Manager, People Business Partner

Saks•New York, NY

4d•$95,790 - $139,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Manager, People Business Partner serves as a dedicated People partner to the Bergdorf Goodman Women’s and Men’s stores, supporting associates and leaders across a high-performing luxury retail sales workforce. The role connects people strategy with business performance and requires a visible, trusted presence across both store locations, on the selling floor and in the back of house. The position reports to the Director, People Business Partner and partners with department managers and the broader People team to deliver a strong employee experience and consistent people practices. The portfolio includes customer advisors and operational professionals whose engagement, retention, and performance affect commercial results. The Manager builds credibility with associates and leaders, understands luxury selling culture and each store’s distinct dynamics, and applies thoughtful, consistent HR practices in a fast-moving environment. The role manages employee relations, supports talent acquisition and talent management, performance and workforce planning, and helps ensure HR operations, compliance, documentation, and associate support are handled accurately and consistently. The position also partners with Compensation, Benefits, Payroll, Legal, and other teams as appropriate.

Requirements

5–7 years of progressive retail HR or People Business Partner experience, with demonstrated ownership of a sizeable and complex employee population.
Experience partnering with high-performing, client-facing sales talent while maintaining standards and strong relationships.
Strong employee relations expertise and the ability to independently manage sensitive cases with sound judgment, consistency, and discretion.
Experience supporting a retail or similarly performance-driven workforce and understanding what motivates and retains high-performing commercial talent.
Ability to build credible, trusted relationships across a diverse workforce, from frontline associates to senior store leadership.
Ability to manage competing priorities across multiple locations or departments while maintaining attention to detail and follow-through.
Business-oriented mindset and ability to connect people practices to selling floor outcomes and commercial performance.
Exceptional discretion, professionalism, and composure suited to a luxury retail environment.
Clear and confident written and verbal communication skills.

Nice To Haves

Experience in luxury retail, fashion, or a high-touch, client-facing consumer environment.
Familiarity with book-of-business sales culture, including commission structures, client ownership, and seller retention.
Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business, Psychology, or a related field.
Familiarity with HRIS systems such as Workday and people reporting tools.

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary People partner to functional leaders and department managers across the Women’s and Men’s stores.
Maintain a visible presence on the selling floor and in the back of house, building trusted relationships with associates and managers.
Translate business priorities and performance trends into actionable people plans in partnership with the Director, People Business Partner.
Advise managers on high-performance sales culture, client relationship ownership, and associate engagement.
Partner across both stores while accounting for their distinct cultures, clientele, and team composition.
Own and manage employee relations matters, including performance management, interpersonal conflict, and conduct matters.
Help managers ensure performance documentation is timely, thorough, and aligned with company policy and brand expectations.
Identify employee relations trends and bring observations and recommendations to the Director, People Business Partner.
Engage Legal and other partners as appropriate, exercising judgment about when to act independently and when to align upward.
Develop an understanding of the interpersonal, commercial, and cultural factors that influence associate engagement and retention.
Partner with leaders and Compensation to support consistent and equitable application of recognition, performance, and compensation structures.
Support managers in identifying and developing high-potential talent and contribute to career growth and retention.
Address associate concerns related to competitive dynamics with care, fairness, and business context.
Serve as a resource for colleagues navigating workplace concerns.
Support performance reviews, talent calibrations, succession conversations, and other talent acquisition and management processes.
Partner with department managers to set performance expectations, encourage consistent feedback, and address underperformance in a structured and timely manner.
Contribute to workforce planning for a high-volume, high-touch luxury selling environment.
Support full-cycle recruiting and hiring, including candidate and onboarding experiences aligned with Bergdorf Goodman standards.
Ensure consistent application of HR policies, procedures, and compliance requirements across the store employee population.
Maintain accurate case documentation and workforce data and support reporting and people analytics.
Partner with Compensation, Benefits, Payroll, and other Centers of Expertise to resolve associate inquiries and support HR service delivery.
Support leave-of-absence processes and guide managers and associates through each step.

Benefits

Medical insurance
Dental insurance
Vision insurance
401(k) retirement plan
Basic life insurance
Supplemental life insurance
Disability insurance
Additional voluntary benefits, such as critical illness, hospital, and accident insurance
Employee discount
Career advancement opportunities across retail, distribution, digital, and corporate functions