HR Business Partner- Retail (East & Central Region)Department: People and Culture
Employment Type: Full Time
Location: New York City
Reporting To: Jennifer Pelayo
Compensation: $110,000 - $115,000 / year
DescriptionAs we continue to scale globally, our HQ teams play a critical role in shaping strategy, building world-class infrastructure, and driving sustainable growth across markets. Reporting to the Director of HR - Retail, the
HR Business Partner - Retail (East and Central Region) serves as a trusted advisor and strategic partner to retail leaders. This role is highly focused on employee and employer relations, coaching leaders, and ensuring consistent, fair, and values-driven People practices across a dynamic retail environment.
The HRBP will play a critical role in strengthening leadership capability, navigating complex employee relations matters, and reinforcing a positive employee experience at scale. This individual will work closely with Store Leaders, Regional Leadership, and cross-functional HR partners to support performance, engagement, compliance, and long-term talent growth while acting as a visible, approachable HR presence in the field.
Key ResponsibilitiesEmployer & Employee Relations - Serve as a strategic advisor and thought partner to Regional Directors and Store Leaders, providing expert guidance on employee relations, performance management, corrective action, and conflict resolution.
- Lead complex, multi-site investigations with clear documentation, timely follow-through, and consistent application of SKIMS' values and policies.
- Build leaders' capability by coaching leaders on best practices for feedback delivery, performance improvement, and accountability, building confidence and consistency across leadership teams.
- Identify regional people trends, risks, and hotspots; partner with leadership to implement preventative strategies that reduce turnover, improve engagement, and strengthen culture.
- Act as a cultural steward, ensuring SKIMS' values, traits of excellence, leadership standards, and inclusion principles are upheld across all stores.
HR Strategy & Business Partnership - Partner with the Director of HR - Retail and Regional Leadership to execute people strategies that support retail business goals, operational priorities, and long-term growth.
- Translate HR/People strategies into scalable, field-ready programs that drive consistency across the retail enterprise, while allowing for regional nuance.
- Serve as the HRBP for the East and Central Regions, influencing decision-making through data, insights, and strong business acumen.
- Collaborate with Recruiting, Legal, Payroll, Benefits, HRIS, and People Operations to ensure seamless HR support and alignment across all sites.
- Support workforce planning, staffing needs, and organizational changes that enable efficient store operations and future growth.
Leadership Development & Enablement - Partner with Learning & Development to deliver training that enhances leadership capabilities, ER judgment, and inclusive leadership practices.
- Support onboarding for store leadership, ensuring consistent and high-quality experience across locations.
- Equip leaders with practical tools, guides, and resources that enable confident, compliant, and values driven leadership.
Performance Management & Talent Development - Guide leaders through goal setting, midyear and annual reviews, calibration, and development planning to strengthen performance and leadership capability.
- Lead performance improvement processes with clarity, empathy, and compliance, ensuring consistency across stores.
- Participate in talent reviews, succession planning, and leadership development discussions to build strong internal pipelines.
- Use HR metrics (turnover, engagement, ER trends, staffing levels) to identify opportunities and influence regional strategy.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion - Embed inclusive practices into hiring, coaching, performance management, and employee relations decisions across the assigned regions.
- Partner with leaders to cultivate store environments where employees feel respected, valued, and heard.
- Support retail engagement initiatives that strengthen belonging, morale, and connection across diverse teams.
Compliance & Risk Management - Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws across multiple jurisdictions within the assigned regions.
- Partner with Legal on escalated matters, ensuring appropriate documentation, risk mitigation, and consistent application of policy.
- Conduct regular HR audits, compliance reviews, and policy refreshers to maintain operational excellence.
- Communicate policy updates clearly and consistently across all stores.
Operational Excellence & Change Management - Support organizational changes, the growth of new store openings, and scaling initiatives across the retail enterprise.
- Maintain and evolve HR resources, toolkits, and documentation to support leaders in a fast-paced, multi-site environment.
- Travel regularly within the assigned regions to maintain strong relationships and provide on-the-ground partnerships.
Skills, Knowledge and Expertise- Must be based in the New York Metropolitan area or Chicago Metropolitan area.
- Travel regularly, on average 50% across the assigned regions, occasionally to HQ, and support multiple time zones.
- 5+ years of progressive HR experience, including 3+ years in a multi-site retail HR Business Partner role supporting high-volume teams (700-1,000+ employees preferred).
- Demonstrated expertise in employee relations, investigations, performance management, and coaching leaders through complex and sensitive matters.
- Proven ability to influence and partner with leaders at all levels, with strong judgment and a solutions-oriented mindset.
- Experience working across multiple states with strong knowledge of federal, state, and local employment laws.
- Ability to manage confidential information with discretion, professionalism, and integrity.
- Exceptional communication skills with the ability to deliver clear, concise, and actionable guidance in fast-paced environments.
- Experience with HRIS systems (UKG preferred), reporting tools, and Microsoft Office Suite.
- Experience supporting scaling retail organizations, new store openings, or rapid growth environments is a plus.
- PHR, SPHR, SHRM-CP, or SHRM-SCP certification preferred.
