Human Resources Business Partner- Legal/Compliance and OBU Business Transformation

Human Resources Business Partner- Legal/Compliance and OBU Business Transformation

Gaithersburg, MD

Hybrid Work- on average 3 days/week in office

Join a collaborative HR team where strategic partnering and business transformation come together to support critical functions across AstraZeneca!

You will play a dual role, with approximately  50% of your time focused on business partnering for your client groups and 50% focused on business transformation and project leadership. 

You will work closely with leaders and managers across Legal and Compliance to deliver practical, business-aligned HR support. You will help drive priorities including organizational design, talent planning, leadership capability, employee engagement, change management, and effective application of HR policies and practices. 

Alongside your business partnering responsibilities, you will support the planning, coordination, and delivery of selected business transformation priorities within OBU. This part of the role will involve helping connect strategic priorities, tracking progress, supporting leadership discussions, and enabling follow-through on key actions and initiatives. The role requires strong partnering capability, organizational awareness, sound judgment, and the ability to operate effectively in a complex, matrixed environment.  

What you'll do

• Partner with leaders and managers across Legal and Compliance to understand business priorities and translate them into practical people plans and HR support. 

• Support workforce planning, talent reviews, succession planning, development discussions, and organizational capability building across the client groups. 

• Coach and support leaders and people managers on team effectiveness, performance management, development, employee matters, and application of HR policies and practices. 

• Contribute to organization design, team effectiveness, role clarity, and change interventions that support business performance and evolving priorities. 

• Partner with leaders, HR colleagues, and specialist teams to manage employee relations matters appropriately, balancing business needs with policy, compliance, and risk considerations. 

• Support delivery of selected business transformation priorities, helping to coordinate activities, connect stakeholders, monitor progress, and ensure effective execution against agreed objectives. 

• Provide structure and coordination for leadership priorities through meeting preparation, agenda shaping, action tracking, and follow-up on agreed deliverables related to transformation or strategic business initiatives. 

• Work closely with HR centers of expertise, HR operations, and other HR partners to ensure effective and joined-up delivery of HR solutions and a strong employee and manager experience. 

• Use people data, trends, and business insight to inform recommendations, identify risks, and support decision-making. 

• Ensure HR practices and recommendations are aligned with AstraZeneca policies, employment requirements, and broader HR frameworks. 

• Identify opportunities to simplify processes, improve manager capability, and enhance the effectiveness of HR and business support across the client groups. 

Essential for the role

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business, or a related field 

• 7+ years of HR experience within a complex, matrixed, and preferably global organization, ideally in an HR Business Partner or other client-facing HR role 

• Experience partnering with business leaders and managers to support people priorities and organizational needs 

• Good working knowledge of core HR disciplines, including talent management, organization change, employee relations, performance management, and workforce planning 

• Experience supporting projects, business planning activities, transformation initiatives, or leadership coordination in addition to core HR partnering responsibilities 

• Ability to coach and influence leaders and managers with confidence and credibility 

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to synthesize information, simplify complexity, and tailor messages to different audiences 

• Strong organizational and coordination skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and maintain momentum across a varied agenda 

• Sound judgment and problem-solving skills, with the ability to balance employee, business, and compliance considerations 

• Experience using data and insight to support recommendations and decision-making 

• Ability to work effectively across teams, functions, and geographies in a collaborative way 

• Strong learning agility, adaptability, and comfort working in evolving environments 

• Good understanding of employment law, policy application, and risk awareness 

• Comfort working with digital tools, systems, and evolving technology, including interest in how AI and automation can support HR effectiveness 

• Ability to travel to meet with leadership teams and employees as needed 

Desirable for the role

• Master’s degree in Human Resources, Organizational Development, Business Administration, or a related field 

• Experience supporting client groups such as Legal, Compliance, Commercial, or other specialist corporate functions 

• Experience in life sciences, pharmaceuticals, biopharma, or another highly regulated industry 

• Experience working on business transformation, functional planning, or chief of staff–style coordination activities 

• Strong relationship-building skills and the ability to work successfully across a matrix organization 

• Exposure to global teams and cross-border ways of working 

Office Working Requirements
 

When we put unexpected teams in the same room, we unleash bold thinking with the power to inspire life-changing medicines. In-person working gives us the platform we need to connect, work at pace and challenge perceptions. That’s why we work, on average, a minimum of three days per week from the office. But that doesn’t mean we’re not flexible. We balance the expectation of being in the office while respecting individual flexibility. Join us in our unique and ambitious world.

The annual base pay for this position ranges from $145,892.80 - 218,839.20 USD. Our positions offer eligibility for various incentives—an opportunity to receive short-term incentive bonuses, equity-based awards for salaried roles and commissions for sales roles. Benefits offered include qualified retirement programs, paid time off (i.e., vacation, holiday, and leaves), as well as health, dental, and vision coverage in accordance with the terms of the applicable plans. ​

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