People & Culture Business Partner

Description Hi there, we're Article. Since 2013, we've been creating remarkably better furniture experiences one sofa at a time. And as our Department: People & Culture Location: Chicago Why We Need You Our Customer Care, Logistics, and Retail teams are at the heart of our customer experience. As these teams continue to grow and evolve, we need an experienced P&C Business Partner who understands the opportunities and challenges that come with supporting frontline, hourly teams across multiple locations and jurisdictions. This role reports into the Director, Global P&C Business Partnership. You’ll serve as a key link between P&C, frontline employees, managers, and function leaders. You'll balance strategic partnership with hands‑on support, helping our teams navigate employee relations, develop talent, plan for future workforce needs, strengthen engagement, and manage change. You’ll use your P&C expertise, business context, and people data to understand what’s happening within the business and help leaders and teams take meaningful action. About Article As a Particle (people of Article), you will have a high level of autonomy to solve challenging, meaningful problems the best way you can. That means you’re trusted to explore solutions you believe will work best (you’re the expert, after all). You’ll do all this while growing your skills within a company that is redefining the furniture industry. Article was founded in 2013 with a simple idea: there had to be a better way to buy furniture. What began as an online business has grown into a brand trusted by millions of customers across North America. Our HQ is in Vancouver, Canada, with a team in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and fulfillment centers across Canada and the US. And we’re continuing to grow: we’re currently expanding our brick‑and‑mortar retail presence across Canada and the US, giving our customers more ways to experience Article in person. We're currently around 525 employees, next year we're likely be around 600. Today, Particles work across everything from Retail, Customer Care, and Logistics to Product, Creative, Technology, and more. Wherever we work, we share the same goal: to keep solving challenging, meaningful problems and find ways to be relentlessly better. About The Team This role supports frontline teams across Canada and the US, so we’re looking for someone based in Chicago. You’ll be well positioned to travel to our retail and logistics locations and spend time with the broader P&C team at our Vancouver HQ. We’re a team of 16 Particles across Talent Acquisition, Business Partnership, Learning & Development, and Internal Communications. You’ll find us in Vancouver, Los Angeles, Austin, Ho Chi Minh City, and now… Chicago! We work closely across time zones, share ideas, and make space for new ones. We take our work seriously, but not ourselves. What You’ll Do Partner With the Business Collaborate with function leaders to develop and implement people strategies that align with business goals. Support operational workforce planning to address future needs and ensure alignment with business objectives. Analyze organizational structures and roles, partnering with leaders to identify opportunities to improve efficiency and effectiveness. Work cross‑functionally across P&C and the broader business to create a cohesive approach to people priorities. Support Our Frontline Employees & Managers Serve as a primary P&C point of contact for frontline employees and managers across Customer Care, Logistics, and Retail. Support employee concerns, mediate disputes, and lead workplace investigations. Coach managers through employee relations and performance matters while ensuring compliance with applicable US and Canadian employment requirements, including California‑specific requirements. Support leaders with employee onboarding plans and conduct exit interviews to identify themes, trends, and opportunities for improvement. Travel to our Vancouver HQ approx. 2x per year and warehouse or retail locations about once per quarter. Develop Talent & Performance Coach managers on performance management, reviews, goal setting, and effective feedback. Support talent development, retention, resource planning and succession planning to build strong teams. Identify training needs and facilitate manager training in partnership with the Talent and Learning Development team. Support leaders and employees through the merit and performance cycles, partnering with the Compensation & Total Rewards Manager on role benchmarking as needed. Strengthen Engagement & Navigate Change Partner with managers to identify opportunities to strengthen employee engagement and the overall employee experience. Support and facilitate organizational change initiatives, helping teams navigate change with clear communication and minimal disruption. Help leaders build resilient and adaptable teams as business needs evolve. Use Data to Guide Decisions Use people data and analytics to identify trends, inform decisions, and provide actionable insights to function leaders. Bring together people data and business context to help identify opportunities and recommend practical solutions. Who You Are 7+ years of Human Resources or People & Culture experience in a Business Partner capacity. Direct experience supporting frontline, hourly employee groups and the managers who lead them in a fast‑paced environment. Prior experience supporting employees across multiple US states, including California. Proven ability to work effectively and build trusted relationships with frontline employees, managers, and leaders at different levels of an organization. Strong business acumen with the ability to understand operational needs and translate them into practical people solutions. Growth‑oriented and adaptable to change, with the judgment to work effectively through ambiguity. Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills. Excellent verbal and written communication, interpersonal, organizational, and time management skills. Employee Relations & Employment Knowledge Strong employee relations experience, including handling employee concerns, investigations, performance matters, and other complex workplace situations. Well‑versed in employment law across the United States, including California‑specific requirements such as wage and hour law, meal and rest break requirements, and Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) exposure. Knowledge of employment standards, human rights, health and safety, and privacy requirements relevant to the jurisdictions supported. Tools We Use Google Workspace and Microsoft Office Suite. HR systems including HRIS, ATS, performance, and engagement platforms. We currently use HiBob and Pinpoint. Nice to Have Current SHRM designation. Prior experience supporting employees in Canada. Experience supporting Retail, Customer Care, Logistics, or other distributed frontline teams. Additional Requirements Legally able to work in the United States. Completion of: Pre‑employment Drug & Alcohol test Criminal background check Article participates in E‑Verify. Willingness and ability to travel within Canada and the US. Valid passport required for cross‑border travel. Initial training and onboarding will take place at Article’s Vancouver HQ. Perks & Benefits Wealth Target salary: is $120,000 to $140,000. The actual base pay can increase beyond this range, and will be based on various factors, including transferable skills, Cash Bonus: We believe in Winning Together. When Article hits its annual financial goals, eligible employees receive an annual cash bonus.* 401(k) Match: 4% matched contributions to help you save for the future. Product Discount: 45% discount on our entire product range (15% for friends and family). Vacation & Paid Time Off Paid Vacation: You start at 160 hours (4 weeks) of paid vacation (accrued annually). Paid Holidays: 8 paid company holidays + 1 Inclusion & Diversity day. Total Health & Insurance Benefits Health Benefits: Benefits‑eligible (First day of employment) with coverage for Medical, Dental, & Vision. Paid Sick Leave: 48 hours Sick/wellness (6 days, accrued annually) Insurance: Life & Disability insurance, and Travel Medical insurance. Tax‑Advantaged Accounts: Health FSA (Flexible Spending Account) and Dependent Care FSA. Employee Support: SupportLinc EAP (Employee Assistance Program) and discounted pet insurance. Prorated Artificial Intelligence (AI) In Hiring At Article, we value authenticity and transparency in our hiring process. We want to get to know the real you, not an AI-generated version. Here are some guidelines around Artificial Intelligence in Hiring and what we expect from you. From us, you can expect that humans make hiring decisions. Criminal Background Checks Having a criminal record does not restrict your employment at Article. Criminal background checks are only conducted with your permission and after a conditional employment offer has been accepted. The decision if a criminal record will restrict your employment will be made on a case‑by‑case basis, where we conduct an \"individualized assessment\"—a reasoned, evidence‑based determination as to whether the applicant's past conviction has a direct and adverse relationship with the specific job duties of the position. Work Authorization Unless otherwise stated, all open roles require legal authorization to work in the location where the job is based, without requiring VISA sponsorship. For US‑based roles, Article participates in E‑Verify Equal Opportunity Statement At Article, we value and respect individuals for their different talents, skills, abilities, and unique contributions. Employment decisions are based on merit and business needs, and not on race, ethnic origin, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, family status, disability, genetic characteristics, personal beliefs, or any other classification protected by federal, state, provincial, and local laws and ordinances. Accommodations Reasonable accommodations are related to a disability or another protected characteristic. Applicants can also request accommodation at any stage of the recruitment process by notifying the hiring team or emailing View email address on click.appcast.io. This email is dedicated to accommodation requests only—non‑related messages will not receive a response. #J-18808-Ljbffr Article