Strategic HR Advisor

DLA Piper is, at its core, bold, exceptional, collaborative and supportive. Our people are the backbone, heart and soul of our firm. Wherever you are in your professional journey, DLA Piper is a place you can engage in meaningful work and grow your career. Let's see what we can achieve. Together.

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 data. Understanding of HR analytical techniques. Familiarity with data collection methods, both quantitative and qualitative. Ability to set up and track relevant metrics and KPIs and use them to drive business results. Knowledge and/or experience with national and regional labor law, and tax and social security regulations. Good grasp of HRM techniques and excellent people management skills. Excellent mentoring and relationship building skills.

Minimum Education

• Bachelor's Degree in Human Resources, Business Administration or related field.

Preferred Education

• Master's Degree.

Minimum Years Of Experience

• 10+ years of progressive HR experience, including at least 3 years in a strategic business partner or comparable advisory role.

Certificates

• Professional in Human Resources (PHR), Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR), SHRM Certified Professional (SHRM-CP) and/or SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) or equivalent certifications preferred.

Essential Job Expectations

While the specific job requirements of a DLA Piper position may vary depending upon scope of the job and area of specialty, there are certain universal requirements that are expected of all DLA Piper employees, which include but are not limited to:

• Business Acumen: Understand the firm's business model, operations, and strategic goals; work with PG leadership to develop and implement their strategies and initiatives in alignment to the firm's.
• Relationship Building: Build trust and rapport with leaders and employees at all levels.
• Problem Solving: Identify root causes of issues and develop pragmatic solutions.
• Influence & Impact: Persuade others to support initiatives, balancing stakeholder needs and organizational priorities.
• Change Leadership: Champion change and help others adapt in dynamic environments.
• Analytical Thinking: Use data to drive decisions and measure outcomes.
• Emotional Intelligence: Demonstrate self-awareness, empathy, and strong interpersonal skills.
• Results Orientation: Deliver high-quality outcomes and meet commitments.
• Collaboration: foster positive work relationships with leadership, HR and firm peers.
• Produce deliverables, answer phone calls, and reply to correspondence in an efficient and responsive manner.
• Provide timely, accurate, and quality work product.
• Successfully meet deadlines, expectations, and perform work duties as required.
• Comply with all firm policies and practices.
• Engage in both physical and sedentary activity, such as (a) working at a computer for extended periods of time, including on-screen reading and typing; (b) participating in digital/virtual conference calls; (c) participating in meetings as needed.
• Ability to work under pressure and manage competing demands in a fast-paced environment.
• Perform all other duties, tasks or projects as assigned.

Our employees are expected to embrace and uphold our firm values as a part of our DLA Piper culture. We are committed to excellence in how we represent our clients and develop our people.

Physical Demands

Sedentary work: Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time. Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required only occasionally and all other sedentary criteria are met.

Work Environment

The individual selected for this position may have the opportunity for a hybrid work arrangement comprised of remote and in-office work, the requirement for which will be determined in coordination with the hiring manager or supervisor and may be modified in the firm's discretion in the future.

Disclaimer

The purpose of this job description is to provide a concise statement of the work elements and to organize and present the information in a standardized way. It is not intended to describe all the elements of the work that may be performed by every individual in this classification, nor should it serve as the sole criteria for personnel decisions and actions. The job duties, requirements, and expectations for this position may be modified at the Firm's discretion at any time. This job description does not change the at-will nature of employment.

Application Process

Applicants must apply directly online instead of sending application materials via email.

Accommodation

Reasonable accommodations may be made upon request to permit individuals with a disability to perform the essential functions and responsibilities of the position or to participate in the job selection process. If you have a request for an accommodation during the application process, please contact

Agency applications will not be considered.

No immigration sponsorship is available for this position.

DLA Piper is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.
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