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J.McLaughlin · 1 week ago

Retail HR Business Partner

Brooklyn, NY

Full-time

Hybrid

Senior Level

$140K/yr - $155K/yr

7+ years exp

J.McLaughlin is a specialty American Sportswear and Accessories brand headquartered in New York. The Retail HR Business Partner is a hands-on HR leader who partners closely with store teams and retail leadership, providing end-to-end HR support while balancing strategic thinking with day-to-day execution.

FashionRetail

Work & Life Balance

Responsibilities

Provide full-scope HR support for store teams and retail leadership across 38 states and 190 locations

Act as a strong advocate for the field, ensuring HR programs, policies and processes are practical and effective in a store environment

Use data and insights to spot trends, improve retention, and elevate the employee experience

Build strong, trusted relationships through consistent field presence and hands-on support

Understand the nuances of specialty retail — from customer experience to store-level dynamics—and align people strategies accordingly

Own all employee relations matters for store teams, including investigations, performance management, corrective action, and conflict resolution

Develop and deliver training and tools for store and field leaders on core people practices, including performance management, employee relations, and compliance fundamentals

Coach leaders on addressing people issues in a way that protects the brand, supports a positive employee and customer experience, and drives accountability

Ensure consistent application of policies while allowing for thoughtful, people-centered decision-making

Partner with leave administrators and leadership to support leaves of absence and workplace accommodations, ensuring compliance while balancing business continuity

Support key moments in the retail employee lifecycle, including onboarding, internal movement, and offboarding, to ensure a consistent and positive employee experience

Partner with retail leadership to build strong store manager and field leadership pipelines

Support talent development, succession planning, and career paths tailored to specialty retail roles

Reinforce effective performance management, coaching, and feedback practices

Enable recruitment best practices and execute senior retail leadership placements

Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws across multiple jurisdictions including California

Proactively identify people-related risk and partner with Legal and leadership to address issues early

Maintain policies and practices that are compliant, practical, and scalable for specialty retail stores

Champion a consistent, service-driven, and values-based culture across all stores

Lead employee engagement efforts and translate feedback into actionable improvements

Support organizational change initiatives tied to growth, new store openings, restructures, or brand evolution

Partner with HR and retail leadership to ensure clear, consistent communication of people-related changes, policies, and initiatives to the field

Provide HR support for new store openings, including staffing readiness, manager onboarding, and early-stage employee relations support

Other related duties as assigned

Qualification

HR certificationProgressive HR experienceMulti-state complianceEmployee relationsTalent managementProject managementAnalytical skillsHRIS navigationWritten communicationOral communicationProblem-solving skills

Required

7 –10+ years of progressive HR experience, including senior HRBP or leadership roles

Proven experience and knowledge of working in and supporting multi-state specialty retail and/or field-based organizations

Proven success leading and implementing HR programs and initiatives with comprehensive understanding of full-cycle HR practices

Demonstrated knowledge of and direct experience providing support across a wide range of HR disciplines including Employee Relations, Organizational Development, Talent Management, Learning & Development, Succession Planning, Talent Acquisition, Employee Engagement, Performance Management and Compliance & Risk Management

Firm grasp of and proficiency in employment law at a federal, state and local level as well as practical implications and applications. Experience with California labor laws required

Ability to establish strong relationships across all levels and functions of an organization

Strong Project Management and presentation skills

Excellent written and oral communication skills with the ability to effectively influence business partners at all levels

Strong analytical and problem-solving skills

Ability to operate with objectivity, integrity, professionalism, and confidentiality

Ability to travel frequently within assigned territory and the NYC area