Principal HR Business Partner (Chicago)

About the role

The Senior Manager or Principal, HR Business Partner (HRBP) will lead the People agenda for the North America Region. This high-impact role involves partnering with regional leaders and managers, shaping business and people strategies, and supporting organizational growth.

Responsibilities

• Partner as a senior advisor to regional leaders and managers, shaping business and people strategies through a deep understanding of goals, team culture, and talent needs to drive commercial success.
• Shape and deliver a People Roadmap that aligns with both company-wide and local business priorities.
• Lead and influence cross-functional initiatives that support business transformation and organizational growth.
• Anticipate business needs and implement proactive, scalable HR solutions that add long-term value.
• Use data and insights to inform decisions, measure impact, and provide actionable recommendations (e.g., retention, engagement, performance trends).
• Lead talent identification, development, and succession planning to build a strong leadership pipeline.
• Support organizational design, workforce planning, and change management to keep Agoda agile and competitive.
• Drive effective change management and communication for key business initiatives, ensuring smooth transitions and high engagement.
• Manage, in partnership with People Centre of Expertise, employee relations cases, ensuring fair and timely resolution, and provide guidance on complex or sensitive matters.
• Oversee people operations, including onboarding, policy guidance, and compliance with local labor laws.
• Drive learning and development initiatives to build skills and support career growth.
• Mentor and coach HR colleagues and business leaders, building people leadership capability across the region.
• Champion a culture of feedback, continuous learning, and high performance.
• Ensure strong governance, compliance, and risk management in all people practices.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resources or a related field is required.
• 8–10 years of progressive HR experience, including 3–5 years in a senior HRBP/HR leadership role, and a minimum of 5 years operating across North America (United States, Canada, LATAM) with demonstrated familiarity with federal, state/provincial labour laws, cross-border employment practices, and compliance obligations.
• Demonstrated experience embedding People and culture into business leadership, ideally at scale and in a fast-paced, global environment.
• Ability to flex between company-wide strategy and tailored solutions for specific region, with a strong business partnership mindset.
• Skilled at aligning and connecting HR functions, building strong relationships, and driving collaboration across teams.
• Expertise in leadership effectiveness, engagement, talent management, rewards, succession planning, and organizational design.
• Experience in workforce planning, organisational agility, and leading large-scale change/transformation initiatives across multiple markets.
• Outstanding ability to communicate with influence, use data to inform decisions, and engage stakeholders at all levels.
• Ability to cope well with ambiguity and change.
• Willingness to get hands-on and tackle operational HR tasks as needed. Especially during transformation. You’re not afraid to roll up your sleeves and support the team wherever needed to drive results.
• Fluency in written and spoken English, with strong communication skills to effectively convey complex information.

Qualifications

• Curiosity, ready to challenge current practices and perspectives.
• Experience creating and rolling out people programs or ways of working that make the company a better place to work and help teams perform at their best.
• Great sense of ownership and reliability.
• Multicultural or International Experience.
• Humility, flexibility, good interpersonal skills.

Benefits

• Competitive base salary
• Annual bonus eligibility

Pay

The range for the Chicago area is 141,000-166,000.

Schedule

Full-time position.

Skills

• Strategic thinking
• Collaborative problem-solving
• Change management
• Talent management
• Leadership development
• Employee relations
• People operations
• Learning and development

Benefits

• Flexible work arrangements
• Health and wellness programs
• Professional development opportunities
• Retirement plans
• Employee discounts

Company Culture

We are an E-Verify employer and an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.