Associate Director, Human Resources Business Partner (HRBP)

Whitney Museum of American Art | Office of People and Culture | New York, NY 

The Whitney Museum of American Art seeks an Associate Director, HR Business Partner to serve as a strategic and consultative partner to assigned departments across the Museum. Reporting to the Director of OPC, HRBP, this role aligns the people strategies with organizational priorities, supports leaders and managers through complex workforce matters, and helps advance an inclusive, engaged, and high-performing workplace. 

About the Role 

The Associate Director, HR Business Partner will build trusted relationships with leaders and managers; provide guidance on employee relations, organizational effectiveness, workforce planning, policy interpretation, performance management, learning and development, and change management; and use data-informed insights to recommend practical, equitable, and compliant solutions. This role partners closely with colleagues across the Office of People and Culture to implement HR programs consistently and effectively across the Museum. 

Responsibilities 

• Serve as the primary HR business partner for an assigned client base, developing strong partnerships with department leaders and managers.
• Translate organizational priorities into people strategies that support talent planning, employee engagement, culture, performance, retention, and organizational effectiveness. 
• Advise leaders on organizational design, team effectiveness, change management, employee relations, policy interpretation, and people-related decisions. 
• Use HR data, trends, and metrics to identify risks and opportunities, develop recommendations, and support informed decision-making. 
• Support performance management, development planning, succession considerations, and manager capability-building. 
• Coach managers through workplace concerns, performance conversations, conflict resolution, and employee engagement matters with discretion and sound judgment. 
• Partner with OPC leadership and department leaders to identify learning priorities and implement training, development, onboarding reinforcement, and manager resources. 
• Collaborate with internal subject matter experts and external partners to develop practical tools, workshops, and resources that strengthen leadership, communication, inclusion, and workplace effectiveness. 
• Contributes to special projects, policy updates, documentation reviews, committee work, and cross-departmental initiatives as needed. 
• Maintain strict confidentiality and safeguard sensitive employee, organizational, and leadership information. 

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience required; a degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Communications, or a related field is preferred.  
• Seven to ten years of progressive human resources experience preferred, including experience as an HR Business Partner or strategic HR advisor to leaders and client groups. 
• Strong consultative, relationship-building, coaching, and influencing skills. 
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate complex HR matters clearly and diplomatically. 
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to use data and insights to inform recommendations. 
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities, pivot as needed and operate effectively in a fast-paced environment. 
• Commitment to the Whitney’s mission, values, and inclusive workplace culture. 
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite required; knowledge of Paypro, JazzHR, Asana, Concur, and other HR systems is a plus. 

Compensation & Benefits

• This is a full-time, exempt position with an annual salary range of $135,000–$145,000. 
• The Whitney offers an excellent benefits package, including health insurance, generous paid time off, a 403(b)-retirement plan, and free admission to many museums in New York City and nationally. 

About the Whitney
The Whitney Museum of American Art, founded in 1930 by the artist and philanthropist Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, houses the foremost collection of American art from the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. From her vision arose the Whitney Museum of American Art, which has been championing the most innovative art of the United States for 86 years. The core of the Whitney’s mission is to collect, preserve, interpret, and exhibit American art of our time and serve a wide variety of audiences in celebration of the complexity and diversity of art and culture in the United States. Through this mission and a steadfast commitment to artists themselves, the Whitney has long been a powerful force in support of modern and contemporary art and continues to help define what is innovative and influential in American art today. Its signature exhibition, the Biennial, is the country's leading survey of the most recent developments in American art. 

EEO Statement
The Whitney Museum of American Art is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The Museum does not discriminate because of age, sex, religion, race, color, creed, national origin, alienage or citizenship, disability, marital status, pregnancy, partnership status, caregiver status, veteran status, gender (including gender identity), sexual orientation, genetic information, predisposition, or carrier status, arrest or conviction record to the extent required by applicable law, credit history, domestic violence, sexual violence, or stalking victim status, or any other factor prohibited by law.  The Museum hires and promotes individuals solely on the basis of their qualifications for the job to be filled. The Museum encourages all qualified candidates to apply for vacant positions at all levels.

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