Associate Manager of Talent & Employee Relations

Requirements 2-4 years of HR, People Operations, or L&D coordination experience in a multi-unit retail, hospitality, or distributed workforce environment Demonstrated documentation discipline: complete, accurate records kept consistently, not when prompted Proven ability to manage multiple open workstreams simultaneously without losing detail, including active ER cases, LOA timelines, and training deadlines running in parallel Prior exposure to leave administration, including FMLA, state-level paid sick leave, and ADA accommodation workflows; not required to be an expert, but must have prior hands-on experience Comfort operating in an environment where processes are still being built; this role will help write SOPs, not just follow them Experience with an HRIS and case management or project tracking tooling; ability to learn new systems quickly Strong written communication: drafts clean, professional documentation without heavy editing rounds New York City or tri-state area based; available in-person at HQ (Nolita, Manhattan) at least 3 days per week What the job involves Studs operates 40+ piercing studios on a path to 75 and beyond. The Associate Manager, Talent & Employee Relations is the execution and coordination layer for two core functions: Employee Relations and Learning & Development This role exists so the Senior Manager, Talent Development & Strategy can focus on ER judgment, field business partnership, and system design, rather than case administration and logistics. The work is high-volume, detail-dependent, and carries real compliance risk Errors in ER documentation and LOA coordination have legal and payroll consequences. The person who succeeds here is a precise, high-throughput operator who runs clean process, escalates judgment calls without hesitation, and builds infrastructure in an environment that is still maturing Employee Relations Administration Manages the full administrative lifecycle of ER cases: intake logging, corrective action form preparation and filing, documentation tracking, and case closure in the People OS Owns LOA coordination end-to-end: intake, state-specific paperwork, timeline tracking, and handoff to HR Ops for payroll and HRIS execution Maintains ER case queue integrity, ensuring all active cases are documented to standard and SLAs are current; flags aging cases, missing documentation, or escalation criteria to the HRBP Prepares corrective action documentation and meeting materials for HRBP delivery, executing against HRBP direction and checking for accuracy and completeness before any manager conversation Tracks open ER matters across regions and produces regular status summaries for HRBP review Learning & Development Coordination Coordinates the annual training calendar: scheduling, logistics, facilitator preparation, and attendance tracking across studio and HQ populations Administers the LMS, including enrollment, completion tracking, compliance reporting, and escalation of non-completion to field managers Supports onboarding program execution by maintaining onboarding bundles, tracking cohort completion, and surfacing gaps for HRBP and Talent Development review Coordinates logistics and materials for manager capability training sessions: scheduling, platform setup, material distribution, and attendance tracking Maintains the training calendar and session records in the LMS; flags outdated content or scheduling gaps to the Talent Development lead for resolution Cross-functional Coordination Partners with HR Ops on leave administration handoffs, ensuring payroll implications of LOAs are accurately communicated, documented, and tracked to resolution Coordinates with Regional Managers and Studio Managers on ER documentation requests, training deadlines, and compliance requirements, escalating judgment calls to the HRBP rather than resolving them independently Supports the HRBP in preparing field-facing communications, case summaries, and manager guidance documents Updates People team SOPs and filing systems based on direction from the HRBP or Talent Development lead; maintains version control and ensures current docs are accessible #J-18808-Ljbffr Studs