Human Resources Business Partner

Job Description

About the Role:

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This is a freelance role scheduled to be ongoing for the time being, there is always the opportunity of the role becoming full time should it be the right fit.

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Hybrid - 3 days in office 2 remote at their NYC HQ.

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Our client, a prestigious luxury fashion house, is seeking a Contract HRBP/ Generalist– Retail to support the employee experience across its retail organization throughout North America.

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This role will serve as a key HR partner to retail leadership and employees, with a primary focus on employee relations, HR support, and day-to-day people matters across the brand’s boutiques and retail locations. The ideal candidate will be comfortable working in a fast-paced, high-touch luxury environment and partnering with employees and managers at all levels.

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This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced HR professional who enjoys being highly visible, building trusted relationships, and helping retail teams navigate a broad range of HR-related matters.

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Key Responsibilities

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Employee Relations

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• Serve as a primary HR point of contact for employees and managers across North American retail locations.
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• Provide guidance and support on employee relations matters, including performance management, attendance, conduct, workplace concerns, conflict resolution, and disciplinary processes.
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• Partner with Retail Managers and leadership to address employee concerns fairly, consistently, and in alignment with company policies and applicable employment laws.
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• Conduct and support employee investigations, documenting findings and partnering with senior HR leadership and Legal when appropriate.
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• Help foster a positive, respectful, inclusive, and engaging workplace culture across retail locations.
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Retail HR Partnership

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• Develop strong working relationships with Store Managers, Regional Managers, Retail leadership, and corporate HR teams.
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• Provide day-to-day HR guidance to retail management on people-related questions and situations.
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• Support the implementation and consistent application of HR policies and procedures across North American retail locations.
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• Act as a liaison between retail employees and corporate HR functions.
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• Partner with HR leadership on employee engagement and retention initiatives within the retail organization.
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• Provide support during periods of organizational change, new store openings, leadership transitions, and other retail initiatives as needed.
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HR Operations & Administration

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• Support employee lifecycle processes including onboarding, transfers, promotions, leaves, performance management, and offboarding.
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• Maintain accurate and confidential employee documentation and HR records.
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• Ensure HR practices and documentation are aligned with applicable federal, state/provincial, and local employment regulations across North America.
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• Partner with Payroll, Benefits, Talent Acquisition, and other HR teams to resolve employee-related issues.
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• Assist with HR reporting, audits, and other people-related projects as needed.
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Employee Experience

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• Serve as a trusted and approachable resource for retail employees.
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• Help ensure employees receive a consistent and elevated HR experience reflective of the luxury brand environment.
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• Identify recurring employee or organizational issues and proactively recommend solutions to HR leadership.
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• Support initiatives designed to strengthen engagement, communication, development, and retention across the retail workforce.
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Qualifications

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• 5+ years of progressive HR Generalist or HR Business Partner experience , preferably within retail, luxury, fashion, hospitality, or another high-touch consumer environment.
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• Strong experience handling employee relations matters from intake through resolution .
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• Experience supporting a geographically dispersed workforce, ideally across multiple states and/or provinces.
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• Strong knowledge of HR policies, employment practices, and compliance requirements.
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• Experience partnering directly with managers and senior leadership.
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• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and conflict-resolution skills.
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• Ability to exercise sound judgment and maintain strict confidentiality when handling sensitive employee matters.
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• Highly organized with strong attention to detail and follow-through.
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• Comfortable working independently in a fast-paced, evolving environment.
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• Strong Microsoft Office skills and experience working with HRIS systems.
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Preferred Qualifications

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• Previous experience supporting retail stores, boutiques, or field organizations .
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• Experience within the luxury fashion, beauty, or premium consumer goods industry .
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• Experience supporting employees across both the United States and Canada .
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• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
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• PHR, SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, or comparable HR certification is a plus.
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Ideal Candidate

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The ideal candidate is a people-focused HR professional who thrives in a retail environment and is comfortable balancing employee advocacy with business needs. They should be confident advising managers, navigating sensitive employee relations situations, and building credibility with employees across a geographically dispersed organization.

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Experience in a luxury or highly service-oriented environment is particularly valuable, as the role requires a polished, discreet, collaborative, and solutions-oriented approach.