Business Partner

About EAB

At EAB, our mission is to make education smarter and our communities stronger. We work with more than 2,800 institutions to drive transformative change through data-driven insights and best-in-class capabilities. From kindergarten to college to career, EAB partners with leaders and practitioners to accelerate progress and drive results across enrollment, student success, institutional strategy, data analytics, and advancement. We work with each partner differently, tailoring our portfolio of research, technology, and marketing and enrollment solutions to meet the unique needs of every leadership team, as well as the students and employees they serve.

At EAB, we serve not only our partner institutions but each other—that's why we are always working to make sure our employees love their jobs and are invested in their communities. See how we've been recognized for this dedication to our employees by checking out our recent awards.

For more information, visit our Careers page.

The Role in Brief:

Business Partner

In this critical role, the HR Business Partner will serve as a key member of the Talent (Human Resources) Department at EAB and will create and drive the human capital strategy across various lines of business at the firm. Through their partnership with executives and leaders, the Business Partner will have the opportunity to serve as a trusted advisor for all talent-related matters, including performance management, career pathing, personnel issues, and broader organizational and strategic change management initiatives. The ideal candidate will embrace and embody EAB’s Business Partner mission statement:

Our aim is to be strategic partners to the business, embedding ourselves as trusted advisors to the executives we serve.  In partnership, we set the strategic talent agenda and take active leadership roles in driving the agenda forward with a clear focus on accomplishing strategic outcomes for the business.

This role is based in Richmond, VA and requires regular in-person presence in the office, generally at least two days per week, and will report into the Managing Director, Business Partner.

For internal leveling purposes, this position is equivalent to EAB’s Senior Manager level.  This position is posted at both the Senior Manager and Associate Director levels; candidates are being considered across both levels based on experience, with final level determined at the time of offer.

Primary Responsibilities:

Embedded, Trusted Business Partnership

• Serve as a trusted adviser to a broad set of divisions, functions, or business lines; visibility and accessibility to all executives and employees within the relevant segments of the organization

• Provide seamless, integrated support by working with other Business Partners on the team to advance the division and/or firm’s overall goals

• Possess an understanding of our partners and business priorities in order to advise, attract, and engage talent effectively

• Work across internal teams, departments and cross-functional groups, and collaborate with various Talent teams (e.g., Compensation, Systems, Benefits, etc.) to solve complex organizational problems and create a cohesive experience for all employees

Career Pathing and Engagement

• Coach and prepare the business, managers, and employees in times of change, ensuring EAB culture and values steer strategic business decisions

• Partner with division leads to review results from EAB’s employee engagement assessments and help develop action plans to address top drivers of engagement and retention

• Engage with firmwide Learning and Development and Inclusive Culture & Leadership teams to support deployment of key strategies and programs related to culture and employee experience

Performance Management

• Work with managers to identify high and low employee performance on an ongoing basis, as well as drive and facilitate the firmwide performance review process

• Manage, organize, and help facilitate division performance review sessions and career planning sessions

• Support managers in providing structured, detailed plans to manage staff performance

• Advise managers on complex employee relations, performance, conduct, attendance, and workplace concerns, partnering with Legal, Benefits, and other Talent teams as appropriate

• Conduct or support objective, timely reviews of employee concerns and recommend solutions that balance employee experience, consistency, risk, and business needs

Workforce Planning and Recruitment Strategy

• Assess organizational and talent needs, identify risks and opportunities, and develop solutions related to organizational design, leadership capability, succession, workforce planning, employee engagement, and the evolving impact of AI and automation on roles, skills, and team structures.

• Identify how AI and automation may affect roles, skills, and staffing needs, and support leaders and senior Business Partners in evaluating potential workforce and organizational implications.

• Monitor and report on attrition and analyze workforce trends to help inform recruiting goals, retention priorities, and workforce strategy.

• Partner with the Talent Acquisition (Recruiting) team to initiate recruiting processes, provide input, and help craft position descriptions and interview processes that reflect evolving business, technology, and AI-related capability needs and drive successful outcomes.

• Advise on candidate offers, level, reporting relationships, compensation, and negotiations.

• Leverage approved AI and automation tools, where appropriate, to strengthen workforce analysis, improve the efficiency and consistency of recurring Talent processes, and support more informed decision-making while maintaining appropriate confidentiality, data privacy, and human oversight.

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Psychology, Business Administration, or a related field

• 3+ years progressive HR, people management, organizational consulting, or related experience

• Demonstrated ability to build credibility with senior leaders and operate effectively in a complex, matrixed organization

• Strong written, verbal, analytical, and project-management skills

• Sound judgment and discretion when handling sensitive information

• Ability to manage competing priorities and deliver against deadlines

Ideal Qualifications:

• Direct HR Business Partner experience supporting multiple business units or functions

• Experience advising senior executives and leading organizational change

• Experience with organizational design, workforce planning, succession, or talent reviews

• Experience using workforce data to influence business decisions

• Experience in a professional services, technology, research, education, or similarly complex organization

• Familiarity with HR systems, analytics, AI-enabled tools, or workflow automation

• SHRM, HRCI, coaching, change-management, or related certification

Commitment to embracing a continual learning environment and contributing to a dynamic and welcoming culture of fairness, authenticity, and belonging in support of EAB’s mission, values, and aspiration

If you’ve reached this section of the job description and are unsure of whether to apply, please do! At EAB, we welcome new perspectives and learn from each other’s unique experiences. We would encourage you to submit an application if this is a role you would be passionate about doing every day.

Compensation:

The anticipated starting salary range for this role is $75,000 - $80,000 per year. Actual salary varies due to factors that may include but not be limited to relevant experience, skills, and location. At EAB, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the starting salary range for their role.

This hire will additionally be eligible for discretionary bonus or incentive compensation. Variable compensation may depend on various factors, such as individual and organizational performance. 

Benefits:

Consistent with our belief that our employees are our most valuable resource, EAB offers a competitive and inclusive benefits package. Our benefits currently include:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance plans; dependents and domestic partners eligible
•  20+ days of PTO annually, in addition to paid firm and floating holidays
• Daytime leave policy for community service and flextime for fitness activities (up to 10 hours per month each)
• 401(k) retirement savings plan with annual discretionary company matching contribution
• Health savings account, healthcare and dependent care flexible spending account, and pre-tax commuter plan
• Employee assistance program with counseling services and resources available to all employees and immediate family
• Wellness programs including gym discounts, incentives to promote healthy living, and family access to the leading app for sleep, meditation, and relaxation
• Fertility treatment coverage and adoption or surrogacy assistance
• Paid parental leave with phase back to work program for birthing and non-birthing parents
• Access to milk shipping service to support nursing employees during business travel
• Discounted pet health insurance coverage for dog and cat family members
• Company-provided life, AD&D, and disability insurance
• Financial wellness resources and membership in a robust employee discount program
• Access to employee resource groups, merit-based advancement, and dynamic professional growth opportunities

Benefits kick in day one; learn more at eab.com/careers/benefits.

This opening is not eligible for visa sponsorship at this time; EAB will thus consider candidates who possess U.S. work authorization that does not require employment-based visa sponsorship now or in the future.

At EAB, we believe that to fulfill our mission to “make education smarter and our communities stronger” we need team members who bring a diversity of perspectives to the table and are committed to fostering a workplace where each team member is valued, respected and heard.

To that end, EAB is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and we make employment decisions on the basis of qualifications, merit and business need. We don’t discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, non-disqualifying physical or mental disability, national origin, veteran status or any other basis covered by appropriate law.