Associate Manager, Talent & Employee Relations

Studs is a category-defining ear piercing and earring brand named one of "the 10 most innovative companies in retail for 2023" by Fast Company. Studs connects ear piercing with aftercare and earring shopping to create an end-to-end Earscaping® experience. We offer a better retail and digital experience that prioritizes safety and expertise in a cool, fun and welcoming environment, along with a wide earring assortment—all at an accessible price point.

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!

Studs is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing a work environment that fosters diversity, inclusion, and equal opportunity without regard to race, color, gender, age, creed, sex, religion, national origin, disability (physical or mental), marital status, citizenship, ancestry, sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression, or any other legally protected status. Studs considers qualified applicants with criminal histories. We comply with applicable state and local laws prohibiting discrimination in employment in every jurisdiction in which we operate. If you require an accommodation for the application process, please fill out this form.

Massachusetts Applicants: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

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