Associate Partner, Solution Center

Job Summary

The USC HR Solution Center is a face-paced environment where HR inquiries are received via inbound phone calls and email inquiries. The Solution Center Associate will be responsible for serving as the first point of contact for employees, retirees and candidates reaching out to the HR Solution Center. This role will support a variety of HR related inquiries by providing resources and solutions, completing transactions, and escalating to appropriate Tier 2, as necessary.

This role will leverage a case management solution to document issues and resolutions and manage case information. They will ensure clean and accurate employee data is entered and personnel files are maintained. The Solution Center Associate is encouraged to identify opportunities for process improvement or automation in the HR Solution Center through their experience. An ideal candidate for this role will have a commitment to delivering high quality customer service with a friendly demeanor, demonstrate flexible communications and effective listening skills, eagerness to absorb knowledge, and an ability to learn new skills quickly. This role will help enable USC’s vision while championing USC’s culture and values.

Job Responsibilities

The candidate for the position of Solution Center Associate will be responsible for:

• Providing clear, efficient, and courteous support to university employees who reach out to the HR Solution Center by phone or email with general HR related questions. Opening cases, completing Workday transactions and entering all required information to ensure a clear record of employee cases is maintained. Update case throughout Tier 1 resolution process with information gathered from customer follow ups. Possessing an understanding of USC’s business and how the Solution Center enables the HR function’s success.

• Serving as a welcoming first point of contact for HR knowledge. Providing accurate and timely information to employees or escalating requests to Tier 2 for additional specialized support in a timely manner. Managing and maintaining clean and accurate employee records including personnel files through skilled and precise data entry and document management.

• Delivering clear and professional written and verbal communications. Demonstrating active listening skills and empathy in understanding employees’ unique needs. Acting as a public-facing representative of the HR function in all customer interactions. Asking questions and seeking support when faced with unfamiliar requests. Maintaining attentive and responsive lines of communication with the broader team to receive latest updates and keep the team informed of individual progress and challenges.

• Demonstrating resourcefulness when facing unfamiliar requests by proactively determining next steps toward resolution. Expanding HR knowledge through continuous learning opportunities. Soliciting constructive feedback and insights from managers and proactively incorporating suggestions into continuous improvement of work.

• Supporting efforts to gather data for informing system and process improvements. Demonstrating sound judgment in ranking competing priorities and making decisions. Escalating roadblocks or issues to Solution Center Lead (Tier 1) as needed.

• Developing trusting, credible relationships from demonstrated ethical judgment, behavior, and practiced confidentiality. Promoting an environment that fosters inclusive relationships and creates unbiased opportunities for contributions through ideas, words, and actions that uphold principles of the USC Code of Ethics.

• Supporting strategic goals set by the team, department, and university. Demonstrating, through words, actions, and ideas, alignment to USC’s strategic plan and the HR organization’s strategic plan. Enabling the university to fulfill its academic and people missions through enhanced HR service.

• Performing other related responsibilities as requested and when necessary. The university reserves the right to add or change duties at any time.

Minimum Qualifications

The candidate for the position of Solution Center Associate must meet the following qualifications:

• Extensive applicable experience in human resources, customer service, or another related field.

• Strong written and verbal communications skills and the ability to maintain a consistently positive attitude and courteous phone and email tone.

• Efficient data entry skills and high words-per-minute speed.

• Demonstrated organizational and analytical skills, and the ability to think strategically and creatively.

• Team-oriented self-starter with the ability to work independently and proactively.

• Demonstrated interpersonal skills and ability to exercise discretion with confidential information.

• Experience working on teams, able to ask for help and provide support and guidance as needed on projects.

• Ability to provide support and guidance as needed on projects.

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint).

Preferred Qualifications

The ideal candidate for the position of Solution Center Associate has the following qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in business, psychology, communications, or another related field.

• Three or more years of experience in one or more of the following fields: human resources, customer service, or higher education.

• Familiarity with case management systems.

• Experience developing guidelines, policies, documentation, and procedures.

• Ability to interpret and apply pertinent rules and regulations and identify and implement continuous process improvements.

• Experience analyzing large datasets and reporting and presenting findings.

• Experience working in fast-paced environments with rapidly changing priorities, able to triage requests and inquiries and route them to appropriate parties.

The University of Southern California is an Equal Opportunity Employer

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Minimum Education: Bachelor’s degree; Combined experience/education as substitute for minimum education Minimum Field of Expertise: Demonstrated data entry skills and proven words-per-minute speed. Excellent written and oral communication skills, able to maintain a consistently positive attitude and courteous phone and email tone. Proven strategy, organization, creative and analytical skills, able to work independently and proactively. Demonstrated interpersonal skills and the ability to exercise discretion with confidential information. Extensive experience working on teams, able to ask for help and provide support and guidance as needed on projects. Experience working in fast-paced environments with rapidly changing priorities, able to triage requests and inquiries and route them to appropriate parties. Proficiency with Microsoft Office.