SR HR BUSINESS PARTNER

Senior HR Business Partner, Cumberland Medical Center

Full Time, 80 Hours Per Pay Period, Day Shift

Covenant Health Overview:

Covenant Health is the region’s top-performing healthcare network with 10 hospitals, outpatient and specialty services, and Covenant Medical Group, our area’s fastest-growing physician practice division. Headquartered in Knoxville, Covenant Health is a community-owned integrated healthcare delivery system and the area’s largest employer. Our more than 11,000 employees, volunteers, and 1,500 affiliated physicians are dedicated to improving the quality of life for the more than two million patients and families we serve every year. Covenant Health is the only healthcare system in East Tennessee to be named a Forbes “Best Employer” seven times. 

Position Summary:

The Sr. HR Business Partner serves as a strategic advisor and trusted partner to operational and clinical leaders, aligning people strategies with business objectives. This role supports business units and operates with a high degree of autonomy in day-to-day HR execution while partnering closely with the Director, HR Partnerships to ensure alignment with broader HR strategy and organizational priorities. The Sr. HRBP champions a culture rooted in the organization’s values, fostering an environment of transparency, accountability and continuous improvement.  This role drives initiatives that enhance employee engagement, leadership effectiveness, and operational excellence across all people processes.

The Senior Human Resources Business Partner serves as a strategic advisor and trusted business partner to Cumberland Medical Center's leadership team. This role is responsible for leading the facility's people strategies, including employee relations, leadership coaching, workforce planning, talent management, engagement, succession planning, organizational effectiveness, and change management. We are seeking an experienced HR professional who can balance strategic thinking with operational execution, build strong relationships across all levels of the organization, navigate complex employee relations matters, and influence leaders through sound judgment and data-driven decision making. Cumberland Medical Center is a key Covenant Health facility serving the Upper Cumberland region with approximately 600 employees, offering the opportunity to make a significant impact on both organizational performance and employee experience while partnering closely with facility and enterprise leadership.

• Partner with operational and clinical leaders to understand business priorities and translate them into practical HR strategies, serving as a primary HR advisor for assigned client groups.
• Collaborate with the Director, HR Partnerships to align local and functional HR strategies with enterprise priorities, ensuring consistency in approach, messaging, and execution across the organization.
• Lead and support workforce planning efforts by assessing staffing needs, identifying risks and gaps, and partnering with leaders to develop actionable solutions aligned with organizational and Director-led strategic priorities.
• With oversight from the Director, HR Partnerships, manage and resolve complex employee relations matters, conducting investigations and providing coaching and guidance to leaders on performance management, team dynamics, and issue resolution.
• Support talent development and succession planning by partnering with leaders to assess talent, identify high-potential employees, and implement development plans in alignment with enterprise talent strategies.
• Provide leadership for change management initiatives by driving effective communication, promoting adoption, aligning stakeholders, and ensuring measurable, sustained organizational outcomes.
• Ensure compliance with all federal, state, and accreditation standards, proactively leading efforts to maintain continuous HR survey readiness and coordinating preparation, documentation, and follow-up activities for Joint Commission, CMS, and other regulatory agency reviews.
• Analyze workforce metrics and trends to inform decision-making, identify risks, and escalate insights to the Director, HR Partnerships to guide strategy adjustments and targeted interventions.
• May mentor HR Business Partners or Coordinators and provide guidance on HR practices; may provide day-to-day coordination support without formal supervisory accountability.
• Collaborate with HR Centers of Excellence to support core HR processes including performance management, compensation planning and processes, leave of absence administration, talent acquisition
• Promote a culture, engagement, and retention through leadership coaching and employee experience initiatives.
• Follows policies, procedures, and safety standards. Completes required education assignments annually. Works toward achieving goals and objectives, and participates in quality improvement initiatives as requested.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Education:          

Bachelor degree in Human Resources, Business, Psychology or related field.  May consider additional relevant experience in lieu of degree.

Minimum Experience:         

5-7 years HR experience, preferably in a healthcare or matrixed environment. Demonstrated experience in employee relations, leadership coaching and HR Consulting. Strong business acumen and with ability to operationalize strategy within defined frameworks and direction. Experience supporting leaders in workforce planning, talent management and organizational change

Licensure Requirement:      

None