SUMMARY OF JOB PURPOSE AND FUNCTION:

The Divisional Director of Associate Relations is a high-impact leadership role responsible for shaping the Associate experience, safeguarding organizational culture, and driving strategic Associate Relations initiatives that directly influence business success. As the principal architect of Associate Relations strategy for the West Coast, this role serves as a key advisor to senior leadership, ensuring a high-engagement workplace rooted in trust, fairness, and compassionate accountability. This role is critical to sustaining a thriving, engaged workforce and protecting the integrity of the organization’s People Strategy.

This role is suited for a visionary leader who can drive strategic impact. The position requires a deep understanding of both U.S. and state-specific employment law (especially California), labor laws, company policy, and business operations to implement a progressive Associate Relations strategy, aligned with the organization’s culture and values. This position ensures that the organization maintains its reputation as an employer of choice while proactively mitigating risks, shaping culture, and empowering leaders to build a work environment where Associates thrive.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES AND TASKS:

Strategic Leadership & Executive Partnership

Serve as a trusted advisor to senior leaders, influencing strategic decision-making and embedding best-in-class Associate Relations practices across the organization.

Architect and implement a comprehensive, data-driven Associate Relations strategy, aligning with organizational objectives while enhancing workplace culture and engagement.

Serve as the key thought leader in Associate Relations, proactively identifying trends and emerging risks while recommending solutions that safeguard the organization.

Associate Advocacy & Complex Issue Resolution

Oversee the full Associate Relations lifecycle, ensuring fairness, consistency, and compliance in resolving workplace concerns and escalations.

Lead and resolve high-risk and high-sensitivity Associate matters, including complex investigations, executive escalations, and regulatory challenges.

Advocate for The Associate Concept and The Five Principles, ensuring all employment practices uphold the organization’s core values.

Develop and deliver high-caliber leadership training programs, equipping leaders with the capability to navigate Associate challenges and lead with integrity.

Workplace Culture

Champion an inclusive, ethical, and legally compliant work environment, developing and implementing policies and practices that uphold the organization's values while minimizing risk exposure.

Lead proactive initiatives to strengthen Associate engagement, cultivating an environment where Associates feel valued, supported, and empowered.

Oversee the strategic evolution of the Associate Relations function, ensuring it is continuously adapting to meet business needs in a complex regulatory and geographic landscape.

Provide key insights to the Operations leadership teams to drive progressive employment policies and strategies.

Cross-Functional Influence & Organizational Impact

Represent Associate Relations function across Legal, Compliance, Risk & Safety, Payroll, Operations, and Corporate Affairs, driving an aligned People Strategy.

Collaborate with Legal and P&O teams to shape and refine policies affecting Associates, ensuring compliance with evolving labor laws and industry best practices.

Serve as a key leader in threat assessment and crisis management, partnering with corporate functions to implement risk mitigation strategies.

Business Impact & Analytics

Build and advance data & analytics capabilities within Associate Relations, leveraging metrics to shape proactive business strategies.

Establish and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) that predict workforce trends, inform leadership decisions, and mitigate potential risks.

Deliver high-impact executive reporting, providing senior leadership with data-backed insights that drive continuous improvement and innovation in Associate Relations.

People Leadership & Team Development

Lead and inspire a team of high-performing Associate Relations professionals, ensuring they are equipped to support a rapidly evolving workforce.

Drive a culture of continuous learning, mentorship, and career development, positioning the Associate Relations team as a powerhouse of expertise and innovation.

Foster collaboration in a virtual environment, leveraging cutting-edge technology to enhance connectivity and operational excellence.

Drive organizational change initiatives, ensuring seamless execution of people strategies that support business transformation.

Fulfills other related duties as assigned.

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE:

Bachelor’s Degree / Master’s, ideally with HR focus

10+ years’ experience in Employee Relations, HR Business Partner role, or related with business and HR experience showing increasing responsibility.

Experience in service, retail or hospitality businesses (muti-unit and people services businesses)

7+ years’ experience leading a team of professionals

Advanced HR training or credential or equivalent experience

SHRM or HRCI

MS Office Suite

Data Analytics and Case Management Software

Ability to read, write, and speak English

Outstanding written and verbal communication skills

Multi-Unit Support Experience in Healthcare or related field.

*All degrees will be deemed “or equivalent combination of education and experience” unless absolutely required to do the job (i.e., DVM degree for Veterinarian, Law degree for Attorney, etc.)

PREFERRED SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS:

Experience partnering and coaching Executives and their leadership teams.  Business mindset, People & Organization (HR) understanding and understanding of business processes to influence business leaders to bring innovation and transformation to the Associate Relations function

Ability to quickly build partnerships across multiple levels of the organization

Ability to leverage knowledge in areas of workplace compliance, associate engagement, labor relations, employment and labor laws, talent management, talent acquisition, learning and development, total rewards, and organizational design and development

Exceptional collaboration skills and ability to influence without authority

Ability to plan and organize quickly with a combined focus on quality and efficiency

Experience and expertise in change management, project management and continuous improvement with a strong focus on detail on follow through

Experience in start-up environments, building processes from scratch and comfortable dealing with ambiguity and constant change

CORE COMPETENCIES:

Integrity

Judgement

Listening

Detail-Oriented

Command Skills

Approachability

Planning

Priority Setting

#LI-CJ1

If you are a current associate, you need to apply through our internal career site. Please log into Workday and click on the Jobs Hub app or search for Browse Jobs.

Benefits: We offer competitive compensation along with a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, vision and paid vacation/sick days, 401(k), generous employee pet discounts and more!

The information in this position description indicates the general nature and level of work to be performed. It is not designed to be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of associates assigned to this job. Management reserves the right to revise the job description or require that other tasks be performed when the circumstances of the job change (for example, emergencies, change in personnel, workload, or technical development).

We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer - Veterans / Disabled. For a complete EEO statement please see our career page at vcacareers.com.