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HR Business Partner (Manager)

Forward Air

Oak Brook, ILFull-time$110–130K/yrSeen 1w agoSeen in employer's feed 6 days ago

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At a glance

Compensation
$110–130K/yr
Location
Oak Brook, IL
Schedule
Full-time
Work Authorization
Not specified

Olive lists jobs from US employers, including remote roles you can work from the United States.

Requirements

Credentials this posting asks for.

Bachelor's degree

Job overview

The HR Business Partner (Manager) acts as a strategic consultant to business leaders, aligning HR strategies with operational goals, advising on workforce planning, organizational design, performance management, and employee development while maintaining full-time onsite presence and traveling as needed.

Skills & qualifications

RequiredNice to have

Skills

Performance ManagementCoachingWorkforce PlanningOrganizational ChangeHRISOracleWorkdaySAPWindows PCsMicrosoft O365OutlookWordExcelPowerPointTeamsZoomWebex

Qualifications

Bachelor's Degree in Human Resources or Business Administration or Related FieldSHRM‑CP or SHRM‑SCP or PHR or SPHR Certification5+ Years HR Business Partner or HR Generalist or HR Consultant ExperienceTeam Leadership Experience

Full job description

The HR Business Partner (Manager) serves as a strategic consultant to business leaders, helping align HR strategies with operational and organizational goals. Working closely with specialists across HR – including Talent Acquisition, Learning and Development, Talent Management, Total Rewards, HR Operations, and HRIS, this role acts as the primary point of connection between the business and HR. They advise leaders on workforce planning, organizational design, performance management, employee development, engagement, and champions positive and productive workplace culture. They lead and resolve complex employee relations matters, coach leaders and employees, and ensure HR initiatives are effectively implemented. They are trusted advisors who build strong relationships, anticipate needs, and deliver thoughtful, balanced guidance. In some regions, they may lead a dispersed team of HR Generalists/Specialists.

Responsibilities

  • Partner with business leaders to understand operational goals and develop people strategies that support performance, engagement, and organizational health.

  • Serve as the primary HR contact for the business, coordinating support across HR specialists (recruiting, total rewards, development, employee services, HR systems, etc.) to ensure streamlined and consistent HR delivery.

  • Advise leaders on organizational design, workforce planning, role clarity, and team effectiveness.

  • Lead and document employee relations investigations and recommend appropriate, legally compliant actions.

  • Support the performance management process, including goal setting, coaching, feedback discussions, and development planning.

  • Partner with recruiting to define talent needs, support selection decisions, and ensure a smooth hiring and onboarding experience.

  • Work with learning and talent development teams to assess capability gaps and support leadership development and employee growth efforts.

  • Support compensation and benefits teams in communicating and administering pay programs, recognition programs, and benefit offerings.

  • Provide coaching to managers and employees on conflict resolution, career pathing, communication, and workplace dynamics.

  • Use HR systems and workforce data to identify trends, recommend improvements, and help leaders make informed decisions.

  • Ensure consistent application of HR policies and compliance with state and federal employment laws, including workers’ compensation.

  • Deliver training sessions for managers and employees in both virtual and in-person settings.

  • Maintain accurate, confidential HR information and support data integrity across HR systems.

  • Where applicable: Lead and coach a team of Field-based HR Generalists / Specialists in delivering HRBP services across their assigned region.

  • Maintain full-time onsite presence

  • Provide support to additional locations or business areas as needed

  • Travel approximately 30%, including overnight via automobile and air, in order to maintain a presence and strong connection to business leaders and employees in the assigned region(s).

  • All other duties as assigned to meet evolving business needs.

Qualifications

  • Education: Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field from an accredited college or university required.

  • Certification/Licensure: Professional HR certifications (e.g., SHRM‑CP, SHRM‑SCP, PHR, or SPHR) preferred, not required.

  • Experience: 5+ years of experience as an HRBP, HR Generalist, or HR Consultant supporting leaders in multi‑site or operational environments (manufacturing/warehouse experience preferred).

  • Proven experience conducting formal employee relations investigations with strong documentation and judgment skills.

  • Demonstrated experience working in partnership with HR COEs in areas such as Recruiting, Compensation, Benefits, Talent Management, and HR Shared Services.

  • Leadership Experience: proven team leadership experience preferred, not required.

  • Strong skills in performance management, coaching, workforce planning, and supporting organizational change.

  • Ability to analyze workforce trends, interpret data, and communicate insights that guide decision‑making.

  • Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build trust at all levels, including senior leaders, and influence behavior and outcomes without direct authority.

  • Technical experience with leading Human Resources Information Systems (HRIS) technologies such as Oracle, Workday, SAP, etc.; we use Oracle HCM Cloud.

  • Demonstrated discretion and confidentiality in handling and protecting sensitive information.

  • Technical: Proficient with common office technologies, including Windows PCs, Microsoft O365 (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.) and web conferencing (Teams, Zoom, Webex, etc.)

  • Environment: This position requires full-time onsite presence, along with the ability to travel up to 30% to support other locations and operational needs.

Base Pay: $110,000-$130,000 per/year

Short-Term Incentive Eligibility: Annual bonus with a 10% target

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About Us

About the Team

How this job compares

Set against the 1,196 open HR Business Partner jobs on Olive Jobs, counted November 4, 2026.

Pay
  • This posting$110–130K/yr
  • Illinois median$107–167K/yr44 salary ranges
  • US median$105–155K/yr795 salary ranges

This range's midpoint, $120K, is 14% below the Illinois median midpoint ($139K) — in the middle half of HR Business Partner salary ranges in Illinois.

Openings
Olive Jobs lists 52 open HR Business Partner jobs in Illinois and 1,196 across the US. 4% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
Hiring the most in Illinois
Experience
This posting asks for at least 5 years of experience; HR Business Partner postings that state a minimum ask for 5 years at the median (993 postings).
Education
This posting asks for a bachelor's degree; 382 of the 1,196 open HR Business Partner jobs (32%) ask for a bachelor's degree or higher.

Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on November 4, 2026. Pay medians are the middle values of the low ends and of the high ends of postings that list both ends of a range in the same cadence (a yearly salary or an hourly rate); a range's midpoint is halfway between its ends. Pay and experience figures resting on fewer than 20 postings are left out.

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