Human Resources Business Partner, Human Resources Department

Salary

Stearns County Mission: Provide Exceptional Public Services to Assure a Safe, Healthy, Vibrant County for All.
Stearns County Values: Professional | Approachable | Responsive | Collaborative | Fair & Equitable

Stearns County is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, public assistance status, veteran status, disability or sexual orientation.

It is important that your application show all the relevant education and experience you possess. Applications may be rejected if incomplete.

SALARY:

Depending on Qualifications 

Hiring Range: $74,139-$88,525/annually

Full Range: $74,139-$108,813/annually

Stearns County is seeking an energetic, creative and collaborative Human Resources Business Partner to join our team in Human Resources with a primary focus on employee benefits, leave of absence programs, and recruitment.

In this role, you will help attract and retain top talent while managing and promoting employee benefits that support the health, financial security, and well-being of our workforce. This is an excellent opportunity for a motivated, self-starting HR professional with strong critical thinking skills to build a meaningful career in county government while making a direct impact on the employees who serve our community. Our HR team is committed to excellence and responsiveness, ensuring that working at Stearns County is a rewarding experience.

Stearns County employs nearly 1,000 individuals whose talents and contributions drive our mission. If you are strategic, collaborative, and passionate about recruiting top talent and enhancing employee engagement through comprehensive benefits and retention programs integrating workforce needs into solutions that support the County’s mission and values, we encourage you to pursue this opportunity and advance your career in Human Resources.

Public service employees are provided a comprehensive benefit package, contributions to a public Pension Plan, and  time off including paid Holidays, a paid time off plan, and flexible scheduling. See our Benefits Overview.

Continuous Posting. Applications will be reviewed in batches based on the date the application was submitted. 

Position Objective
To provide professional service delivery to our customers with a strong awareness of their needs through attentive listening, effective communication, well-developed critical thinking and problem-solving skills. This position is responsible for effectively managing and analyzing data to drive business solutions in the areas of recruitment and selection, employee health and wellness, and employee benefit administration.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities  
These examples do not include all possible responsibilities in this position and do not limit the assignment of related duties to this classification.

1. Strategically manages the recruitment process in line with the County’s mission and values and in compliance with federal, state and local laws governing employment.
2. Consults, assists and collaborates with our managers and Leadership Team on industry best practices relating to recruitment and retention, policy administration, performance management, HRIS, benefit management, onboarding, classification and compensation administration, talent management, and labor relations.
3. Manages the County’s employee benefits program, including the administration, communication, and continuous improvement of benefit offerings, in coordination with the County’s wellness initiatives to ensure they align with and support the overall benefits strategy.

4. Conducts comprehensive evaluation of employee benefit programs, including researching and evaluating programs, trends and metrics related to benefit administration, workforce analytics and human resource initiatives that align with our goals and values.

5. Serves as the primary liaison between the County and external benefit vendors by coordinating ongoing check‑in meetings, facilitating effective communication, resolving service issues, and fostering positive, collaborative vendor relationships to support efficient benefit administration

6. Administers leave programs in compliance with federal and state regulations, including the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and Minnesota Paid Leave to ensure accurate case management and consistent policy application.

7. Manages the full life cycle of leaves cases and coordinates related processes such as return-to-work or accommodation; maintains consistent communication with employees on leave to ensure timely processing of changes and serves as a liaison between employees and departments.
8. Develops innovative marketing and communication strategies that engage leaders and employees in the areas of recruitment and retention, wellness, and employee benefits.  
9. Analyzes complex benefits information and evaluates current benefits, services, coverage, effectiveness, cost, plan experience and competitive trends in benefits administration to forecast trends for future benefit design recommendations.

10. Leads and serves as chair of the Insurance Advisory Committee, facilitating meetings, setting agendas, coordinating information and recommendations, and guiding discussions to support informed decision-making related to employee benefit programs. Ensures effective collaboration among committee members, communicates updates and outcomes to leadership, and supports the evaluation and continuous improvement of the County’s insurance and benefits offerings.
11. Develops specific recommendations for review by management and recommends cost containment strategies to support strategic decision-making and improve recruitment and retention outcomes.
12. Provides direction and recommendations in HR program areas to leadership in line with our mission and values emphasizing strong collaboration with internal partners to ensure effective implementation and successful service delivery.
13. Onboards new employees by effectively marketing our organization and culture, and employee benefits programs, ensuring new hires understand and have access to the full range of benefits and resources available to them.

14. Collaborates effectively with administrative staff and payroll partners to support the successful launch, implementation, and ongoing administration of recruitments, employee benefits programs, and other HR initiatives. This includes coordinating processes, sharing information, and ensuring alignment across teams to promote accurate, timely, and efficient service delivery.

15. Provides contract/policy analysis, interpretation, recommendations, and resolution for organizational effectiveness including developing strategies and providing guidance related to labor negotiations and contract administration.

16. Contributes to the development and deployment of employee training initiatives including e-learning, publications and facilitated sessions to create and maintain a culture of learning and professional development.
17. Attends work regularly and in a timely manner.
18. Performs other duties as assigned or apparent.

Minimum Qualifications
 In order to be considered for this position, applicants must possess the following:

• Bachelor's degree (Human Resource Management, Business/Public Administration, Organizational Development, or Economics is preferred.) 
• Three years of progressively related experience 
• Experience using Microsoft Office Suite or a similar platform
• Reliable means of transportation to travel to multiple locations around Stearns County and Minnesota, some of which may not be available by public transportation

Preferred Experience Beyond Minimum Qualifications:

• Management and administration of employee benefit and leave programs
• Workday Human Capital Management (HCM) System
• Public speaking and delivering group presentations 
• Marketing of organizational initiatives
• Labor relations experience

Desirable Knowledge, Skills and Abilities 
1. Knowledge of state and federal laws, regulations, and guidelines related to employment.
2. Knowledge of benefit plan designs and administration.
3. Ability to recruit and retain a diverse workforce using creativity and a data driven approach.
4. Skilled in critical thinking and problem solving.
5. Skilled in effectively managing and analyzing data in electronic systems to drive business decisions.
6. Ability to develop tools that enhance understanding, measurement, management, and tracking of compensation and benefit programs.
7. Ability to promote a diverse, culturally competent, and respectful workplace.  
8. Ability to work successfully in both a team and independent setting.
9. Ability to analyze complex situations and data to effectively implement an action plan.
10. Ability to be agile and adapt quickly to a changing environment.
11. Ability to organize and coordinate projects effectively.
12. Ability to effectively communicate verbally and in writing with minimal misunderstanding.  

13. Ability to collaborate with a diverse organization.

Accountabilities Shared By All Employees 

1. Consistently performs job responsibilities with a positive attitude and in a manner consistent with the County’s mission and values.

2. Develops and maintains a respectful and collaborative professional relationship with all County employees and the public we serve.

3. Values and respects the diversity each employee brings to the organization.

4. Develops and maintains knowledge and understanding of all department and County-wide policies, protocols and procedures that apply to the performance of this position.

5. Complies with all rules and policies to maintain a safe work environment.

Work Environment and Physical Demands
The essential duties and responsibilities for this position will be performed approximately 100% of the time indoors. May require occasional travel to off-site locations and minimal attendance at evening meetings. Will have minimal exposure to health hazards and accidents; requires a low level of physical effort.  All employees are required to reside within the state of Minnesota. 
 
Extent of Supervision or Guidance Provided
Work is performed under the general supervision of the Assistant Human Resources Director.

Supervision of Others
None.

Responsibility for Public Contact
Frequent.

Hours of Work  
This position supports various County departments. Typical hours may be 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. This is an exempt position and early morning, evening and weekend hours may be required on rare occasions. Potential for a hybrid work environment.
 
Interview Date 
If you are selected to be interviewed for this position, interviews will be held on a date to be determined. Invitations to interview will be sent to the email address listed on the job application and will be based upon an assessment of education and experience.
 

Benefits

To view Stearns County benefits go to: Stearns County Benefits Page

If you require special accommodations to participate in the Stearns County hiring process, please contact us at 320-656-3606.