and best practices.
• Provides training and guidance to managers, supervisors, and employees on ADA requirements, reasonable accommodation processes, and inclusive employment practices.
• Monitors changes in ADA regulations and employment law; recommends and implements process improvements to maintain compliance.

Benefits

• 11 paid Holidays
• Vacation Time
• Sick Time
• six weeks of Paid Parental Leave
• low cost medical and dental insurance with low deductibles ($250 - $1500)
• a Pension Plan
• 457(b) and 403(b) retirement plans and other retirement investment options
• pre-tax medical and dental expense (with roll-over option) and dependent care accounts
• employer paid life insurance
• short and long term disability
• professional development
• a tuition waiver program for employees and their dependents

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Number of Employees: 251-500 employees