People & Culture Business Partner

Article • Chicago, IL

2d • Hybrid

About The Position

As the People & Culture (P&C) Business Partner at Article, you will play a crucial role in bringing the people strategy to life across Customer Care, Logistics, and Retail expansion. You will support frontline employees and partner with leaders and managers in Canada and the US, focusing on employee engagement, performance, talent development, workforce planning, and organizational effectiveness, while also managing change and employee relations. This role is essential for supporting our growing frontline teams, addressing the unique opportunities and challenges they face across multiple locations and jurisdictions. You will act as a key link between P&C, frontline employees, managers, and function leaders, balancing strategic partnership with hands-on support. Your expertise, business context, and people data will be used to understand business dynamics and guide leaders and teams toward actionable solutions.

Requirements

• 7+ years of Human Resources or People & Culture experience in a Business Partner capacity.
• Direct experience supporting frontline, hourly employee groups and the managers who lead them in a fast-paced environment.
• Prior experience supporting employees across multiple US states, including California.
• Proven ability to work effectively and build trusted relationships with frontline employees, managers, and leaders at different levels of an organization.
• Strong business acumen with the ability to understand operational needs and translate them into practical people solutions.
• Growth-oriented and adaptable to change, with the judgment to work effectively through ambiguity.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication, interpersonal, organizational, and time management skills.
• Strong employee relations experience, including handling employee concerns, investigations, performance matters, and other complex workplace situations.
• Well-versed in employment law across the United States, including California-specific requirements such as wage and hour law, meal and rest break requirements, and Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) exposure.
• Knowledge of employment standards, human rights, health and safety, and privacy requirements relevant to the jurisdictions supported.
• Legally able to work in the United States.
• Completion of: Pre-employment Drug & Alcohol test, Criminal background check.
• Article participates in E-Verify.
• Willingness and ability to travel within Canada and the US.
• Valid passport required for cross-border travel.
• Initial training and onboarding will take place at Article’s Vancouver HQ.

Nice To Haves

• Current SHRM designation.
• Prior experience supporting employees in Canada.
• Experience supporting Retail, Customer Care, Logistics, or other distributed frontline teams.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with function leaders to develop and implement people strategies aligned with business goals.
• Support operational workforce planning to address future needs and ensure alignment with business objectives.
• Analyze organizational structures and roles to identify opportunities for improved efficiency and effectiveness.
• Work cross-functionally across P&C and the broader business to create a cohesive approach to people priorities.
• Serve as a primary P&C point of contact for frontline employees and managers across Customer Care, Logistics, and Retail.
• Support employee concerns, mediate disputes, and lead workplace investigations.
• Coach managers through employee relations and performance matters, ensuring compliance with US and Canadian employment requirements, including California-specific regulations.
• Support leaders with employee onboarding plans and conduct exit interviews to identify themes, trends, and opportunities for improvement.
• Coach managers on performance management, reviews, goal setting, and effective feedback.
• Support talent development, retention, resource planning, and succession planning.
• Identify training needs and facilitate manager training in partnership with the Talent and Learning Development team.
• Support leaders and employees through merit and performance cycles, partnering with the Compensation & Total Rewards Manager on role benchmarking.
• Partner with managers to identify opportunities to strengthen employee engagement and the overall employee experience.
• Support and facilitate organizational change initiatives, helping teams navigate change with clear communication and minimal disruption.
• Help leaders build resilient and adaptable teams as business needs evolve.
• Use people data and analytics to identify trends, inform decisions, and provide actionable insights to function leaders.
• Bring together people data and business context to identify opportunities and recommend practical solutions.

Benefits

• Target salary: $120,000 to $140,000
• Cash Bonus: Eligible employees receive an annual cash bonus when Article hits its annual financial goals.
• 401(k) Match: 4% matched contributions.
• Product Discount: 45% discount on Article products (15% for friends and family).
• Paid Vacation: 160 hours (4 weeks) of paid vacation (accrued annually).
• Paid Holidays: 8 paid company holidays + 1 Inclusion & Diversity day.
• Health Benefits: Coverage for Medical, Dental, & Vision from the first day of employment.
• Paid Sick Leave: 48 hours Sick/wellness (6 days, accrued annually).
• Insurance: Life & Disability insurance, and Travel Medical insurance.
• Tax-Advantaged Accounts: Health FSA (Flexible Spending Account) and Dependent Care FSA.
• Employee Support: SupportLinc EAP (Employee Assistance Program) and discounted pet insurance.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed