Human Resources Business Partner, Central Office

Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is one of the largest school districts in the United States, serving over 320,000 students in more than 600 schools and employing nearly 40,000 people, most of them teachers. CPS has set ambitious goals to ensure that every student, in every school and every neighborhood, has access to a world-class learning experience that prepares each for success in college, career and civic life. In order to fulfill this mission, we make three commitments to our students, their families and all Chicagoans: academic progress, financial stability and integrity. Six core values are embedded within these commitments - student-centered, whole child, equity, academic excellence, community partnership, and continuous learning.

The Talent Office supports and empowers employees through all stages of their Chicago Public Schools (CPS) careers, with the understanding that the department's success enables employees to better serve the students of Chicago.

Job Summary:

Reporting to the Human Resources Manager, the Human Resources Business Partner (HRBP) provides support to a portfolio of Central Office and Citywide departments across Chicago Public Schools (CPS). This position plays a critical role in supporting strategic priorities and operational functions in areas such as compensation, employee relations, talent management, and workforce planning. Additionally, the HRBP is instrumental in implementing new and impactful HR programs, policies and processes that embrace diversity, foster inclusion and promote equity (i.e. DEI) throughout CPS.

This role is based at the Central Office located at 42 W. Madison St.

The Human Resource Business Partner will be held accountable for the following responsibilities:

• Serve as the primary contact providing counsel and consultative support to an assigned portfolio of Central Office and Citywide departments, internal partners, and employee populations across all levels of the organization

• Develop an in-depth knowledge of the assigned portfolio and provide differentiated support to meet the departments' unique needs

• Partner with portfolio hiring managers to review, create and refine accurate, comprehensive job descriptions and support effective, DEI-rooted hiring processes

• Act as a thought partner to portfolio leaders to diagnose departmental and organizational challenges and develop and implement strategies to resolve issues

• Partner with the portfolio leaders, HR Director and the Office of Administrative Hearings to effectively and proactively resolve employee relations issues, HR investigations, disciplinary proceedings and other performance management processes for union and non-union staff

• Collaborate with the compensation and organizational design team to manage staff organization analysis for central office, school-based, and citywide staff to ensure the optimization of talent and resources; provide support in the event of layoffs, as needed

• Coach, train and advise managers and staff regarding employee relations, talent management and human resources issues using sound judgment and ensuring counsel is in line with Board of Education policies and applicable laws/regulations

• Effectively manage relationships with stakeholders and escalate issues to the HR Manager and other senior leaders as needed

• Guide and support staff in following Talent processes and procedures related to position management, job descriptions and postings, etc., and in the use of related HR systems including our HRIS (PeopleSoft), applicant tracking (Taleo)

• Support HRIS, Oracle and Taleo data integrity and accuracy by operating with high levels of attention to detail and facilitating regular data cleanups

• Analyze and interpret policies, law changes, and procedures to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements

• Aid in the implementation and administration of centralized processes supporting the employee lifecycle, such as onboarding/orientation, exit interview, and offboarding process, for Central Office and Citywide departments

• Recommend and implement operational improvements to streamline internal HR processes, increase efficiency, and foster a fair and equitable work environment

• Provide analytical expertise, guidance, and interpretation of varied compensation policies to departments across the organization Support CPS compensation guidelines, including job evaluation, job grading and analysis to provide fair and equitable salary recommendations for internal and external candidates

• Create offer letters communicating approved job offers, as well as position and/or compensation changes

• Partner with the HR Manager and other HR Leadership on project management as needed, including determining strategic priorities, defining project scope, objectives and deliverables, and leading change management when necessary

• Identify opportunities for continuous improvement in order to increase organizational, team, and individual performance Perform additional ad hoc duties and projects as assigned

In order to be successful and achieve the above responsibilities, the Human Resources Business Partner must possess the following qualifications:

Education Required:

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university required
• HR Certification (PHR/SPHR, SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP) preferred

Experience Required:

• Minimum of five (5) years of strategic, high-volume human resources business partner or generalist-level experience in a fast-paced work environment is required

• Project management experience and proven record of building strategic HR systems and programs is preferred

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Strong knowledge of human resources practices and state and federal labor and employment laws

• Dedicated, entrepreneurial self-starter with excellent project management skills and a drive to succeed

• Impeccable judgment, integrity, curiosity and professionalism; strong regard for confidentiality, and the ability to employ sound reasoning to make quick determinations in challenging situations

• Excellent critical thinking skills; ability to make sound decisions, and discern when a matter should be escalated to the next level.

• Comfortable with ambiguity and establishing a direction on one's own, with frequent support but without requiring constant supervision

• Ability to initiate, build, and manage cohesive partnerships and professional relationships at all levels of the organization both internally and externally

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to facilitate/present information to audiences at all levels of the organization, gearing communication toward the target audience; ability to communicate at a high level with an impeccable detail orientation and a focus on customer service and relationships

• Excellent active listening skills; capable of understanding nuance, and effectively interpreting motivations/perceptions

• Ability to analyze a problem/question, prioritize, and determine the level of intervention or escalation necessary

• Excellent time management skills; Highly organized and capable of keeping track of upcoming, ongoing, and prior work products

• Capable of quickly adapting to shifting priorities and deadlines, managing multiple varied projects simultaneously in a high-volume, fast-paced environment

• Ability to build and create data, analyze statistics, identify trends, and proactively make balanced, objective recommendations and realistic action plans to achieve maximum results

• Strong leadership presence and ability to influence and gain the confidence of others

• Able to integrate feedback from others to achieve better results and departmental success

Conditions of Employment

As a condition of employment with the Chicago Public Schools (CPS), employees are required to:

• Establish/Maintain Chicago Residency - Employees are required to live within the geographic boundaries of the City of Chicago within six months of their CPS hire date and maintain residency throughout their employment with the district. The Chicago residency requirement does not apply to temporary/part-time positions, however, all CPS employees must be residents of Illinois.

• Be Fully Vaccinated Against COVID-19 - Unless approved for a medical or religious exemption, all employees are required to be up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccinations, including boosters, and to submit proof of vaccination to the district within 30 days of hire. "Up-to-date" on vaccination is defined as being at least two weeks past all primary vaccine doses and any applicable boosters.

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