Strategic HR Advisor

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Summary

The Strategic HR Advisor (HRA) is a pivotal role within the organization, serving as a trusted advisor to senior leaders and management teams. The HRA aligns business objectives with employees and management, acting as a consultant on human resource-related issues. Through a deep understanding of both the business and its people, the HRA formulates and implements integrated HR strategies that foster organizational growth, talent development, and a high‑performing culture.

The HRA leads a vertically aligned HR Advisory team that is focused on building and maintaining a strong people-oriented culture for our practice groups while continuously improving the employee and partner experience.

Location

This position is located in our Austin office and offers a hybrid work schedule.

Relocation is available in accordance with firm policy.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Partnership:
Establish strong relationships with practice group leaders to understand current and future challenges and proactively develop HR solutions. Collaborate with senior leadership to develop and execute HR strategies to address and resolve leadership‑identified issues.

• Organizational Development:
Assess business units’ structures, processes, and culture; identify and suggest areas for development and facilitate change management initiatives to improve practice group effectiveness.

• Employee Relations:
Serve as a trusted advisor on complex employee relations issues, fostering a positive, inclusive, and high‑engagement work environment. Guide the resolution of workplace conflicts and support lawyers in performance management. Advise leaders on employee disciplinary actions, terminations, and employment law compliance.

• Policy Development & Compliance:
Interpret and implement HR policies and procedures in line with legal requirements and best practices. Monitor compliance and recommend enhancements as necessary.

• Data‑Driven Decision Making:
Analyze HR metrics and trends to inform business decisions, drive continuous improvement, and report insights to leadership to make decisions on leverage, talent development, talent acquisition and talent integration support needs.

• Learning & Development:
Partner with Learning & Development teams to assess training needs and design programs that enhance employee skills and drive career growth.

• Change Management:
Support leaders, lawyers and employees through periods of change, ensuring effective communication, stakeholder engagement, and alignment with organizational goals.

• Know Your Talent:
Lead bi‑annual talent discussion process for all associates and attorneys in each practice group to capture talent profiles for every non‑partner lawyer, identify opportunities for development, close skill gaps, and optimize leverage.

• Deliver HR to Practice Groups:
Serve as a point‑person and trusted advisor for PG leaders and partners to directly navigate HR support and resources as needed. Deliver key HR and Talent updates to PG and sub‑group PG leaders during regular meetings with their leadership teams and partners.

• HR Benchmarking:
Source, obtain and analyze benchmark data from Vault, American Lawyer, Chambers, et al for practice groups against internal metrics (leverage, turnover rates, hiring metrics) to assess current talent metrics and engagement against peers. Identify, design, and implement tools for PG leaders to track department or practice group health against overall strategy.

• Team Management:
Manage the aligned HR Business Partner – including leading, coaching, mentoring, and inspiring the professional development of the HRBP. Set clear performance expectations and provide performance feedback on a regular basis.

• Other duties as assigned.

Desired Skills

Great written and verbal communication and presentation skills. Demonstrated ability to influence senior leadership by building trust, collaborating and aligning to vertical practice group strategies. Superb problem‑solving skills and ability to transition complex people issues into operational plans. Ability to read and interpret dashboards and reports containing complex…