Manager, HR Business Partner

ABOUT THE LUCAS MUSEUM OF NARRATIVE ART

Opening in September 2026, the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art is dedicated to illustrated storytelling. Founded by George Lucas and Mellody Hobson, the museum’s collection features works by artists including Norman Rockwell, Kadir Nelson, Jessie Willcox Smith, N. C. Wyeth, Beatrix Potter, Judith F. Baca, Frida Kahlo, and Maxfield Parrish; as well as comic art legends such as Winsor McCay, Jack Kirby, Frank Frazetta, Alison Bechdel, Chris Ware, and R. Crumb; and photographers Gordon Parks, Henri Cartier-Bresson, and Dorothea Lange. The Museum also houses the Lucas Archives, containing models, props, concept art, and costumes from Lucas’s filmmaking career. 

Designed by Ma Yansong of MAD with a landscape by Mia Lehrer of Studio-MLA, the Museum is in Exposition Park, Los Angeles, on an 11-acre campus that includes new green space and a 300,000-square-foot building with galleries, two theaters, a library, restaurant, café, retail store, and community spaces.  

POSITION SUMMARY

The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art seeks a Manager, HR Business Partner, to serve as a senior, hands on partner within the People and Culture function. Reporting directly to the Chief People & Culture Officer, this role provides critical execution, continuity, and judgement across core HR areas.

As the museum prepares for opening and continues to build its organizational foundations, the Manager, HR Business Partner plays a central role in advancing employee relations, compliance, policy development, labor relations support, and people strategy. This role partners closely with managers to strengthen leadership capability, ensure clear and consistent people practices, support performance and growth, and translate people strategy into effective day-to-day execution, while also providing guidance on employee relations and labor matters as needed. 

The successful candidate brings strong judgment, discretion, and operational HR experience, and is comfortable working across both hands-on casework and strategic advising in a complex, mission-driven environment. 

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Serve as a senior, hands-on HR business partner, providing sound judgment and execution across employee relations, performance management, policy application, and people operations 
• Coach and advise managers on effective people management practices, including feedback, documentation, performance improvement, accountability, and fair decision-making 
• Lead and support complex employee relations matters as needed, including investigations, corrective action, performance concerns, and separations, in partnership with the Chief People & Culture Officer 
• Draft, review, and maintain HR policies and practices, ensuring compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws and alignment with organizational values 
• Proactively identify people-related risks, trends, or gaps and recommend preventative, practical solutions that support a stable and effective workplace 
• Partner with People & Culture leadership on organizational design, workforce planning, talent reviews, succession planning, and leadership readiness initiatives 
• Support and continuously improve performance management processes, including leader training, calibration support, and clear communication across cycles 
• Facilitate change management and transition support during periods of growth, structural change, or organizational evolution 
• Pull, analyze, and interpret people data and metrics (e.g., workforce trends, engagement insights, performance patterns) to inform strategy and leadership decision-making 
• Serve as a key partner for HRIS administration, ensuring data accuracy, secure information management, effective workflows, and reliable reporting 
• Ensure accurate, timely, and confidential management of personnel records, personnel action forms, and sensitive employee data 
• Develop and deliver clear people-related communications, including policy updates, organizational announcements, and performance or talent cycle guidance 
• Assess the people impact of organizational changes and partner with leaders on readiness planning, communication strategies, and transition support 
• Act as a steward of organizational culture and values by identifying patterns that impact employee experience and partnering with leaders to reinforce alignment 
• Participate in cross-functional and People & Culture initiatives and projects as assigned 

CORE COMPETENCIES

• Analytical Rigor:  Simplifies complex problems by using critical thinking to evaluate problems, gathering information, incorporating multiple perspectives, understanding causes, and identifying best-possible solutions. Invests time in planning, discovery, and reflection to drive better decisions and more efficient implementations. Adopts an audience-centric approach, understanding the needs of the audience and incorporating them, as appropriate, into the decision. 
• Courageous Communication: Intentionally works well with others both on the team and cross-functionally to achieve individual, team, department, or organizational goals. Values diverse input and working with others to achieve the best output possible. 
• Collaborative Excellence: Displays courage when handling difficult conversations and genuinely and intentionally communicates. Relays key messages effectively, targeted to specific audiences. Identifies others' communication styles and perspectives, adjusting language and approach accordingly. Employs active listening to understand, rather than reply. Asks for, integrates, and values feedback from team, peers, and leaders. 
• Adaptive Resilience: Thrives and grows in a rapidly changing and complex environment. Displays flexibility, activates networks, and adopts a continuous growth mindset to learn from mistakes and bounce back from adversity. 
• Inclusive Interaction: Actively contributes to an environment in which all employees feel a sense of belonging, valued for their differences and empowered to participate and contribute freely
• Building Trust & Relationship Management : Accountable Ownership and clearly shares information and the "why" behind decisions. Asks for and values the opinions of others. Displays empathy when listening. Acknowledges when trust has been broken and focuses on rebuilding. Relates comfortably with people across levels, functions, cultures, and geographies. Identifies interpersonal and group dynamics and reacts effectively. 
• Accountable Ownership: Takes ownership of outcomes, positive or negative, without blaming others within the team or cross-functionally. Recognizes when they are not approaching a situation with accountability but instead with a blame mindset. Takes accountability for assigned tasks and executes on deliverables in a timely manner. 
• Strategic Alignment & Execution: Contributes to the organization by understanding and aligning actions with the organization's goals, core functions, needs, and values. Seeks out and incorporates multiple perspectives, experiences, and industry trends to develop a holistic perspective. Operationalizes ideas within the business model. Displays critical thinking when faced with a challenge by asking probing questions and looking for connections. 

QUALIFICATIONS

• 8–12+ years of progressive HR experience, including 5+ years in a senior HR Business Partner, employee relations, or HR management role 
• Proven experience supporting leaders in complex, mission-driven or public-facing organizations 
• Solid working knowledge of California employment law and HR compliance best practices
• Demonstrated experience in policy development, HR compliance, labor relations and performance management 
• Strong experience administering HRIS and ATS platforms, including workflow configuration, reporting, data governance, and user adoption; experience with Rippling, Lever, AlertMedia administration a plus. 
• Excellent communication, coaching, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build trust and influence at all levels 
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, exercise sound judgment, and adapt to evolving organizational needs in a dynamic environment

$95,000 - $125,000 a year

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY AND OUR COMMITMENT TO DEAIB

The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art embraces diversity and equal opportunity. We are committed to building a team that represents and supports a variety of backgrounds and perspectives. The Lucas Museum fosters a work environment that is free of discrimination and harassment, whether based on race, national origin, gender, gender expression, religion, ethnic background, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or any other criterion prohibited by applicable federal, state, or local laws. We believe that diversity and inclusion among our team is critical to our success, and we seek to recruit, develop, and retain the best qualified people from a diverse candidate pool. Applications from traditionally underrepresented communities are encouraged.

The statements in this description represent typical elements, criteria, and general work performed. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required for the job.

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The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art is dedicated to the art of illustrated stories. Our mission is to inspire and connect people through the exploration of visual stories and their influences in society. 

VALUES

Our internal and external practices are shaped by the following beliefs and behaviors.

People First : We meet people wherever they are (physically, intellectually, emotionally). Our inclusive practice connects who people are and what they find emotional in works of art.

Inspired: We believe that art can move you to feel, think, reflect, and act.

Collaborative: We believe that nimble thinking and working together yield exponential results.  

STRATEGIC PRIORITIES

Narrative Art:

Amplify the social impact of storytelling and illustration. 

Community:

Connect to a broad and diverse public.

Operational Excellence:

Create a healthy and durable institution. 

All staff at the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art lead through a deep commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, both within the Museum and with the communities that we serve.

Salary and titles will be assigned commensurate to the successful candidates’ education and experience. An attractive compensation package will be offered to the successful candidate(s).

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.