Who We Are

SAG-AFTRA is the iconic American labor union that represents approximately 160,000 media professionals. SAG-AFTRA employees support our members and thrive on securing the strongest protections by negotiating the best wages, working conditions, health and pension benefits. We preserve and expand members’ work opportunities, vigorously enforce our contracts and protect our members against unauthorized use of their work. ​

What You’ll Do

Reporting to the Executive Director, People & Culture, the Director, People & Culture Business Partner serves as a strategic advisor and trusted partner to organizational leaders, providing leadership and expertise across the full spectrum of Human Resources in support of assigned business units. This role partners with leaders to develop and implement people strategies that align with organizational objectives while fostering an engaged, high-performing workforce.

Operating within a complex, multi-state, unionized environment, the Director P&C Business Partner provides strategic guidance and operational leadership in employee and labor relations, organizational effectiveness, workforce planning, leadership development, performance management, compensation, change management, compliance, investigations, benefits and leave management, employee engagement and other People & Culture initiatives. The Director P&C Business Partner also mentors and develops a team of People & Culture professionals, collaborates with cross-functional partners, and ensures consistent, legally compliant, and business-focused HR practices that support the organization's mission, culture, and long-term success.

(This section provides a general summary of the most significant job duties performed. It does not explain in detail every single duty performed.)

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

Strategic Business Partnership & Organizational Leadership

• Serve as a strategic advisor and trusted partner to leaders across assigned business units, aligning People & Culture strategies with organizational priorities and business objectives.
• Partner with leaders to identify workforce needs and develop solutions that enhance organizational performance, employee engagement, and operational effectiveness.
• Provide strategic guidance on complex people matters while balancing business objectives, employee experience, legal compliance, and collective bargaining obligations.
• Use workforce data, trends, and analytics to identify opportunities, assess organizational needs, and make informed recommendations to leadership.
• Ensure People & Culture programs, policies, and practices are implemented consistently while appropriately considering business-unit needs and applicable legal and labor requirements.

Labor & Employee Relations

• Serve as a senior People & Culture resource in a complex, multi-state unionized environment.
• Apply extensive knowledge of collective bargaining agreements, labor relations principles, grievance procedures, past practices, and union-management relationships.
• Partner with leadership and labor relations professionals on contract interpretation, grievances, disciplinary actions, investigations, and other labor-related matters.
• Coach leaders through complex employee relations issues, ensuring consistency, fairness, sound judgment, and timely resolution.
• Maintain productive and professional relationships with union representatives while appropriately advocating for organizational interests.
• Partner with Legal and other stakeholders on complex employee and labor matters.
• Ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, and local employment laws and collective bargaining agreements.

Organizational Effectiveness & Change Management

• Lead organizational design, restructuring, workforce planning, and change management initiatives.
• Assess organizational effectiveness and recommend improvements to organizational structure, processes, roles, and talent.
• Coach leaders through organizational change, performance challenges, difficult conversations, and other complex people issues.
• Help leaders build high-performing, accountable, and collaborative teams.
• Identify opportunities to modernize People & Culture programs, systems, and processes to improve organizational effectiveness and the employee experience.
• Champion innovation, continuous improvement, and operational excellence across the People & Culture function.

Talent & Leadership Development

• Partner with leaders to identify critical talent, succession risks, capability gaps, and leadership development opportunities.
• Drive performance management practices that promote accountability, development, and organizational success.
• Support succession planning and development of internal talent pipelines.
• Coach leaders and managers to strengthen leadership effectiveness and people-management capabilities.
• Foster a culture of engagement, accountability, inclusion, collaboration, and continuous learning.

Team Leadership

• Coach, mentor, and develop a team of People & Culture professionals.
• Establish priorities, performance expectations, accountability, and service standards for the team.
• Foster a collaborative, service-oriented, and high-performing team culture.
• Ensure timely, consistent, thoughtful, and high-quality People & Culture support across the organization.
• Develop team capability through coaching, knowledge sharing, and continuous learning.
• Model professionalism, sound judgment, discretion, responsiveness, and partnership.

Collaboration & Enterprise Partnership

• Partner closely with the Executive Director, People & Culture and other People & Culture leaders to execute departmental and organizational strategies.
• Build strong cross-functional partnerships with Legal, Finance, Payroll, Learning & Development, Benefits, and other organizational stakeholders.
• Collaborate across the organization to ensure consistent application of People & Culture policies, programs, and practices.
• Represent People & Culture with credibility, professionalism, and a customer-focused approach at all organizational levels.

Operational Excellence & Other Responsibilities

• Ensure operational excellence through effective project management, process improvement, and consistent service delivery.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

What You’ll Need

We want to make sure you’re successful. To be considered, you must have:

(The individual must possess the following knowledge, skills and abilities and be able to explain and demonstrate that he or she can perform the essential functions of this job with or without reasonable accommodation, using some other combination of skills and abilities.)

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES:

• Ability to think strategically, execute tactically, and collaborate effectively across multiple teams, organizational levels, and business functions.
• Expert knowledge of People & Culture principles, best practices, and employment laws, with the ability to ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations.
• Significant experience working in a unionized environment, including demonstrated knowledge of collective bargaining agreements, labor-management relations, grievance administration, and contract interpretation.
• Experience supporting employees and leaders across multiple states while navigating varying employment laws and regulatory requirements.
• Strong people leadership skills, including demonstrated experience coaching, mentoring, and developing People & Culture professionals.
• Demonstrated ability to manage complex, sensitive, and confidential employee and organizational matters with sound judgment, discretion, and professionalism.
• Exceptional consultative, interpersonal, and relationship-building skills, with the ability to influence, coach, and partner effectively with leaders, employees, union representatives, and other stakeholders.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including strong active listening skills and the ability to communicate complex issues clearly, manage stakeholder expectations, and deliver practical business-focused solutions.
• Strong project management, organizational, and prioritization skills, with the ability to manage multiple initiatives and competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze workforce trends, identify organizational needs, and develop creative, business-focused People & Culture solutions, including workforce planning and staffing strategies.
• Strong commitment to customer service, collaboration, continuous improvement, and delivering high-quality People & Culture support.

 COMPETENCIES:

• Member Service
• Communication
• Dependability/Accountability
• Leadership
• Project/Process Management
• Job Knowledge
• Adaptability
• Teamwork
• Innovation
• Developing Employees

 MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education and/or Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Organizational Development, or a related field; equivalent relevant experience may be considered.
• 10+ years of progressive Human Resources experience, with significant experience serving as an HR Business Partner, HR Director, or comparable senior HR leadership role.
• PHR or SHRM certification is required; an equivalent certification in Human Resources may be considered.
• Experience working in a union environment.

PREFERRED BACKGROUND: 

• Working knowledge of Google Suite, ADP Workforce Now, iCims, and PerformYard a plus.

What You’ll Get

We are a great place to work because we offer:

• The annual salary for this position is $150k along with excellent employee benefits and perks.
• Colleagues that are passionate about what we do and how they contribute to our mission
• Balance between work and home life responsibilities
• Affordable and comprehensive medical and dental plans
• Generous pension plan
• Employee discounts and perks

Notice to Applicants:

• It is SAG-AFTRA’s policy to provide equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, gender identity or expression, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, veteran status, union status, membership in the uniformed services, genetic information, or any other basis protected by applicable law. 
• SAG-AFTRA will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories, or arrest or conviction records, in a manner consistent with relevant legal requirements.
• To be eligible for employment with SAG-AFTRA, applicants must have current authorization to work for any employer within the U.S. We cannot offer sponsorship for an employment visa or assume responsibility for an existing one at this time.
• Employees are required to work in the state/location indicated on the job posting and relocation assistance is not provided. SAG-AFTRA operates on a 35-hour workweek schedule.
• As part of the selection process, external candidates may be required to attend an in-person interview.
• A voluntary hybrid work schedule may be authorized for some positions. This schedule requires a minimum of two to four days per week of in-office attendance.  SAG-AFTRA reserves the right to change in-office requirements at any time based on business needs.
• If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran and require support throughout the application and/or recruitment process as a result of your disability, you have the right to request a reasonable accommodation. You can submit your request to recruiters@sagaftra.org.