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HR Business Partner

Human Resources

Johnston, Rhode Island; New York, New York; Westwood, Massachusetts; San Francisco, California

Description

At Citizens, we’re so much more than a bank. Behind our products, services, branches, and technology, you’ll find a collaborative group of colleagues from a diverse set of backgrounds and skills.

The Human Resources Business Partner (HRBP) for the Private Bank serves as a strategic advisor to the Private Bank senior leadership team, shaping and executing people strategies that directly enable business performance, colleague experience, growth, and client outcomes. This role combines commercial acumen, HR expertise, and data-driven decision-making to influence key talent, organizational, and reward decisions in a highly competitive and regulated environment.

Critical focus areas of this role include partnership with Rewards and Incentive teams to design and optimize compensation strategies to drive business performance, leadership of organizational design and transformation initiatives and engaging with Talent Acquisition team to attract top industry talent to deliver outstanding client experience and drive growth of the Private Bank.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Business Partnership

  • Act as a trusted advisor to Private Bank leadership, translating business strategy into integrated people and workforce plans.
  • Influence senior stakeholders through data, market insights, and forward-looking workforce strategies.
  • Anticipate business challenges and recommend pragmatic, high-impact HR solutions.

Enterprise Leadership:

  • Lead a cross-functional team of HR COE partners, creating alignment to enterprise HR priorities, and the business strategy.
  • Develop a People Plan for the Private Bank, in partnership with cross-functional team. 
  • Set priorities, create buy-in and clarity of vision, and foster a sense of teamwork and belonging within the HR team.

Reward & Incentive Strategy (Core Focus)

  • Partner with business leadership, reward partners, incentive team, and finance on the design, implementation, and governance of compensation and incentive programs.
  • Partner with business leaders and Compensation COE to optimize pay structures and incentive plans.
  • Leverage analytics and market data to inform reward decisions.
  • Ensure reward frameworks drive performance differentiation, retention, and alignment to strategic priorities.

Organizational Design & Workforce Planning

  • Lead organizational design including structure, spans/layers, and workforce forecasting.
  • Align organizational structures to business strategy and growth needs.
  • Develop talent management and succession strategies.

Change Management & Transformation

  • Drive large-scale transformation initiatives.
  • Coach leaders to lead through change and uncertainty.
  • Apply structured change management approaches.

Talent & Leadership Strategy

  • Lead performance management, succession planning, and leadership development initiatives.
  • Strengthen leadership capability through targeted development strategies.
  • Champion culture, engagement, and belonging.
  • Data-Driven Decision Making; Utilize workforce analytics and HR metrics. Provide actionable insights to drive engagement and retention.

HR Governance & Risk Management

  • Ensure compliance with regulatory requirements.
    • Partner across HR functions to deliver integrated solutions.

Emerging Skills & Future-Focused Competencies

  • Relationship Management and Strategic Advisory:Develop trusted relationships with colleagues at all levels, and engage in high impact strategic consultation with business leaders regarding human capital strategies. 
  • Digital & Data Fluency: Ability to interpret workforce analytics, leverage AI tools, and apply predictive insights for talent decisions.
  • Agile Leadership: Comfort with iterative planning, cross-functional pods, and adaptive operating models. 
  • Commercial Acumen: Understanding of markets, risk, and client dynamics to align people strategy with business outcomes. 
  • Change Navigation: Comfort in guiding leaders through structural, cultural, and digital transformations. 
  • Future Workforce Planning: Anticipating skill shifts (AI, automation, ESG) and building resilience through continuous learning. 
  • Culture & Conduct Advocacy: Reinforcing inclusion, accountability, and ethical decision-making in high-stakes environments. 

Key Qualifications & Experience

  • 10+ years of HR experience with HRBP experience.
  • Expertise in reward/incentive design, org design, and change management.
  • Financial services experience preferred, with focus on Private Banking and/or Wealth Management.

Pay Transparency 

The salary range for this position is $228,000 - $282,000 per year, plus an opportunity to earn an annual discretionary bonus. Actual pay is based on various factors including but not limited to the work location, and relevant skills and experience.

We offer competitive pay, comprehensive medical, dental and vision coverage, retirement benefits, maternity/paternity leave, flexible work arrangements, education reimbursement, wellness programs and more. Note, Citizens’ paid time off policy exceeds the mandatory, paid sick or paid time-away policy of every local and state jurisdiction in the United States. For an overview of our benefits, visit https://jobs.citizensbank.com/benefits .

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Some job boards have started using jobseeker-reported data to estimate salary ranges for roles. If you apply and qualify for this role, a recruiter will discuss accurate pay guidance.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Citizens, its parent, subsidiaries, and related companies (Citizens) provide equal employment and advancement opportunities to all colleagues and applicants for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, citizenship, physical or mental disability, perceived disability or history or record of a disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity or expression, genetic information, genetic characteristic, marital or domestic partner status, victim of domestic violence, family status/parenthood, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, pregnancy/childbirth/lactation, colleague’s or a dependent’s reproductive health decision making, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or any other category protected by federal, state and/or local laws. At Citizens, we are committed to fostering an inclusive culture that enables all colleagues to bring their best selves to work every day and everyone is expected to be treated with respect and professionalism. Employment decisions are based solely on merit, qualifications, performance and capability.

Background Check

Any offer of employment is conditioned upon the candidate successfully passing a background check, which may include initial credit, motor vehicle record, public record, prior employment verification, and criminal background checks. Results of the background check are individually reviewed based upon legal requirements imposed by our regulators and with consideration of the nature and gravity of the background history and the job offered. Any offer of employment will include further information.

Benefits

We offer competitive pay, comprehensive medical, dental and vision coverage, retirement benefits, maternity/paternity leave, flexible work arrangements, education reimbursement, wellness programs and more.

View Benefits

Awards We've Received

2023

Glassdoor Best Place to Work in Consulting, Finance & Insurance

2025

Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index 100 Award

2026

Newsweek America's Most Charitable Company

2025

The Banker's
US Bank of the Year

2025

Dave Thomas Foundation’s Best Adoption-Friendly Workplace

2024

Disability:IN Best Places to Work for Disability Inclusion

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