Senior Human Resources Business Partner

About Kirkland & Ellis


At Kirkland & Ellis, we don't just meet the standard for legal excellence - we set it. Our culture is built on teamwork, ingenuity and an unwavering commitment to continuous growth. We tackle the most sophisticated legal challenges with bold ideas and innovative solutions, powered by the exceptional experience and ambition of our 7,000+ people, including 4,000+ attorneys, across 24 offices worldwide. Our dedicated professionals share our lawyers' commitment to excellence and show up each day to do meaningful work that helps drive global business, investment and innovation forward.


What You'll Do


Are you a senior HR leader who thrives as a strategic advisor to business leaders, influencing business outcomes through talent, organizational effectiveness, and workforce strategy?

As a Senior Human Resources Business Partner (HRBP, Senior Manager) , you will serve as a trusted consultant to senior business leaders, helping shape and execute people strategies that accelerate performance, strengthen leadership capability, and support long-term business objectives. In this highly visible role, you will partner closely with the finance leadership team and Talent Centers of Excellence (COEs) to deliver enterprise-aligned solutions across workforce planning, organizational design, talent management, succession planning, change leadership, employee relations, and organizational effectiveness. You will leverage data-driven insights, business acumen, and strategic thinking to help leaders navigate growth, transformation, and evolving workforce needs.

Strategic Business Partnership: Act as a trusted advisor to senior leaders, aligning talent and organizational strategies with business priorities, enterprise objectives, and long-range workforce plans.

Organizational Design & Workforce Strategy: Lead workforce planning, organizational design, talent segmentation, and succession planning efforts to ensure the organization has the capabilities, leadership pipeline, and structure required to meet future business demands.

Executive Coaching & Leadership Effectiveness: Partner with leaders to enhance organizational performance, strengthen leadership capabilities, improve team effectiveness, and foster a high-performance culture.

Talent Management & Development: Drive strategic talent initiatives, including performance management, leadership development, onboarding, internal mobility, career pathing, and retention strategies that build critical capability across the business.

Employee Relations & Risk Management: Provide guidance on complex employee relations matters, performance concerns, investigations, and corrective actions while partnering with Employee Relations and Legal to mitigate organizational risk.

Change Management & Continuous Improvement: Support change initiatives such as technology implementations and operating model shifts, while identifying opportunities to streamline, automate, and elevate work through AI and evolving tools.


Collaboration, Compliance & Insights: Partner with Talent Centers of Excellence (Talent Acquisition, Benefits, Compensation, Learning & Development, Employee Relations, HR Operations) to ensure consistent, compliant practices, leveraging data and analytics to inform leadership decisions.


What You'll Bring

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field required; SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP), Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR), or equivalent certification preferred.
• 10+ years of progressive Human Resources or Talent Management experience, including significant Human Resources Business Partner leadership experience supporting senior leaders and complex business functions.
• Deep knowledge of organizational design, workforce planning, succession planning, talent management, employee relations, leadership development, and organizational effectiveness.
• Demonstrated success influencing senior executives, navigating complex stakeholder environments, and driving decisions through credibility, business acumen, and sound judgment.
• Proven experience leading organizational change, business transformation, and enterprise talent initiatives in dynamic environments.
• Strong understanding of how talent strategies drive business performance, productivity, growth, and organizational success.
• Ability to translate workforce data and trends into strategic recommendations, measurable outcomes, and actionable solutions.
• Skilled at building trusted partnerships, managing competing priorities, and delivering results in a fast-paced, evolving environment.

If you're excited to influence business strategy, advise senior leaders, and drive enterprise-wide people outcomes as a Senior Human Resources Business Partner , we'd love to hear from you!


Compensation


The base salary range below represents the low and high end of the salary range for this position in Chicago. This range may differ based on your geographic location and cost of living considerations. At Kirkland & Ellis, we consider compensation more than just a base salary. We offer an exceptional range of flexible benefits including comprehensive healthcare, paid time off, and retirement. We also offer personal support and tailored learning and development opportunities all designed to help you realize your full potential both in life and at work.

Compensation Range:

Chicago: $153,000 - $191,000


How to Apply


Thank you for your interest in Kirkland & Ellis LLP. To complete an application and submit your resume, please click "Apply Now."

Don't meet every job requirement? That's okay! If you're excited about this role but your experience doesn't perfectly fit every qualification, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right person for this role or others at Kirkland.


Equal Employment Opportunity


All employment decisions, including the recruiting, hiring, placement, training availability, promotion, compensation, evaluation, disciplinary actions, and termination of employment (if necessary) are made without regard to the employee's race, color, creed, religion, sex, pregnancy or childbirth, personal appearance, family responsibilities, sexual orientation or preference, gender identity, political affiliation, source of income, place of residence, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, age, marital status, military veteran status, unfavorable discharge from military service, physical or mental disability, or on any other basis prohibited by applicable law.