Senior People Business Partner

A Hybrid working model

What does a Senior People Business Partner do at WPP Production?

 We are seeking a highly collaborative and business-focused Senior People Business Partner to support leaders and employees across a fast-paced, evolving organization. This role is ideal for an experienced HR professional who thrives at the intersection of strategy and execution — someone who can influence senior leaders, coach managers, drive organizational initiatives, and still remain close to day-to-day people operations and employee experience.

The Senior People Business Partner will serve as a trusted advisor to business leaders, balancing strategic partnership with hands-on HR support. While this role will not initially have direct people management responsibilities, the individual will play a key mentorship and coaching role for members of the People Team and may evolve into a formal leadership position as the organization grows.

This position requires strong employee relations expertise, business acumen, operational excellence, and the ability to build scalable people practices that support organizational growth and a high-performing culture.

Key Responsibilities 

Strategic Partnership & Leadership Coaching

• Partner closely with business leaders and department heads to align people strategies with business goals and organizational priorities.
• Serve as a trusted advisor and coach to managers on leadership effectiveness, employee engagement, performance management, team dynamics, organizational design, and career development.
• Provide guidance through complex people matters, balancing employee experience, compliance, and business needs.
• Support leaders in building inclusive, high-performing teams and fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous feedback.
• Identify leadership capability gaps and recommend development plans, coaching approaches, and organizational improvements.

Employee Relations & Risk Management

• Lead and manage employee relations matters including investigations, conflict resolution, performance concerns, disciplinary actions, and performance improvement plans (PIPs).
• Advise managers on sensitive employee situations with professionalism, sound judgment, and a solutions-oriented approach.
• Ensure consistent interpretation and application of HR policies, practices, and employment laws, particularly California labor law compliance.
• Maintain thorough and confidential documentation related to employee relations matters and organizational decisions.
• Proactively mitigate organizational and compliance risks through thoughtful HR guidance and manager education.

HR Operations & Employee Experience

• Provide day-to-day HR partnership and support to employees and managers across the employee lifecycle.
• Act as a primary point of contact for HR-related questions, resolving issues efficiently while delivering a positive employee experience.
• Partner with cross-functional HR teams including Talent Acquisition, Total Rewards, Learning & Development, and Operations to ensure seamless delivery of people programs.
• Support onboarding and integration initiatives to create a welcoming and engaging new hire experience.
• Drive initiatives that improve employee engagement, retention, communication, and overall workplace culture.

Talent Management & Organizational Effectiveness

• Support and help drive performance management cycles, talent reviews, succession planning discussions, and calibration processes.
• Partner with leaders to assess organizational effectiveness, team structures, and workforce planning needs.
• Utilize people data, engagement metrics, retention trends, and business insights to make informed recommendations and influence decision-making.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of scalable HR programs, policies, and frameworks that support organizational growth.

HR Programs, Transformation & Process Improvement

• Lead or support key HR initiatives and transformation projects including HRIS enhancements, process optimization, employee engagement programs, and organizational change initiatives.
• Help implement global and regional HR programs locally while ensuring alignment with business and employee needs.
• Continuously evaluate HR processes and identify opportunities to improve efficiency, scalability, and employee experience.
• Support adoption and optimization of HR systems such as BambooHR, Workday, or similar HRIS platforms.

Team Mentorship & Collaborative Leadership

• Serve as a mentor and thought partner to junior People Team members, providing guidance, coaching, and support to elevate team capability and effectiveness.
• Foster a collaborative and proactive People Team culture focused on partnership, responsiveness, and continuous improvement.
• Contribute to building scalable HR practices and team infrastructure in preparation for future organizational growth and potential team leadership responsibilities.

Requirements: 

• Bachelor’s degree in human resources, Business Administration, or related field.
• 12+ years of progressive HR experience, including strong experience as an HR Business Partner supporting dynamic, fast-paced organizations.
• Strong experience supporting global, scaled, and matrixed organizations, with the ability to effectively partner across regions, cultures, and cross-functional leadership teams in a fast-paced and evolving environment.
• Demonstrated expertise in employee relations, manager coaching, organizational effectiveness, and HR program management.
• Strong knowledge of California employment law and HR best practices.
• Proven ability to influence and build trust with stakeholders across all levels of the organization.
• Experience supporting talent management processes including performance management, succession planning, and talent assessments.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to translate people data into actionable insights.
• Experience supporting or implementing HR transformation initiatives and HRIS systems is highly preferred.
• Excellent communication, presentation, interpersonal, and conflict resolution skills.
• High level of integrity, discretion, professionalism, and sound judgment when handling sensitive matters.
• HR certification (SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, or SPHR) preferred.

The base salary range for this position at the time of this posting is indicated below. Individual compensation varies based on job-related factors, including location, business needs, level of responsibility, experience, and qualifications. We offer a competitive benefits package, go to https://www.wpp.com/en/careers/wellbeing/benefits-at-wpp-in-the-us for more details.

Pay Range: $150,000 - $165,000

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