Jobs › Wintrust

Senior HR Business Partner

Wintrust · Rosemont, IL · $85,000–$110,000 a year · Full time

Posted Jul 9, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026

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Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

About your past

Walk me through an employee complaint you investigated. How did you keep it fair to everyone?

What they are checking: Investigation practice, which is the part of this role with legal consequences.

Tell me about coaching a leader whose own behavior was the problem.

What they are checking: Whether they will have that conversation with someone senior to them.

Tell me about something you escalated to senior management that they did not want to hear.

What they are checking: The posting calls it managing up information that needs visibility, which takes nerve.

What have you learned from a case you handled badly?

What they are checking: Whether they will name a mistake, which in this role is the sign of someone safe.

What would you do

A manager wants to move faster on an exit than you think is safe. What do you do?

What they are checking: Where their line is between serving the business and managing legal risk.

How do you apply a policy consistently when two similar cases have different circumstances?

What they are checking: Consistency and judgment together, which is the hardest thing in employee relations.

This supports a national team across six offices with minimal travel. How do you build relationships remotely?

What they are checking: Whether they have done this at distance, which the posting sets out plainly.

How do you work with a business that treats HR as the department that says no?

What they are checking: Whether they can become a partner rather than a gatekeeper.

About the work

How do you find the root cause of a case rather than just closing it?

What they are checking: The posting asks for root cause and prevention, which most employee relations work never reaches.

What would you look at first to move the needle on engagement and turnover?

What they are checking: The posting asks for exactly this. This checks they would start with data rather than a programme.

Practice this interview out loud.

Offer builds a real interview for this exact role at Wintrust from your resume and this job description, asks the questions one at a time, and tells you what landed. The first one is free.

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The full job description

As published by Wintrust.

Wintrust provides community and commercial banking, specialty finance and wealth management services through its 16 bank charters and nine non-bank businesses. Wintrust delivers the sophisticated solutions of a large bank while staying true to the relationship-focused, personalized service of our community banking roots. We serve clients in all 50 states with more than 200 branch banking locations in Illinois, southwestern Florida, northwestern Indiana, west Michigan and southern Wisconsin and commercial banking offices in Chicago, Denver, Milwaukee, Grand Rapids, Mich., and in key branch banking locations throughout Illinois. Our people are the heart of our business and we are proud to rank consistently as a top place to work. Wintrust is a $66 billion financial institution based in Rosemont, Illinois, and listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “WTFC.” Why join us? • An award-winning culture! Rated a Top Workplace by the Chicago Tribune (past 10 years) and Employee Recommended award by the Globe & Mail (past 6 years) • Competitive pay and discretionary bonus eligible • Comprehensive benefit package including medical, dental, vision, life, a 401k plan with a generous company match and tuition reimbursement to name a few • Family-friendly work hours • We offer opportunities to grow and develop in your career • Promote from within culture Why join this team? • We have a culture that encourages an entrepreneurial spirit • We offer multiple opportunities for development and upward mobility What You’ll Do: Primary point of contact for Human Resources related matters, this includes design and execution of HR strategies to support compensation, career development, performance management, employee engagement, employee relations and affirmative action. Role will partner with front line to management levels plus team members. Visibility and input into entity specific compensation, leadership, diversity board reporting. This role will be supporting various Charter banks and branches in the Chicagoland area. Local travel required. • Ensure legal compliance and mitigate risk related to employment by investigating employee complaints, interpreting, and applying corporate policies with fairness and consistency and ensuring compliance with local, state and federal employment laws and regulations. • Analyze cases to determine root cause and partner with business to mitigate future reoccurrence. • Coach leaders on employee relations issues. • Counsel and advise management on problem resolution and policy interpretation when escalated past initial HR intake (MYHR.) • Address issues that arise and escalate information that needs greater visibility and/or Sr. Management’s focused attention. • Provide input and direction in developing charter/entity strategy to move the needle on employee engagement, turnover, recognition, talent development/promotion opportunities. • Suggest and implement new HR solutions and processes for improvement to support clients and talent management objectives. • Accountable for leading HR Talent Management programs that will require a change and communication plan to continue to improve our offering, i.e., career development, employee engagement plans, culture committee. • Maintain positive working relationships with leaders and Centers of Excellence, establish an operating rhythm for successful communication and way of working together. • Work successfully with Talent Management team and centers of excellence on cross-charter/entity projects, initiatives or problems. Qualifications: • 6+ years’ experience working in a corporate HR environment with a shared services model strongly preferred. • Bachelor’s degree preferred • Experience advising senior business leaders (Director, VP, or SVP level) in a complex, matrixed organization. • Ability to resolve complex issues with independent actions and build solid connections with key stakeholders. • Highly proficient in Microsoft office suite. • Workday system knowledge preferred. Benefits: Medical Insurance • Dental • Vision • Life insurance • Accidental death and dismemberment • Short-term and long-term Disability Insurance • Parental Leave • Employee Assistance Program (EAP) • Traditional and Roth 401(k) with company match • Flexible Spending Account (FSA) • Employee Stock Purchase Plan at 5% discount • Critical Illness Insurance • Accident Insurance • Transportation and Commuting Benefits • Banking Benefits • Pet Insurance Compensation: The estimated annual salary range for this role is $85,000 to $110,000 along with eligibility to earn an annual bonus. Actual salaries may vary based on several factors, such as a candidate’s qualifications, skills and experience. #LI-Onsite From our first day in business, Wintrust has been proud to serve a variety of unique communities and people from all walks of life. To build a company that reflects the communities we serve, we believe that fostering a unique and inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued and empowered to succeed will support our ongoing success. Wintrust Financial Corporation, including community banking and financial services subsidiaries, is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, genetic information, and other legally protected categories.

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