Associate Manager, Talent & Employee Relations

Studs operates 40+ piercing studios on a path to 75 and beyond. The Associate Manager, Talent & Employee Relations is the execution and coordination layer for two core functions: Employee Relations and Learning & Development. This role exists so the Senior Manager, Talent Development & Strategy can focus on ER judgment, field business partnership, and system design, rather than case administration and logistics. The work is high-volume, detail-dependent, and carries real compliance risk. Errors in ER documentation and LOA coordination have legal and payroll consequences. The person who succeeds here is a precise, high-throughput operator who runs clean process, escalates judgment calls without hesitation, and builds infrastructure in an environment that is still maturing.

Salary Range: $80,000–$100,000

Key Responsibilities:

Employee Relations Administration

• Manages the full administrative lifecycle of ER cases: intake logging, corrective action form preparation and filing, documentation tracking, and case closure in the People OS.
• Owns LOA coordination end-to-end: intake, state-specific paperwork, timeline tracking, and handoff to HR Ops for payroll and HRIS execution.
• Maintains ER case queue integrity, ensuring all active cases are documented to standard and SLAs are current; flags aging cases, missing documentation, or escalation criteria to the HRBP.
• Prepares corrective action documentation and meeting materials for HRBP delivery, executing against HRBP direction and checking for accuracy and completeness before any manager conversation.
• Tracks open ER matters across regions and produces regular status summaries for HRBP review.

Learning & Development Coordination

• Coordinates the annual training calendar: scheduling, logistics, facilitator preparation, and attendance tracking across studio and HQ populations.
• Administers the LMS, including enrollment, completion tracking, compliance reporting, and escalation of non-completion to field managers.
• Supports onboarding program execution by maintaining onboarding bundles, tracking cohort completion, and surfacing gaps for HRBP and Talent Development review.
• Coordinates logistics and materials for manager capability training sessions: scheduling, platform setup, material distribution, and attendance tracking.
• Maintains the training calendar and session records in the LMS; flags outdated content or scheduling gaps to the Talent Development lead for resolution.

Cross-functional Coordination

• Partners with HR Ops on leave administration handoffs, ensuring payroll implications of LOAs are accurately communicated, documented, and tracked to resolution.
• Coordinates with Regional Managers and Studio Managers on ER documentation requests, training deadlines, and compliance requirements, escalating judgment calls to the HRBP rather than resolving them independently.
• Supports the HRBP in preparing field-facing communications, case summaries, and manager guidance documents.
• Updates People team SOPs and filing systems based on direction from the HRBP or Talent Development lead; maintains version control and ensures current docs are accessible.

Requirements:

• 2-4 years of HR, People Operations, or L&D coordination experience in a multi-unit retail, hospitality, or distributed workforce environment.
• Demonstrated documentation discipline: complete, accurate records kept consistently, not when prompted.
• Proven ability to manage multiple open workstreams simultaneously without losing detail, including active ER cases, LOA timelines, and training deadlines running in parallel.
• Prior exposure to leave administration, including FMLA, state-level paid sick leave, and ADA accommodation workflows; not required to be an expert, but must have prior hands-on experience.
• Comfort operating in an environment where processes are still being built; this role will help write SOPs, not just follow them.
• Experience with an HRIS and case management or project tracking tooling; ability to learn new systems quickly.
• Strong written communication: drafts clean, professional documentation without heavy editing rounds.
• New York City or tri-state area based; available in-person at HQ (Nolita, Manhattan) at least 3 days per week.

Benefits & Perks

• Flexible Work Environment (3 days in office, 2 days work from home)
• Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance (including a plan option with $0 in-network mental health visits)
• Access to Mental Health and Work/Life Resources including Online Therapy, Gender Affirmation Support Services, and Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Voluntary Life Insurance
• Health and Commuter Tax-Advantaged Accounts
• 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan
• Paid Time Off, Paid Safe & Sick Leave, and Paid Parental Leave
• Paid Sabbatical After 4 Years of Service
• Exclusive Employee Discounts on Piercings and Jewelry (we’ve got your friends and family covered too!)
• Access to PerkSpot and additional benefits such as pet insurance, discounted tickets, personal finance coaching, healthy rewards, and more!