HR Business Partner

HR Business Partner

We believe talent deserves a human touch. Your application will be read by an actual person who's excited to discover the real you.

Since 1987, Mike Collins and Associates (MCA) has grown from a two-person startup run out of founders Mike and Karen Collins' basement into a 100+ person IT solutions provider serving clients across Chattanooga, Nashville, and Knoxville. We've built our reputation on close, long-term relationships, with our clients and with each other, and we're proud of a team where people stay for decades, not years. It's a local, hands-on, close-knit place to work, and we're looking for people who want to help keep it that way as we grow.

MCA is part of New Charter, a platform of managed IT and cybersecurity companies operating across the country. New Charter invests in the systems, resources, and career paths of a larger organization, while working in partnership with companies like MCA to preserve what makes each one distinct. It's a two-way relationship, local identity and platform support, working together.

At Mike Collins and Associates, a New Charter Company, we are seeking an HR Business Partner in Chattanooga, TN to serve as a true partner to our leadership team and our people.

You'll work closely alongside MCA's leaders to bring enterprise HR programs to life locally, help make sure the MCA voice shapes what gets built at the platform level, and work together with the team to give every team member a great day-to-day experience. It's a hands-on role built on collaboration; you'll move fluidly between strategic partnership and direct, in-the-trenches execution across the full employee lifecycle.

You'll partner solid-line with New Charter's Enterprise Director, People Operations on standards, development, and career growth, while working in close, day-to-day collaboration with Mike Collins and Associates' leadership team on business alignment.

This is a full-time, in-office role in Chattanooga, TN. Local candidates are required.

Business Partnership

• Serve as the primary HR partner for Mike Collins and Associates, developing a deep understanding of the business, team, and culture.
• Translate enterprise people strategy into local execution, connecting day-to-day decisions to New Charter's broader vision.
• Ensure that the MCA perspective and experience is reflected in platform people strategy.
• Partner with company leadership on workforce planning, organizational design, and people decisions that affect performance and team member experience.
• Coach and partner with company leaders to strengthen leadership capability, accountability, and consistency.
• Work alongside leadership to proactively identify and address organizational risk, talent gaps, and team dynamics.

People Operations Execution

• Execute high-quality, compliant HR processes and programs across the full employee lifecycle.
• Use Workday and related systems to maintain accurate data and enable timely people analytics.
• Partner with the team to drive adoption and consistent use of New Charter's people systems and programs.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws.
• Ensure SOC II Type II–aligned onboarding and offboarding practices are consistently followed.

Culture, Engagement, and Team Member Experience

• Champion New Charter's strategic vision locally, helping team members feel connected to both their team and the broader organization.
• Represent the voice and lived experience of the MCA team to the Enterprise Director, People Operations and the broader People team.
• Reinforce cultural norms and leadership expectations that reflect enterprise values while respecting what makes this company distinct.
• Support enterprise listening programs, recognition initiatives, and platform-wide people deployments.

Talent, Workforce Planning, and Employee Relations

• Partner with leadership on hiring strategy, job architecture, and compensation alignment in coordination with the enterprise People team.
• Support performance management, career development, and succession planning.
• Partner with leadership on employee relations matters, ensuring consistent, fair, and legally compliant outcomes.
• Guide leaders through difficult people situations with sound judgment and care for both the business and its people.

What We're Looking For

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Minimum of 8 years of progressive HR experience, including significant experience in HR business partnering or generalist roles.
• Proven ability to manage a broad range of HR responsibilities independently, with strong prioritization and organizational skills.
• Strong business partnering skills, with the ability to build credibility and influence with leaders at all levels.
• Ability to balance strategic thinking with hands-on execution.
• Experience driving HR systems adoption and using people data to inform recommendations.
• Strong knowledge of HR practices, employment law, and compliance requirements in Tennessee.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to adapt across a range of audiences.
• HR certification (PHR, SHRM-CP, or equivalent) preferred.
• Must live in or be willing to relocate to the greater Chattanooga, TN area; this is not a remote position.

Compensation

The compensation is expected to start at $80,000. Our offer will be determined by multiple factors including candidate experience and expertise and may vary from the amount listed above.

Comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, and vision coverage, company-paid life and disability insurance, a 401(k) with company match, FSA/HSA options, EAP, and additional perks like pet insurance and legal/ID theft protection

Work Environment & Physical Requirements

This role is primarily knowledge-worker oriented, using computer systems for most of the day. Occasional lifting up to 20 pounds and occasional crawling, kneeling, or squatting may be required. Constant use of computer and phone. Some local travel and occasional outdoor exposure related to travel.