People & Culture Business Partner

Newfoundland Labrador Liquor Corporation•St. John's, NL

14h•$75,778 - $98,510•Hybrid

About The Position

The People & Culture Business Partner – Operations serves as the strategic People & Culture partner to NLC’s retail operations across Newfoundland and Labrador. This role provides both strategic guidance and hands-on support to operational leaders across the province, ensuring that workforce strategies align with operational priorities while supporting a positive, inclusive, and high-performing workplace culture. Reporting to the Director, People & Culture, this position works closely with Regional Managers, store leaders, and cross-functional People & Culture teams to support employee and labour relations, recruitment, workforce planning, leadership development, and engagement initiatives within frontline retail environments. Through strong relationship building, operational insight, and sound HR expertise, the People & Culture Business Partner helps strengthen leadership capability, enhance employee experience, and support the effective delivery of retail operations. This role requires regular travel (approximately 75% of the time) to retail locations across the province and includes access to a company vehicle.

Requirements

University degree in Commerce, Business Administration, Human Resources, Industrial Relations, or a related field.
Five (5) years of progressive Human Resources experience, including experience in HR business partnering, employee relations, or HR generalist roles.
Demonstrated ability to build strong relationships with operational leaders and influence decision-making in complex environments.
Strong conflict resolution, coaching, and facilitation skills with the ability to navigate sensitive workplace matters with professionalism and discretion.
Excellent communication, analytical, and problem-solving abilities.
Proven ability to manage multiple priorities and translate strategy into practical operational solutions.
Valid driver’s license and willingness/ability to travel regularly across Newfoundland and Labrador; a company vehicle is provided.

Nice To Haves

Experience supporting unionized environments and interpreting collective agreements is considered an asset.
A CPHR or CHRL designation, or progress toward a professional designation, would be considered an asset.

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary People & Culture partner to NLC’s retail operations, providing both strategic guidance and day-to-day support to Regional Managers and site leadership.
Partner with operational leaders to identify workforce needs, succession gaps, and people-related priorities across retail locations.
Provide coaching and consultation on performance management, attendance management, employee relations, and team engagement.
Collaborate with the Director, People & Culture to ensure alignment between operational priorities and People & Culture strategies and initiatives.
Support organizational effectiveness through change management, workforce planning, talent development, and leadership support in frontline environments.
Maintain a visible presence within the retail environment to build trust with operational leaders and employees and develop a strong understanding of frontline challenges and opportunities.
Travel regularly to retail locations across Newfoundland and Labrador to support operational leaders and People & Culture initiatives.
Support day-to-day employee and labour relations activities within retail operations, ensuring fair, consistent, and timely resolution of workplace matters.
Provide guidance and interpretation of collective agreements, employment legislation, and corporate policies.
Partner with managers on performance management discussions, disciplinary processes, and workplace investigations, ensuring documentation is thorough and defensible.
Support grievance management, mediation, and arbitration preparation in collaboration with the People & Culture leadership team and Legal when required.
Maintain constructive relationships with union representatives, promoting open communication and collaborative problem-solving.
Monitor employee relations trends and provide insights to leadership to strengthen workplace culture and leadership capability.
Partner with Operations leadership and the People & Culture team to ensure timely and effective recruitment for retail roles.
Support workforce planning initiatives including seasonal hiring, internal promotions, and succession planning for frontline leadership roles.
Analyze workforce data to identify trends related to turnover, staffing levels, and retention.
Provide input into workforce planning strategies that support operational continuity and service delivery.
Provide coaching and guidance to store managers and assistant managers to strengthen leadership capability, communication, and conflict resolution skills.
Identify leadership development needs within retail operations and collaborate with the Organizational Effectiveness team to deliver appropriate learning opportunities.
Support leaders in building inclusive, high-performing teams through clear expectations, feedback, recognition, and accountability.
Partner with the Occupational Health, Safety and Wellness teams to support safe work practices, early intervention, and effective return-to-work planning.
Conduct annual OH&S audits in collaboration with site leadership and the OH&S team to evaluate compliance, identify risks, and support continuous improvement in safety practices.
Ensure leaders understand their responsibilities regarding incident reporting, workplace accommodations, and attendance management.
Participate in reviewing workplace injury trends and support the development of preventative or corrective actions.
Promote employee wellbeing and psychological safety by connecting employees with available supports such as Employee Assistance Programs and wellness initiatives.
Champion NLC’s values and contribute to building a respectful, inclusive, and engaging workplace culture across retail operations.
Partner with store leaders to recognize employee contributions and foster team engagement.
Support the rollout of employee engagement surveys and assist operational leaders in developing and implementing action plans based on results.
Act as a connector between retail operations and other People & Culture functions, including Organizational Effectiveness and the Occupational Health & Safety and Wellbeing Management.
Participate in cross-functional projects aimed at improving People & Culture programs, policies, systems, and processes.
Provide operational insights to the People & Culture leadership team to ensure corporate initiatives reflect frontline realities and needs.