HR Business Partner, Performance

University Overview

The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn’s distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America’s Best Employers By State in 2021.

Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.

The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.

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Posted Job Title

HR Business Partner, Performance & Culture
- Wharton Human Resources (Hybrid Eligible)

Job Profile Title

Associate Director C

Job Description Summary

The Wharton Human Resources team supports the full employee lifecycle for over 900 staff. We have redesigned our team’s structure to expand our current services and better meet the needs of our employees. We are excited to announce the addition of two new roles to drive performance and culture at our school.

The Wharton Human Resources team is looking for two Performance & Culture Business Partners
- HR Generalist roles
- to support our efforts to build a positive and inclusive workplace for all employees. At Wharton, we aim to deliver an engaging and positive employee-centric experience across the organization. As a member of our HR team, the Performance & Culture Business Partner acts as a main point of contact for our employees, fosters partnerships to support a high performing culture, administers our employee experience programs, and develops tracking and reporting techniques to improve our service and planning processes so that we can continually adapt to meet the needs of our school.

**Job Description**:
**Duties**:
Reporting into the Director of HR, this newly created role serves as an agent for change within the organization and contributes to driving thoughtful workplace practices designed around evolving challenges. The scope of the Business Partner extends to oversight of all people-related delivery initiatives, ranging from specific one-time projects (e.g., recognition programs) to annual cyclical events such as performance reviews.

Specific responsibilities include:
- Employee Relations: Manage, mediate, coach and resolve complex staff relations issues. Conduct investigations and mediations when necessary; follow up with appropriate next steps. Provide hands-on coaching for managers in performance management, performance evaluations & goal setting, retention issues, reorganizations/restructures, disciplinary actions, and terminations. Support staff in managing complex interpersonal conflicts. Conduct proactive check-ins.- Manage (and when appropriate, redesign) employee experience programs including but not limited to development/ training, staff committees, engagement, recognition, and employee retention. Employ out-of-the-box creative thinking to redesign and deliver positive employee experiences- Contribute to creating employee listening strategies to drive and measure employee experience, including engagement surveys and employee voice sessions. Continually monitor internal feedback from employees to identify gaps, friction points, and inconsistencies impacting their workplace experience.- Employ analytical thinking to identify areas of focus and design strategies to address accordingly- Meet with individuals to understand and address employee complaints/concerns related to workplace dynamics and/or performance. Provide recommendations for appropriate follow up action and engage in productive outcomes. Conduct proactive check-ins with departments & managers.- Participate in the planning and execution of meaningful internal connection events, which may include speaker events, trainings, meetings, luncheons, celebrations, etc.- Identify