Serves as a strategic HR advisor to practice and functional leaders while owning employee relations, performance management, employee lifecycle operations, total rewards, compliance, and HR infrastructure. The role manages multi-state HR compliance, supports FINRA and broker-dealer requirements, improves HCM processes through automation and AI, contributes to engagement and learning initiatives, and mentors junior HR team members in a fast-paced professional services environment.
At Portage Point Partners (Portage Point), you are not a cog in a legacy machine, you are shaping strategy, influencing outcomes and being rewarded for driving impact. Backed by New Mountain Capital, Portage Point is recognized for accelerated growth and is consistently featured in rankings from Inc.5000, The Financial Times and Consulting Magazine. This recognition is a testament to our focus on excellence, intensity and pace and ability to attract blue chip talent committed to delivering best-in-class outcomes. Our cross-functional platform spans the full business lifecycle and offers middle market clients integrated solutions across Transaction Advisory Services (TAS), Valuations (VAL), Transaction Execution Services (TES), Office of the CFO (OCFO), Performance Improvement (PI), Interim Management (IM), Investment Banking (IB) and Turnaround & Restructuring Services (TRS).
The Delivery Enablement (DE) team supports internal stakeholders by providing a robust operational backbone across TAS, Valuations, TES, OCFO, PI, IM, IB and TRS. The team includes Talent Acquisition, Human Resources (HR), Marketing, Data Analytics, Finance & Accounting and Delivery Excellence. As Portage Point continues to grow, the DE team is laser focused on scalability, quality and automation.
The Human Resources Business Partner (HRBP) at Portage Point offers an exciting opportunity for a driven and dynamic professional to play a pivotal role in shaping the employee experience within a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment. This role is ideal for someone who thrives on building strong relationships across all organizational levels and enjoys balancing strategic advisory work with hands-on HR operations. The HRBP will serve as a trusted advisor to Practice Line Leaders (PLLs), functional leaders and team members while owning the operational backbone of the employee lifecycle across benefits, compliance and performance management. Reporting directly to the Head of Human Capital Management (HCM), the HRBP will collaborate closely with a small, agile team to execute high-impact initiatives and contribute meaningfully to Portage Point’s continued growth and success.
Responsibilities
- Serve as a trusted advisor to Practice Line Leaders (PLLs), functional leaders and managers on performance management, employee relations, team effectiveness, organizational design and succession planning, building deep knowledge of each practice line’s business and talent needs
- Lead employee relations matters end to end, including accommodations, investigations, performance concerns and separations, engaging external counsel where appropriate
- Partner with the HCM team to drive the semi-annual performance management cycles end to end, including goal setting, calibration and ownership of the performance management system (Lattice), and refine the career framework, job architecture and competency frameworks across practice lines
- Own the employee lifecycle from onboarding through offboarding, including a tailored executive onboarding program, and establish the documentation and standards that support consistent execution in partnership with the HCM team in India
- Lead total rewards in partnership with the Head of HCM, the benefits broker, Accounting & Finance, spanning benefits and open enrollment, retirement plans, leaves of absence, benchmarking compensation and year-end recommendations
- Own HR compliance across Portage Point’s multi-state footprint, including labor law monitoring and postings, policy and handbook updates, HR audits (e.g., I-9, FLSA, EEOC) and internal immigration processes managed with external counsel
- Partner with the Chief Compliance Officer (CCO) on broker-dealer and FINRA requirements, including registration administration, Form U4 and U5 filings and internal reviews
- Champion operational excellence by streamlining and automating HCM processes and leveraging AI solutions in partnership with the Data Analytics team on HR dashboards that deliver accurate, actionable insight
- Support employee engagement and Learning & Development initiatives, including the annual engagement survey from design through action planning
- Provide coaching and mentorship to junior team members across the HCM team
- Support talent acquisition and firm-building initiatives
- Contribute to a high-performing, inclusive and values-driven culture
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree from a top undergraduate program in HR or a related field
- Located in or willing to relocate to Chicago, Dallas or New York
- Invested in a team-based culture, motivated to collaborate in office four days per week
- Six plus years of HR experience within professional services, investment banking or private equity; at least four years in an HRBP role or similar
- Proven ability to lead performance management cycles end to end, including goal setting, calibration and competency framework development, plus experience building career frameworks and job architecture
- Proven track record managing complex employee relations matters end to end, including accommodations, investigations and separations, with experience supporting flight-risk assessment and retention planning for senior talent
- Strong understanding of HR compliance across a multi-state footprint, including labor laws, immigration and regulatory reporting (I-9, FLSA, EEOC); broker-dealer or FINRA exposure is a plus
- Hands-on benefits and total rewards experience, including open enrollment, retirement plans, leaves administration and market survey participation to support compensation recommendations
- Demonstrated ability to build and scale HR infrastructure in a high-growth environment, including documenting processes for consistent execution across a globally distributed team, with a focus on automation and AI
- Experience with HR tools and systems; exposure to Lattice (performance management system) and TriNet or a comparable HRIS is a plus
- Strong executive presence and communication skills
- Proven ability to thrive in lean, fast-moving teams
- High attention to detail, responsiveness and an ownership mindset
- Track record of success in high-pressure environments
Portage Point Partners Chicago, Illinois, USA Office
300 N LaSalle, Suite 1420, Chicago, IL, United States, 60654
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