People & Culture Business Partner - Retail - Salomon North America

Amer Sports is a sporting goods company with internationally recognized brands including Salomon, Arc’teryx, Peak Performance, Atomic and Wilson.

“The Mountain Sport Company”, Salomon was born in 1947 in the heart of the French Alps and the birthplace of modern alpinism. Salomon’s commitment to innovative design and passion for mountain sports created a vast range of revolutionary new concepts in bindings, boots, skis and apparel for both Alpine and Nordic skiing and brought innovative solutions to footwear, apparel and equipment for snowboarding, adventure racing, mountaineering, hiking, trail running, and many other sports.

Through performance driven design, Salomon delivers innovation and progression to mountain sports; converting new ideas into action and expanding the limits of possibility. Salomon’s heritage, culture, and commitment are tied together by one simple concept: the world’s leading mountain people creating the world’s leading mountain products. Salomon is responsibly committed towards the outdoor through its sustainability program. Diversity is one of Salomon’s five values, therefore we are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all.

Salomon is headquartered in Annecy, France.

Job Description

OVERVIEW: 

As the People & Culture Business Partner – Retail for Salomon North America, you’ll lead recruitment, hiring, onboarding, and HR support for our growing retail store network. This hands-on role is key to building high-performing, values-driven teams that reflect Salomon’s purpose: to unleash the best in people through mountain sports. 

As Salomon continues to expand its retail footprint across North America, the majority of employee populations supported by this role will be located in California. As a result, this position requires a highly experienced HR professional with deep expertise in California employment law, as well as proven success applying those laws in fast-paced retail environments. 

You’ll partner closely with store leadership, the Vice President of Retail, and global People & Culture, Talent Acquisition, and Learning & Development teams to ensure alignment and drive a consistent, growth-focused employee experience across regions. 

This is a high-impact role for someone who thrives in a fast-paced, scaling environment, brings a collaborative and solutions-oriented approach, and is passionate about enabling teams to perform at their best. Success in this role requires adaptability, grit, and a warm, approachable presence. 

WHAT MAKES THIS A GREAT PLACE TO WORK & PLAY:  

• Hybrid work schedule  

• A generous PTO policy, plus 15 paid annual holidays and 3 floating holidays  

• Summer Fridays for 5 months of the year   

• An exceptional employee discount on all our products and sister brands (Arc’teryx, Armada, Atomic, Wilson)   

• Healthy Lifestyle Benefit designed to support your well-being and active lifestyle  

• Opportunities to engage in the community and with industry partners   

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty and responsibility satisfactorily: 

Talent Acquisition & Store Openings 

• Support full-cycle recruitment and hiring for new store openings, partnering with Talent Acquisition, Store Managers and the VP of Retail. 

• Stay current on and ensure compliance with evolving recruitment regulations across the U.S.

• Manage and improve onboarding processes to ensure strong integration of new hires across all store locations. 

Ongoing Talent Support & Workforce Planning 

• Partner with Store Managers to support ongoing hiring needs, turnover mitigation, and seasonal workforce planning. 

• Train and onboard Store Managers on people systems including SmartRecruiters and Workday, ensuring they are equipped to lead local hiring efforts effectively. 

Employee Relations & Culture 

• Act as the primary People & Culture contact for retail field staff, leading complex employee relations matters in partnership with Retail Management from investigation through resolution, with a particular focus on compliance with California employment and labor laws. 

• Provide expert guidance to retail leaders on employment law compliance, including employee relations, accommodations, leaves of absence, wage and hour requirements, terminations, disciplinary actions, and workplace investigations across California. 

• Foster a culture of trust, accountability, and growth by supporting store leadership in applying consistent and fair people practices. 

• Promote Salomon’s values in the field and champion a positive employee experience through engagement and retention strategies. 

Collaboration & HR Partnership 

• Serve as the key liaison between the People & Culture team and the Retail leadership team. 

• Provide coaching and support to store managers on performance management, conflict resolution, and team development. 

• Serve as the subject matter expert for California employment law within the Retail organization, proactively identifying risks and partnering with leaders to implement compliant people practices. 

• Contribute to the development of scalable HR practices, tools, and training to support retail growth. 

• Partner with Global Learning & Development to align on tools and programs that support ongoing employee growth, capability-building, and career pathing in retail. 

Immediate Objectives 

In the first 12–18 months, the People & Culture Business Partner – Retail will: 

• Successfully support the launch of new Salomon retail stores by supporting recruitment, hiring, and onboarding processes, ensuring each location opens fully staffed with culturally aligned, high-performing teams. 

• Partner closely with the VP of Retail and Store Managers to build scalable people practices that support Salomon’s direct-to-consumer growth strategy. 

• Collaborate with Global People & Culture, Talent Acquisition, and Learning & Development to ensure consistent global alignment in hiring, onboarding, and training. 

• Adapt and implement standardized onboarding and learning pathways to reflect local market realities while ensuring a consistent employee experience and capability across all new retail locations. 

• Establish and maintain strong working relationships with retail leaders to proactively support team development, performance feedback, and employee relations. 

• Build the foundation for a sustainable talent strategy across store locations by reducing turnover and identifying internal talent for growth opportunities. 

Qualifications

QUALIFICATIONS

Experience & Skills 

• 5–7 years of progressive HR experience, ideally in a retail or consumer-facing environment. 

• Demonstrated success in full-cycle, high-volume retail recruitment and onboarding. 

• Strong working knowledge of employee relations practices, conflict resolution, and performance management. 

• Experience supporting multi-site teams across diverse geographies. 

• Deep knowledge and practical application of California employment and labor laws, with a proven track record of advising leaders and successfully executing HR programs, employee relations processes, investigations, accommodations, leaves, disciplinary actions, and terminations in compliance with applicable regulations.

• Candidates must have hands-on HRBP experience supporting employee populations in California. 

• Demonstrated success navigating complex employment law issues in these jurisdictions is required. 

• Experience working in or with global organizations, including coordination across time zones and regional business practices. 

• Exposure to learning and development initiatives or partnership with L&D teams is a strong plus. 

• Comfortable with applicant tracking systems, HRIS tools, and digital communication platforms (Workday, SmartRecruiters and ADP experience a plus). 

• Excellent interpersonal, coaching, and consultative skills with the ability to influence at multiple levels. 

Mindset & Values 

• Proactive, hands-on problem-solver with a growth-oriented mindset. 

• High emotional intelligence and ability to navigate ambiguity with grace and confidence. 

• Passion for building empowering workplaces where people can thrive. 

• Strong sense of accountability, integrity, and a “roll-up-your-sleeves” attitude. 

• Solution-focused, adaptable, and able to thrive in a fast-paced, scaling environment. 

Cultural Alignment 

• Belief in Salomon’s purpose of helping people play, progress, and connect with nature. 

• Collaborative approach to building strong, values-aligned teams. 

• Enthusiastic about creating an employee experience that reflects the heritage, energy and community of the brand. 

Schedule & Flexibility 

Given the nature of retail operations, occasional support outside of standard business hours may be required. This includes the flexibility to assist with employee relations matters or management support during evenings, weekends, or holidays, particularly during peak retail periods or urgent situations. 

Travel 

Travel throughout the U.S. will be 50% or more, particularly to support store openings, employee relations matters, leadership coaching, and key retail business initiatives. The majority of travel will support locations in California.