HR Business Partner

Kennedys, a growing global law firm, is recruiting an HR Business Partner to join our US team. This is an exciting opportunity to work in a fast-paced, demanding, and global environment as we strive to make a difference for our people, clients and communities where we work.


Key Responsibilities

• Support with implementation of the Human Resources agenda supporting assigned areas with business plans in line with the global Firm strategy
• Support business line specific talent management and people development planning to ensure attorneys and staff are on-boarded, resourced, trained, mobilized and developed in a way that benefits both the individual and the Firm, and assist in driving any necessary interventions and actions
• Provide guidance on employee relations matters, ensuring consistency and adherence to legal and internal policies; manage separation processes for business services staff, ensuring compliance with firm policies and applicable employment laws
• Manage the onboarding process for attorneys and staff by facilitating weekly orientation sessions and coordinating onboarding meetings and programs that support successful integration into the Firm
• In conjunction with the broader Human Resources team, assist in the implementation of and participation in firmwide activity including but not limited to performance evaluations, calibration meetings, compensation review, upward feedback, flexible work, leave processes, on/off ramping, learning & development programs, engagement surveys and exit interviews.
• Coordinate with employees upon return from Leaves of Absences to ensure a positive and enriching ramp up and reintegration process.
• Lead on US employee engagement initiatives to align interests of business services staff and the Firm
• Listen to opinions and keep abreast of the employee relations climate across the US region. Consult with US Human Resources Director to advise and implement appropriate actions.
• Understand and plan for cultural impact across programs and initiatives and understand how to gain commitment to change from partners, associates, and staff alike.
• Take a continuous improvement approach to own learning, and also use this to upskill the wider team.
• Achieve results by utilizing strong relationships with the global HR teamand wider support functions
• Build trust and work effectively with all stakeholders; improve effectiveness across HR functions and with the broader global HR team.
• Contribute to building and fostering a collaborative, collegial, high performing team committed to professional excellence.

Required experience

• Demonstrable HR business partnering experience to deliver strategic HR solutions with knowledge of end to end HR processes (e.g. performance, talent, reward) and strong employment law knowledge.
• Self-motivated and achievement oriented
• Open minded with the ability to listen to and coach others
• Works collaboratively with a consultative approach, and a strong ability to influence and guide senior stakeholders
• Experience with shared service and/or centers of excellence capability
• Excellent written and oral communication, with excellent attention to detail.
• Strong project management skills and able to evidence ability to drive change and transformation
• Strong knowledge and practice of inclusive and culturally sensitive practices
• Excellent business acumen, commercial awareness and administrative skills
• Able to manage competing/conflicting priorities effectively to achieve objectives
• At least seven (7) years of professional services, talent management and/or HR experience, ideally in a partnership and/or legal environment is desirable.
• At least three (3) years working across a regional, global or remote cross-border teams is desirable.
• Bachelor's degree required

The annualized salary range for this role is $120,000-$150,000. However, this is contingent upon level of experience, location, and other job-related factors permitted by law.


FLSA Status: Exempt


Please let us know if you require any additional support or adjustments to be made in order to submit your application to Kennedys.


About Kennedys


Kennedys is a global law firm with expertise in dispute resolution and advisory services. With over 2,750 people worldwide across 48 offices in the UK, Europe, Middle East, Asia Pacific and America we have some of the most respected legal minds in their field.


Our lawyers handle both contentious and non-contentious matters, and provide a range of specialist legal services, for many industry sectors but we have particular expertise in litigation and dispute resolution, especially in defending insurance and liability claims.


We're a fresh-thinking firm, and we're not afraid to bring challenging new perspectives to the table way beyond the traditional realm of legal services. We empower our clients with a diverse range of ideas, tools and technology to make their lives easier, as well as delivering exceptional results, every time.


What do we have to offer?


We welcome high-performing lawyers, business services professionals, secretaries, graduates and apprentices to join our rapidly expanding global firm. Whatever your role at Kennedys, you'll be involved in exciting and stimulating work, where your input will make a difference.


Our culture and values form a big part of who we are and we take them seriously. We make a difference by being approachable, straightforward, supportive and distinctive. Our values are at the core of who we are and what make us a great firm to work with and for.


The Firm recognises the value of investing in our people's development and believes our culture and values contribute to the quality of our work and of our client relationships. With a culture of on-the-job and experiential learning, peer to peer learning, mentoring, resources and tools that enable you to drive your career, we can support your development in your current and future roles. A variety of other opportunities are available including secondments to clients and our global offices.


We strive to celebrate diversity, empower our people and ensure everyone can bring their authentic selves to work. We've created a culture based on client service, professional excellence, hard work and trust, where diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) is a key priority. We recognise that many of our people want to work for an employer that is aligned to their values, which is why we are building an inclusive culture, decarbonising our operations and supporting our people to thrive at work. Our people are the key to driving this change and helping us to make a difference to our clients, our people and the communities in which we live and work.


Kennedys is an equal opportunities employer and is committed to ensuring our recruitment processes are as inclusive as possible. We expect all employees to be aware of and comply with all relevant policies and procedures within their jurisdiction, including those relating to Information Security, Data Protection and Quality Management, refer any breach promptly to Risk & Compliance and to complete all mandatory training when requested.