People Operations Business Partner - United States - The Geneva Foundation

Description

About the Position
The People Operations Business Partner (POBP) serves as a strategic partner and trusted advisor to leaders and managers, supporting Geneva's mission by aligning people strategy with organizational and operational priorities. This role contributes to Geneva's vision by combining strong operational execution with consultative partnership, data-informed decision support, and proactive workforce planning. The POBP is responsible for ensuring a consistent, compliant, and high-quality employee experience while partnering with leaders to drive performance, engagement, and organizational effectiveness. This role plays a key part in advancing People Operations maturity through system optimization, process improvement, and leader enablement.
This is a Hub Anchored Hybrid Corporate position. Our Hub locations are in Bethesda, MD; Frederick, MD; Fayetteville, NC; and Tacoma, WA. Candidates must be of driving distance from hub locations.
Compensation: $67,000 - $97000
QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field, or equivalent experience.
• 5-7 years of progressive People Operations or HR experience.
• Strong working knowledge of HR systems; Workday experience strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated knowledge of employment law, benefits administration, and compliance requirements.
• Ability to exercise independent judgment in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
• Strong interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.
• PHR, SPHR, or SHRM certification preferred.

Principle duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:
RESPONSIBILITIES
Business Partnership & Strategic Advisory

• Serve as a primary People Operations partner to assigned departments, guiding workforce planning, employee relations, performance management, and development.
• Advise managers on employee lifecycle decisions, corrective action, and policy application with a focus on consistency, fairness, and risk mitigation.
• Support leaders in navigating organizational change, role transitions, and team effectiveness.

Talent & Workforce Planning Partnership

• Partner with Talent Acquisition and leaders on workforce planning, role design, and hiring priorities to ensure alignment with organizational needs.
• Support leaders through interview readiness, selection decision-making, and offer alignment.
• Collaborate with Talent Acquisition to identify hiring trends, risks, and opportunities that inform workforce strategy and retention.
• May support targeted sourcing efforts for senior-level, hard-to-fill, or highly specialized roles, in partnership with Talent Acquisition leadership.

People Operations Execution & Systems

• Manage and support onboarding, offboarding, job changes, performance cycles, and employee data management within Workday.
• Serve as a subject matter expert for Geneva's HCM system, partnering with People Operations leadership on configuration updates, reporting, and system enhancements.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Talent Acquisition, Benefits, Payroll, Finance, and IT to ensure seamless handoffs and accurate processing.

Employee Relations & Compliance

• Address employee concerns with professionalism, discretion, and sound judgment.
• Assist with investigations, documentation, and corrective actions in partnership with leadership.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local employment regulations, including FMLA, ERISA, COBRA, EEO, and related reporting requirements.

Benefits, Compensation & Program Support

• Provide backup and support for benefits administration, enrollments, changes, compliance audits, and vendor coordination.
• Support compensation processes including salary analysis, FLSA compliance, and education of Geneva's compensation philosophy.
• Assist with administration and employee education related to retirement programs (403(b)).

Performance, Development & Engagement

• Support and/or manage performance review cycles and leader readiness.
• Partner with People Operations leadership on professional development programs and budget oversight.
• Use engagement and workforce data to identify trends and recommend improvement actions.

Data, Reporting & Continuous Improvement

• Utilize People Analytics and reporting to support leadership decisions related to engagement, retention, and performance.
• Identify opportunities for process improvement and operational efficiency.
• Participate in audits, compliance reviews, and special projects as assigned.

SUCCESS INDICATORS
Success in the People Operations Business Partner role will be measured by the following outcomes:

• Leaders demonstrate increased confidence and capability in managing performance, employee relations, and workforce decisions with proactive People Ops support.
• Employee lifecycle processes (onboarding, job changes, performance cycles, offboarding) are executed accurately, timely, and consistently in Workday.
• Reduction in escalations and reactive issues through early intervention, clear guidance, and strong manager partnership.
• Compliance requirements, audits, and reporting obligations are met with minimal findings or rework.
• Improved visibility into workforce trends, engagement drivers, and retention risks through effective use of People Analytics and reporting.
• Positive feedback from leaders and employees regarding responsiveness, clarity, and quality of People Operations support.
• Continuous improvement of People Ops processes, systems, and documentation that enhances efficiency and employee experience.