VP HR - Commercial (Stores)

POSITION TITLE:    VP HR - Commercial (Stores) 
REPORTS TO:          CHRO
STATUS:                  Full Time Exempt
SUPERVISES:          Field HR Team

POSITION SUMMARY:
Reporting directly to our Chief Human Resources Officer The VP of HR Commercial provides strategic and tactical leadership for all aspects of HR, including employee relations, change  management, coaching, talent assessment, talent development, succession planning, performance management and organizational design for the commercial business which included 850 + stores located in the US, Canada, and Mexico. This leader will also support the HR function for the commercial corporate departments and will provide direction and counsel to all levels of leadership. This leader should have superior strategic expertise, business acumen, and demonstrated experience in building relationships and retaining trust across the organization.  
 
RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Serve as the primary HR Business Partner to the field leadership team
• Partner with talent acquisition, compensation & benefits and other key cross functional HR owners to impact and execute company strategies
• Strong focus on creating positive working environments and ensure management and  associate relations remain collaborative and supportive
• Ensure HR priorities, initiatives, and commitments are well communicated, highly visible, and widely supported across the commercial organization through talent acquisition, leadership development, and communications
• Stay curious and research best HR practices, industry trends, and emerging approaches with a focus on innovation and digital fluency
• Create, guide and facilitate workforce planning, succession planning and organization structure input to achieve business  objectives in a fast paced growth environment
• Ensure alignment to all AEO policies and compliance with state/federal employment legislation in partnership with legal and compliance 
• Analyze data and benchmarking insights to identify better ways of working, attracting and retaining talent in a competitive and  rapidly evolving landscape for our corporate and store roles 
• Create and execute new leader assimilation plans for newly hired and promoted talent, ensuring people have the tools and resources to be successful in their roles
• Create process to collect data and present to the field leadership team trends across employee relations cases to assess organizational needs and assist HR leadership in diagnosing root cause problems that impact overall organizational health
• Prioritize the inclusion, diversity & equity of hiring practices, development of talent, policies, compliance, education and culture  
• Maintain a strong focus on creating positive working environments and ensure management and employee relations remain collaborative and supportive

 
QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s Degree in  related field, advanced degree (MBA, Master’s) preferred
• Experience leading HR for a large multi-store organization
• 10+ years of progressive HR  field retail experience  or multi-unit  environment 
• High degree of knowledge and understanding of federal, state and local labor regulations as well as legal and compliance
• Relevant HR leadership experience including organizational change management initiatives, communications development, organizational design and development, HR strategy and operations
• Track record of leading transformational change in an energetic and positive manner
• The ability to influence cross-functionally through relationship building at all levels
• Experience leading large, cross-functional projects, including business reorganizations
• Ability to execute a project plan, managing to deadlines 
• Demonstrated strong business acumen and ability to work effectively across teams, levels and varying professional styles
• Strong oral and written communication skills, including presentation skills 
• Strong problem-solving and strategic thinking skills with the ability to exercise discretion and sound judgment
• Comfortable with research, data collection, problem solving, identifying issues and trends
• Ability to work in a fast-paced and deadline-oriented environment 
• Ability to travel as necessary 

AEO is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to complying with all federal, state and local equal employment opportunity (“EEO”) laws. AEO prohibits discrimination against associates and applicants for employment because of the individual’s race or color, religion or creed, alienage or citizenship status, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity or expression, marital or partnership status, domestic violence or stalking victim status, genetic information or predisposing genetic characteristics, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. This applies to all AEO activities, including, but not limited to, recruitment, hiring, compensation, assignment, training, promotion, performance evaluation, discipline and discharge. AEO also provides reasonable accommodation of religion and disability in accordance with applicable law.