Human Resources Business Partner

About CRS
Catholic Relief Services is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. CRS works to save, protect, and transform lives in need in more than 100 countries, without regard to race, religion or nationality. CRS’ relief and development work is accomplished through programs of emergency response, HIV, health, agriculture, education, microfinance and peacebuilding.

Job Summary
The HR Business Partner (HRBP) provides expert HR support to assigned client groups and Regional HR colleagues. The position focuses on building relationships and partnering with employees and management to meet agency objectives and serve the mission. The HRBP acts as an expert consultant to management on human resource-related issues as a third tie r of expertise with a strong focus on complex and challenging positive employee relations and safeguarding matters. The role assesses and anticipates HR-related needs by identifying gaps, diagnosing root causes and proposing means to develop integrated solutions. The HRBP will manage a client group of US based and Expatriate staff. This position reports to the Sr. Director of People Operations.

Roles and Key Responsibilities
Employee Life Cycle:

• Onboarding
• Ensure all new hires and entity transferred staff are fully onboarded.
• Ensure all new hire data is accurate in our systems.
• Performance Management
• Work with supervisors to address performance issues with a focus on positive outcomes

Employee Relations:

• Employee relations cases include any staff-involved safeguarding allegation or a staff complaint or concern that is not safeguarding related. This could mean favoritism, discrimination, a performance problem, or another issue.
• Promote positive employee relations consistently, thoroughly, and fairly.
• Counsel, make recommendations, and support all facets of employee relations to ensure effective staff management to include disciplinary action, conflict resolution, performance issues, dismissals, position eliminations, and for-cause dismissals following CRS’ established processes and communications.
• Review and edit disciplinary and corrective action letters as well as performance improvement plans, offering assistance and guidance to management and global colleagues.
• Maintain in-depth knowledge of legal requirements related to day-to-day management of employees, reducing legal risks and ensuring regulatory compliance. Partner with legal department as needed/required.
• Design and implement solutions that that get to the root cause of any issue, no matter how complex.
• Provide Organizational Development support to managers, proactively highlighting areas or issues that would lead to more efficiencies and growth opportunities to staff.
• Policy Interpretation and Enforcement
• Provide HR policy guidance and interpretation.
• Work collaboratively with management to ensure consistent application of policy, practices and initiatives to provide HR solutions that positively impact the agency.

Data and Transactions:

• Communicating employee lifecycle events (change in status, promotion, lateral move, termination, etc.) in a timely manner to the people or systems that need to be informed
• Providing timely metrics, and related analysis, to guide decision making, propose solutions and help business managers better understand HR trends, issues, and gaps
• Employee Engagement and Retention
• Monitor staff morale and retention through stay and exit interviews noting trends and developments
• Liaising with Talent Development to implement action plans following the Staff Survey
• Works closely with management and employees to improve work relationships, build morale, and increase productivity and retention.
• Be a role model of CRS values championing a culture of engagement, communication, and collaboration to promote the employee experience.

Staff Separations:

• Managing employee terminations and leading the process of employee involuntary terminations by working closely with managers to determine appropriate mechanisms and communication and ensuring terminations follow CRS policy as well as external legal regulations (e.g. notification periods, etc.)
• Scheduling and conducting exit interviews, capturing relevant information and insight
• Manage repatriation process for international staff, out-processing for domestic staff and payroll termination transactions.
• Respond to unemployment insurance requests and represent agency at hearings.
• Drafting severance agreements in line with CRS protocols, delivering them to affected employees, and following up to ensure they are executed
• Coordinating with Global Knowledge Information Management and Finance to communicate and collect back outstanding financial advances and/or equipment from departing employee
• Classifying separations into relevant categories (e.g. “regrettable loss”) and determining and recording whether an employee can be re-hired or not.

Strategic HR Consulting

• Serve as a strategic partner to business leaders, establishing HR business objectives that align with the overall agency plans and strategic objectives.
• Helping managers and staff understand and navigate initiatives coming out of HR; partnering with HR managers of Recruiting, Compensation, Benefits, Learning, and Talent to help ensure that programs are well-timed, well-packaged, and well-understood.
• Bring HR insights to business issues to help shape solutions
• Build effective relationships across the agency
• Be a partner and trusted adviser to Senior Leadership teams
• Conducts and participates in regular meeting with respective business units

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree with a concentration in HR Management or Development. Education requirements may be substituted by experience.
• Minimum 3 years of experience in HR, with at least 2 as an HR Business Partner
• Legal and regulatory knowledge of employee relations and employment law. Proven experience and demonstrated understanding of employment and human resources related laws, regulations, policies, principles, concepts and practices, including but not limited to Title VII, ADA and FMLA.
• Knowledge of principles and practices of human resources management.
• Understanding of U.S. Government contracting and pertinent regulations.

Preferred Qualifications

• Strong decision-making, problem-solving, and analytical skills
• Ability to assess multi-faceted issues, anticipate potential problems, and apply high level of skill and judgment around complex and ambiguous issues.
• Effective written/verbal communication skills, active-listening, counseling, interviewing, investigating and report writing.
• Well-developed people skills, high level of emotional intelligence; excellent interpersonal skills, and ability to develop strong trusting relationships with employees at all levels.
• Ability to maintain high levels of integrity and confidentiality regarding agency and employee matters.
• Able to work independently and collaboratively at both an operational and strategic level
• The ability to understand business goals and recommend new approaches, policies and procedures to effect continual improvements in business objectives, productivity and development of HR within the company.
• Exposure to global human resources management desired.
• French, Spanish, Portuguese or Arabic a plus.
• Proficient use of MS Office. HRIS experience or other database experience a plus.
• Master’s degree and/or PHR or SPHR strongly preferred.

Supervisory Responsibilities : none
Key Working Relationships:
Internal: People Support Team, HR staff, CRS staff
External: none
Agency-wide Competencies (for all CRS Staff)
These are rooted in the mission, values, and guiding principles of CRS and used by each staff member to fulfill his or her responsibilities and achieve the desired results.
Integrity
Continuous Improvement & Innovation
Builds Relationships
Develops Talent
Strategic Mindset
Accountability & Stewardship
**Our Catholic identity is at the heart of our mission and operations. Catholic Relief Services carries out the commitment of the Bishops of the United States to assist the poor and vulnerable overseas. We welcome as a part of our staff people of all faiths and secular tra ditions who share our values and our commitment to serving those in need. CRS’ processes and policies reflect our commitment to protecting children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation. Disclaimer: This job description is not an exhaustive list of the skill, effort, duties, and responsibilities associated with the position.*
**CRS’ talent acquisition procedures reflect our commitment to protecting children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation. **EOE/M/F/D/V -** CRS is an Equal Opportunity Employer. (For all US and International positions)

Catholic Relief Services carries out the commitment of the Bishops of the United States to assist the poor and vulnerable overseas. Our Catholic identity is at the heart of our mission and operations. We welcome as a part of our staff and as partners people of all faiths and secular traditions who share our values and our commitment to serving those in need.