Human Resources Business Partner – Professional Staff

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP is one of the world’s leading international law firms. Established in 1884, the Firm has approximately 2,000 lawyers and is headquartered in New York, with offices in Beijing, Boston, Brussels, Chicago, Dallas, Hong Kong, Houston, London, Los Angeles, Luxembourg, Palo Alto, San Francisco, São Paulo, Tokyo, and Washington, D.C. The Firm provides coordinated legal advice and transactional capabilities to clients around the globe.

The Human Resources Business Partner serves as a strategic advisor and trusted partner to leaders across professional staff departments at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP. Based in New York, this role supports the full employee life cycle for assigned client groups, partnering with department leadership, managers, employees, and HR colleagues to develop and execute people strategies that align with the Firm’s business objectives, culture, and commitment to excellence.

Reporting to the Associate Director, HR Business Partner, the HR Business Partner will provide proactive, practical, and thoughtful HR guidance across a broad range of areas, including employee relations, performance management, compensation planning, talent development, engagement, organizational design, onboarding, offboarding, and change management. The HR Business Partner will develop a deep understanding of the Firm’s professional staff functions and business priorities, use data and insights to identify trends and opportunities, and collaborate closely with HR Centers of Excellence to deliver consistent, high-quality HR programs and solutions.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a strategic HR partner to leaders and managers across assigned professional staff departments, providing guidance on people-related priorities, organizational needs, and employee matters.
• Build strong, trusted relationships with department leaders, managers, employees, and HR colleagues to understand business objectives and deliver responsive, effective HR support.
• Partner with leaders to develop and implement people strategies that support employee engagement, retention, performance, professional development, and organizational effectiveness.
• Advise managers on employee relations matters, performance concerns, conflict resolution, policy interpretation, coaching, corrective action, separations, and other sensitive workplace issues.
• Assess complex people-risk scenarios, apply sound judgment, and partner with Employee Relations, HR Compliance, legal, and other stakeholders as appropriate.
• Support the annual performance management process, including feedback collection, manager coaching, performance calibration, documentation, and follow-up actions.
• Partner with Talent Management and Compensation teams on annual compensation planning and offer development for new hires.
• Collaborate with Talent Acquisition to understand staffing needs, support hiring strategies, and help ensure a strong hiring manager and candidate experience.
• Support onboarding and integration for new hires within assigned departments and partner with managers to promote effective engagement.
• Use HR data, reporting, and workforce insights to identify trends, inform recommendations, and support leaders in making thoughtful people decisions.
• Lead or support change management, organizational design, and other cross-functional projects impacting assigned client groups.
• Partner with HR Centers of Excellence and other firm service areas to implement programs, policies, processes, and initiatives consistently and effectively.
• Help foster a positive, inclusive, high-performing workplace culture aligned with the Firm’s values and standards of professionalism.
• Maintain current knowledge of HR best practices, employment law developments, and Firm policies, escalating issues and partnering with subject matter experts as needed.
• Mentor or guide more junior HR team members, as appropriate.
• Perform other duties and special projects as assigned.

 

Required Skills

• Strong business acumen and ability to quickly understand departmental priorities, operating models, and talent needs.
• Excellent judgment, discretion, and ability to maintain the highest level of confidentiality when handling sensitive personnel matters.
• Strong employee relations, coaching, and advisory skills, with the ability to provide practical, balanced, and business-oriented guidance.
• Ability to build credibility and trusted relationships with leaders, managers, employees, and colleagues across multiple functions and levels.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to tailor messages to different audiences and communicate with clarity, professionalism, and confidence.
• Strong analytical skills and comfort using HR data and reporting to identify trends, generate insights, and recommend action.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities, meet deadlines, and operate effectively in a fast-paced, high-expectation professional services environment.
• Strong project management, change management, and problem-solving skills.
• Collaborative approach with the ability to work effectively across a matrixed HR function and with cross-functional stakeholders.
• High degree of flexibility, adaptability, professionalism, and executive presence.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Word, Outlook, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Familiarity with HRIS systems; Workday experience preferred.

 

Experience

• 7+ years of progressive human resources experience required, including experience as an HR Business Partner or in a comparable HR advisory role.
• Experience in a professional services, law firm, financial services, or similarly complex, fast-paced environment preferred.
• Demonstrated experience advising managers and leaders on employee relations, performance management, talent development, and organizational changes.
• Experience partnering with HR Centers of Excellence, including Talent Acquisition, Talent Management, Compensation, Benefits, HR Compliance, and HR Operations, preferred.

 

Education

• Bachelor’s degree required; degree in Human Resources, Business, or a related field preferred.
• Advanced degree and/or HR certification, such as PHR, SPHR, SHRM-CP, or SHRM-SCP, preferred.

Salary Information

NY Only: The estimated base salary range for this position is $160,000 to $190,000 at the time of posting.

The actual salary offered will depend on a variety of factors, including without limitation, the qualifications of the individual applicant for the position, years of relevant experience, level of education attained, certifications or other professional licenses held, and if applicable, the location in which the applicant lives and/or from which they will be performing the job. This role is exempt meaning it is not overtime pay eligible.

Simpson Thacher will not sponsor applicants for work visas for this position.

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Simpson Thacher & Bartlett is committed to a collegial work environment in which all individuals are treated with respect and dignity. The Firm prohibits discrimination or harassment based upon race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, citizenship status, disability, marital or partnership status, sexual orientation, veteran’s status or any other legally protected status. This Policy pertains to every aspect of an individual’s relationship with the Firm, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, compensation, benefits, training and development, promotion, transfer, discipline, termination, and all other privileges, terms and conditions of employment.

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