HR Business Partner - Blank Street Coffee - New York

HR Business Partner - Blank Street Coffee - New York

The HR Business Partner (HRBP) Senior Associate is a trusted partner to our Operations Team, helping drive a high-performing, people-first culture during a period of growth at Blank Street. This role supports stores across multiple markets, partnering closely with General Managers and Operations Managers to strengthen teams, elevate performance, and support the employee experience.

This role blends strategic partnership with hands-on execution and is ideal for someone who thrives in fast-paced environments, builds strong relationships quickly, and operates with sound judgment and professionalism. You'll partner with field leaders on employee relations, performance management, coaching, engagement, and talent development while proactively identifying trends and opportunities across the business. This role is based in-person out of our Brooklyn, NY office, reports to the HRBP Manager, and requires frequent travel across the markets and stores you support.

Who We're Looking For

• You're an expert at handling employee relations issues and can navigate them with sound judgment
• You're confident coaching managers, not just giving advice, but helping others actually reach a solution and drive results
• You have a strong grasp of People Ops fundamentals (onboarding, compliance, documentation, investigations) and know how to apply them in real situations
• You're highly organized and detail-oriented
• You're responsive, action-oriented, and follow through
• You're comfortable with ambiguity, pivots, and fast pace
• You're a clear, thoughtful communicator through all mediums
• You genuinely enjoy supporting people and making the job fun

What You'll Own

Hire → Get the right people in

• Partner with Talent Acquisition and Operations leaders on hiring strategy, interview calibration, and workforce planning across your markets
• Support strong hiring decisions by assessing talent quality, team fit, and long-term potential
• Ensure new hires have a smooth and consistent onboarding experience from offer acceptance through ramp-up
• Proactively identify hiring gaps, staffing risks, and organizational needs within your markets

Develop → Make people better

• Coach and support GMs, Shift Leads, and Operations Managers on performance management, accountability, feedback, and team dynamics
• Drive execution of People programs including performance coaching frameworks, engagement action planning, and policy rollouts
• Support internal promotions, succession planning, and leadership development across your markets
• Help leaders navigate difficult conversations confidently, fairly, and consistently

Retain → Keep great people

• Lead employee relations matters and investigations from intake through resolution with strong documentation, judgment, and professionalism
• Identify trends in turnover, attendance, engagement, and performance - partnering with Operations leaders to take proactive action early
• Act as a trusted resource for employees and managers, balancing employee experience with business needs
• Build strong relationships across your markets to maintain a clear pulse on team health, morale, and operational challenges

Protect the Business → Make the business run and grow smoothly

• Partner cross-functionally with TA, Payroll, Training, Finance, and Operations to support smooth business operations
• Use people data, operational trends, and feedback to identify risks, recommend solutions, and support business decision-making

Requirements

• 4+ years of HR or People Ops experience, ideally in a fast-paced retail or hospitality environment
• Working knowledge of labor laws and compliance requirements (I-9s, wage & hour, documentation standards)
• Proven ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines in a high-volume environment
• Demonstrated ability to stay organized and detail-oriented across multiple workstreams
• Comfortable using HR systems and tools (HRIS, ATS, Google Suite)
• Ability to handle sensitive information with discretion and sound judgment
• Must be based in NYC with flexibility to travel throughout the market as needed

Benefits & Perks

• $90,000 - $110,000 annual base salary
• Equity package
• 15 days of paid annual leave (on top of company-observed holidays and sick time)
• Three health plan options, with full coverage available for two employee-only tiers
• Commuter benefits
• Parental leave
• Bereavement leave
• Exclusive access to our coveted Regulars program – yes, that means free coffee, matcha and more!
• Regular social outings with the team
• Free Blank Street swag