HR Business Partner and Team Lead

About the SEI

At the SEI, you are a part of a community that works with the highest levels of government and industry to secure the nation’s critical infrastructure, improve mission-critical systems, and advance software. You’ll have the opportunity to work with both industry and academia in an environment where unique research projects thrive. As a member of the SEI, you’ll join a group of talented people who channel their unique and varied perspectives to create innovation that is making a better tomorrow.

You’ll also become part of an environment in which we support our staff to be both passionately committed to their careers and find balance between life and work.

As a mission-focused organization, we value integrity, collaboration, curiosity, and excellence—and we’re committed to fostering a welcoming, high-performing workplace where every employee can thrive.

We’re seeking a seasoned HR Business Partner who enjoys partnering strategically with leaders across assigned client organizations while leading two HR professionals who support HR activities. In this pivotal role, you’ll partner with HR and SEI leaders to advance organizational goals by building engaged, resilient, and high-performing teams while ensuring our people practices are fair, compliant, and aligned with our mission.

You’ll bring HR expertise to complex, real-world challenges by supporting employee relations, coaching leaders through change, driving talent development, and strengthening organizational effectiveness. This role is ideal for an HR professional who balances strategic partnership with hands-on execution, enjoys solving complex people challenges, builds trusted relationships, and continuously improves people practices and processes.

• Serve as a trusted advisor to leaders, providing strategic, consultative HR guidance that enables business success and supports mission outcomes.
• Oversee key people programs including onboarding, performance management, promotions, and recognition while leading a team of two that supports these efforts and recruiting operations.
• Navigate complex employee relations matters including conflict resolution, performance challenges, and workplace concerns with fairness, discretion, and legal soundness.
• Coach and support managers in building strong teams, improving performance, and fostering connection.
• Partner with leadership on workforce planning, succession strategies, change management, and talent optimization.
• Analyze HR data to provide insights and recommend evidence-based solutions.
• Identify opportunities to modernize HR processes, policies, and tools, ensuring efficiency, consistency, and continuous improvement.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with the SEI HR team to deliver a cohesive, human-centered employee experience.

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field.
• 5–8 years of progressive HR experience, with a focus on employee relations and HR business partnering.
• Proven ability to advise leaders on complex people issues while balancing organizational needs and employee well-being.
• Demonstrated success leading or contributing to cross-functional people programs, HR projects, and process improvements.
• Current/recent experience working with HR systems, such as Workday.

• Professional HR certification (SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, or SPHR).
• Experience supporting technical, research-intensive, government, or higher education environments.

• Proficiency in employee relations, including policy interpretation, and employment law.
• Strong coaching and consulting skills with the ability to build trust, influence others, and partner effectively at all levels.
• Exceptional judgment and emotional intelligence when managing sensitive, high-stakes situations.
• Skilled problem-solver who can synthesize diverse perspectives and develop practical, sustainable solutions.
• Organized and adaptable - able to prioritize competing demands in an evolving environment.
• Experience driving HR initiatives from conception through implementation and evaluation.
• Comfortable working with data to…