Human Resources Business Partner - College of Medicine

Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science (CDU): CDU is a private, nonprofit, community-founded, student-centered university with 3 colleges: Nursing, Science and Health, and Medicine.  CDU is committed to cultivating diverse health professions leaders who are dedicated to social justice and health equity for underserved populations, and in July 2023 opened a new CDU MD degree program in its College of Medicine, as evidence of that commitment.

Founded in 1966 as a post-graduate medical school in response to local healthcare needs, CDU is located in South Los Angeles bordering the neighborhood of Watts and the City of Compton.  This year, CDU celebrates 60 years of training diverse health leaders who fulfill its mission in South Los Angeles and across the nation and world. Outstanding education, individualized mentorship, clinical service, and community engagement are at the core of the CDU experience.

College of Medicine: The College of Medicine (COM) at CDU has entered the last phase of the LCME process to full accreditation for its new MD Program that opened with a charter class of 60 students July 2023. The new MD Program is built on the foundation of:

• Graduate Medical Education (GME) with residency programs in Family Medicine (2018), Psychiatry (2018), Internal Medicine (2021), Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (2024) and fellowships in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (2023) and Addiction Medicine (2024). GME is growing with plans for Surgery, Pediatrics and Ob/GYN residency programs.
• A robust history of NIH, other federal and foundation funded disparities research, specifically in cancer, HIV, mental health and metabolic disorders.
• Forty plus years of experience with clinical education through its clinical track in a joint medical education program with UCLA’s Geffen School of Medicine (CDU/UCLA Medical Education Program). The joint degree program graduated its first class in 1985 and sunsets in 2027, having set the stage for the new MD degree program at CDU.

CDU’s new medical school is the 157^th in the nation and the 4^th at an HBCU.  The medical students are differentiated from national peers in the percent who received Pell Grants while in college – 70% compared to 20% nationally.   CDU’s mission includes providing opportunities for students from CDU’s surrounding neighborhoods and South Los Angeles County, and from low income /under-resourced backgrounds.  This requires ensuring our students’ success with the career-long certification process as required for a rewarding career in medicine.  It is in this context that we seek a strong, experienced medical educator able to lead our developing basic science medical education unit.

The Position: Under the general direction of the Human Resources Manager, the Human Resources Business Partner, College of Medicine, contributes to University performance by providing tactical and strategic consulting on people and organization development strategies in support of the mission, vision, values and business objectives for the University and  College of Medicine. Performs HR related duties at the professional level while supporting more than one functional group. Will fulfill responsibilities in the following functional areas: talent acquisition; consultation; policy interpretation and application, performance, and compensation management consultation; and talent management consultation. May fulfill additional responsibilities to include organizational design, employee development initiatives, training, employee relations, investigations, employee benefits, and employee engagement.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS

Strategic Partnership and Process Improvement: 

• Collaborates with Human Resources and College of Medicine leadership to develop talent strategies aligned with organizational goals, such as clinical growth, research funding, or academic accreditation.
• Acting as a subject matter expert to advise senior leadership on the people-related implications of accreditation standards.
• Analyzing current HR processes against accreditation standards to identify gaps and recommending corrective actions. 

Talent Acquisition, Management and Organizational Design: 

• Partners with hiring managers on sourcing, selection, onboarding, and retention strategies, with a focus on diversity and inclusion.
• Ensuring employees possess the required licenses, certifications, and educational degrees for their roles, particularly in specialized fields like healthcare or engineering.
• Managing the tracking, monitoring, and renewal of staff certifications to prevent lapses that could jeopardize the organization's accreditation status.
• Reviewing and updating job descriptions to ensure they accurately reflect the qualifications and certifications required for regulatory compliance. 
• Provides consultation on restructuring, job design, and staffing needs to improve operational efficiency.

Performance Management & Coaching: 

• Provides guidance to managers on performance improvement, career development, employee engagement, and compensation.
• Assists with salary planning, promotions, transfers, and funding allocation for staff, faculty, and residents. 

Compliance, Policy Interpretation and Audit Management: 

• Ensures adherence to federal, state, and university regulations, including FMLA and ADA.
• Maintaining in-depth knowledge of legal, state, federal, and industry-specific regulations to ensure compliant HR practices.
• Partners with, and under the guidance of HR management, supports HR audits, preparing documentation for regulatory bodies, and ensuring all personnel records meet accreditation standards for the University, and College of Medicine.
• Partners with, and under the guidance of HR management, reviews and implements internal HR policies to align with updated external accreditation requirements for the University, and College of Medicine. 

Training and Development Compliance:

• Identifying training needs, and monitoring completion rates for mandatory compliance training (e.g., preventing harassment, safety, ethics, HIPAA).
• Maintaining accurate records of training to prove compliance during accreditation surveys.
• Collaborates on training initiatives with HR Manager, Talent Acquisition, Development and Retention .

 EDUCATION:

• Regionally accredited bachelor’s degree in business administration or human resources management; or
• Equivalent years of experience in the field of Human Resources,
• PHR or SPHR Certification highly desired

EXPERIENCE:

• Five to Seven years of experience in the field of Human Resources, and three to five as an HR Generalist or HRBP.
• Familiarity with COBRA, ERICA, FMLA, and related state and federal employment law and regulations.
• Requires prior knowledge of principles and practices of human resources.
• Previous experience working with computerized HRIS databases such as UKG is highly desirable.

KNOWLEDGE/ABILITY/SKILLS:

• Excellent organizational, communication, interpersonal, analytical, and critical thinking skills.
• Proficient in the operation of a personal computer, systems & applications software required (MS Office, Word, Excel, and HRIS systems (UKG).
• Working knowledge of payroll, benefits, and compensation processes.
• Must demonstrate a commitment to ethical decision making when managing sensitive employee and University data and regulatory compliance.
• Ability to work independently and collaborate with cross-functional teams.
• Ability to manage multiple projects concurrently.
• Ability to meet deadlines and manage multiple projects concurrently.

COMPLEXITY:

• The ability to perform highly detailed work with sustained attention and care while providing/obtaining information on numerous inquiries is paramount to success in this position.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

• This position is onsite unless otherwise authorized by management.

• The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
• Ability to collaborate and work effectively with a diverse community.

MENTAL DEMANDS:

• The mental demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
• Frequent variety of unrelated tasks. Constant calculating interrupted work, a variety of interrelated tasks, and use of sustained concentration, reasoning, judgment, resourcefulness, analytical ability, and ingenuity.

Special Requirements:

• PC proficiency in MS Office, Word, and Excel, HRIS systems, E-Mail, Internet
• Ability to collaborate effectively with a diverse community.

Salary Range:  $90,000 - $95,000

Full Time - Exempt 

EEO Statement: Charles R. Drew University is committed to Equal Employment Opportunity. Applicants will be considered without regard to gender, race, age, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, genetic information, marital status, disability or covered veteran status.

Fair Chance Statement: Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science will consider qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with state and local “Fair Chance” laws.