Human Resources Strategic Advisor

As a patient-focused organization, University of Utah Health exists to enhance the health and well-being of people through patient care, research and education. Success in this mission requires a culture of collaboration, excellence, leadership, and respect. University of Utah Health seeks staff that are committed to the values of compassion, collaboration, innovation, responsibility, integrity, quality and trust that are integral to our mission. EO/AA

The HR Strategic Advisor serves as a dedicated HR advisor to assigned operational, health academic, clinical, research, and departmental leaders across University of Utah Health in support of the clinical enterprise. Reporting through the HR Strategic Advisory function, this role builds trusted relationships, develops a strong understanding of business and workforce needs, and provides day-to-day consultation and coaching on people-related matters within an assigned portfolio. The HR Strategic Advisor works in partnership with Senior HR Strategic Advisors, HR Centers of Excellence, Shared Services, and other enterprise and system partners to connect leaders with the right expertise, support implementation of HR programs and workforce initiatives, and ensure coordinated follow-through. The role uses relevant workforce information to identify issues close to the work, recognize emerging patterns and risks, and escalate complex or executive-sensitive matters when specialized expertise or broader portfolio coordination is needed. The role requires sound judgment, adaptability, initiative, and the ability to build credibility and deliver effective consultation within a complex, highly matrixed academic healthcare environment and an evolving Strategic Advisory model.

Corporate Overview: University of Utah Health is an integrated academic healthcare system with five hospitals including a level 1 trauma center, eleven community health centers, over 1,600 providers, and a health plan serving over 200,000 members. University of Utah Health is nationally ranked and recognized for our academic research, quality standards and overall patient experience. In addition to our clinical delivery system, we have a School of Medicine, School of Dentistry, College of Nursing, College of Pharmacy, and College of Health providing education and training for over 1,250 providers annually. We have over 2 million patient visits annually and research grants exceeding $350 million. University of Utah Hospitals and Clinics represents our clinical operations for the larger health system.

Essential Functions

• Leader Partnership: Builds and maintains trusted relationships with assigned operational, departmental, health academic, clinical, and research leaders and develops an understanding of their priorities, workforce needs, and organizational challenges, particular to a highly matrixed academic health system with growing clinical operations.
• HR Consultation and Leader Coaching: Provides day-to-day consultation on people-related matters within the health system, including performance management, workforce planning, team effectiveness, and change implementation; helps leaders clarify concerns and determine appropriate next steps; and coaches leaders in strengthening people-management practices and applying organizational expectations consistently.
• Team Member Support: Serves as an accessible HR resource for team members within assigned areas, responds to HR questions and concerns, provides guidance on available U Health policies, programs, processes, and resources, and connects employees with the appropriate HR or organizational partner when specialized assistance is needed.
• Business and Workforce Insight: Develops knowledge of assigned areas and uses relevant workforce information—including turnover, engagement, staffing, and other healthcare workforce indicators—to identify trends, recurring concerns, operational challenges, and emerging risks. Shares insights and recommendations with aligned Senior HR Strategic Advisors, HR leadership, COEs, and other appropriate partners.
• COE and Shared Services Collaboration: Partners with U Health HR Centers of Excellence, Shared Services, and other stakeholders to engage appropriate expertise, coordinate support, facilitate effective handoffs, clarify ownership, and promote timely follow-through.
• Program and Initiative Implementation: Partners with accountable COEs and Shared Services teams to help leaders understand, implement, and reinforce HR programs, policies, practices, and enterprise initiatives within assigned areas.
• Consistent and Compliant HR Guidance: Provides HR advice and consultation that is consistent with University and U Health policies and procedures, applicable state and federal laws, healthcare regulatory and accreditation requirements, and established HR standards and practices. Recognizes when legal, regulatory, policy, or subject-matter expertise should be engaged and escalates appropriately.
• Leader Capability and Resource Navigation: Helps leaders understand available HR resources, responsibilities, and processes; strengthens leader capability to address workforce matters appropriately; and promotes effective use of U Health HR services and expertise.
• Issue Recognition and Escalation: Identifies HR-related concerns early and works proactively with leaders, Senior HR Strategic Advisors, COEs, Shared Services, and other appropriate partners to support timely resolution. Recognizes when a matter requires specialized expertise, broader portfolio coordination, executive awareness, or escalation to Strategic Advisory leadership or an appropriate COE.
• Portfolio Coordination: Collaborates with the aligned Senior HR Strategic Advisor and other HR Strategic Advisors to share workforce insights, coordinate priorities, identify cross-department themes, and support a consistent leader experience across the broader portfolio.
• Strategic Advisory Practice: Contributes to the development and growth of the Strategic Advisory model by sharing effective practices, identifying service or coordination gaps, and supporting consistent consultation and follow-through across the team.

Knowledge / Skills / Abilities

• Current working knowledge of HR principles and practices across multiple functional areas, including employee relations, talent acquisition, clinical compensation, organizational development, talent management, leave, and workforce support.

• Ability to establish credibility and trusted working relationships with operational, departmental, academic, clinical, and research leaders.

• Strong consultation, leader-coaching, communication, relationship management, and problem-solving skills.

• Understanding of workforce dynamics affecting clinical, operational, health academic, research, and administrative environments, with the ability to connect workforce support to U Health’s mission and organizational priorities.

• Ability to understand business needs across a complex academic healthcare system, ask effective questions, exercise sound judgment, and identify when specialized expertise or broader escalation is required.

• Ability to interpret relevant workforce data and information, identify meaningful trends, and use those insights to support consultation and recommendations.

• Ability to recognize workforce patterns and use relevant information to support recommendations and inform portfolio-level discussions.

• Ability to coordinate work across teams, facilitate effective handoffs, and manage multiple priorities in a complex environment.

• Ability to work effectively across organizational boundaries while respecting the specialized ownership and decision-making responsibilities of HR Centers of Excellence and Shared Services.

• Ability to handle sensitive information with discretion and confidentiality.

• Working knowledge of applicable employment, healthcare regulatory, and accreditation requirements and the ability to recognize when specialized legal, compliance, regulatory, or policy expertise is needed.

Required

• Bachelor's degree in human resources, business administration, healthcare administration, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Four years of progressively responsible human resources experience, including experience supporting, coaching, or consulting with organizational leaders.
• Experience working across multiple HR disciplines or in partnership with specialized HR functions.
• Experience supporting complex and highly regulated clinical, operational, health academic, or research environments.

Preferred

• Five or more years of relevant human resources experience.
• Experience in healthcare, an academic medical center, or another complex organizational environment.
• Experience supporting clinical, operational, health academic, or research workforces.
• Professional HR certification, such as PHR or SHRM-CP.

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

Employee must be able to meet the following requirements with or without an accommodation.

• This is a sedentary position that may exert up to 10 pounds and may lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects. This position involves sitting most of the time and is not exposed to adverse environmental conditions.

Far Vision, Listening, Manual Dexterity, Near Vision, Sitting, Speaking, Standing, Walking