HR Business Partner

About Athena

Athena is a creative place for leaders, risk-takers, creative thinkers and boundary-pushers. We partner with organizations looking to transform their presence, reputation, and performance. For over ten years, we’ve delivered business insights, marketing strategies, and brand activations for leading organizations in industries ranging from telecommunications to major league sports.

Our people make Athena, Athena. They’re what help set us apart from traditional ad agencies and consultancies. As a Philadelphia Inquirer Top Workplace for three years running, we take pride in fostering a work environment where passion meets excellence. Our people are solutions-oriented individuals who eagerly roll up their sleeves to make work that works while sharing a couple of laughs along the way.

About the Position

We are seeking a proactive, mid‑career HR Business Partner who can wear multiple hats across the HR function—supporting recruiting, employee engagement, internal communications, training coordination, and general employee lifecycle management. This role will partner closely with our HR leadership team as we transition our HRIS to Rippling in March to streamline workflows, automate processes, and modernize our employee experience.

You will be a key builder and communicator within the HR function—someone who is detail‑oriented and able to manage both structured processes and dynamic, cross‑functional projects.

Requirements

What you'll be responsible for:

Talent Acquisition (50%)

• Recruit front-line managers and individual contributors.
• Support full‑cycle recruiting for roles across the organization.
• Draft and update job descriptions.
• Maintain candidate records in our ATS.
• Partner with department leaders to support interview planning.

Employee Lifecycle & HR Operations (20%)

• Manage onboarding, performance cycles, and offboarding.
• Leverage Rippling to streamline workflows and documentation.
• Assist with policy updates and compliance tasks.

Internal Communications & Employee Engagement (20%)

• Initiate and support employee engagement initiatives
• Draft and distribute internal HR communications.
• Maintain clarity and consistency across HR messaging.

Training & Development Support (10%)

• Coordinate training sessions in partnership with Athena University, our team of adult learning experts.
• Manage scheduling, content distribution, and follow-up communications.
• Support and influence goal-setting cycles and development programs.

The skills and experience you should have:

• 3–6 years of HR generalist, specialist, or recruiting experience.
• Strong writing skills and comfort with internal communications.
• Experience with ATS/HRIS systems; Rippling a plus.
• Able to excel in both independent work and collaborative team environments.
• High emotional intelligence and strong relationship‑building skills.

Success in this role looks like:

• Improved recruiting efficiency and communication.
• Bringing an entrepreneurial approach and thriving in a dynamic, fast-paced setting.
• Strong partnership with leadership across HR cycles.
• Reliable execution during our transition to Rippling.
• Thoughtful coordination of engagement and training activities.
• In concert with Athena’s philosophy that HR professionals serve as true business partners, an aptitude for Athena’s business is essential.

Benefits

• Medical/Dental benefits including of 1K Health Reimbursement Account
• Matching 401K
• Generous PTO policy
• Substantial Parental Leave Policy
• Hybrid Work Environment

Candidates must be willing to work hybrid (3 days on-site) in our Philadelphia, PA office.

Curious about your career path at Athena? This role is at the Manager/Sr. Manager Level within Athena’s career-path structure for the Human Resources and Operations Team. This team has the following levels of progression for growth and development.

Analyst --> Sr. Analyst --> Manager --> Sr. Manager --> Director --> Sr. Director --> Managing Director

We strive to keep our application process open, easy, and as painless and transparent as we can make it. We need team members like you to join us. Ready to apply? Let’s get started.

Athena is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regards to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other basis prohibited by law. If you are an individual with a disability and need assistance in applying for a position, please contact us at 866.299.6040 or at AthenaGlobalAdvisors.com.