Senior People Leader

About the role

Primary responsibility for Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA), with support for Portland (PDX) and Spokane (GEG).

Serves as the primary Human Resources Business Partner for assigned airports.

Responsibilities

• Supports multiple restaurant concepts, including proprietary, local, and national brands.
• Supports both union and non-union operations.
• Partners with multiple Directors of Operations, General Managers, and operational leadership teams.
• Approximately 20% travel within the region.
• Translate operational goals into people strategies that improve staffing, engagement, retention, leadership capability, and organizational effectiveness.
• Lead change management initiatives, employee communications, and organizational transitions while partnering with Regional and Corporate People teams.
• Partner with Operations leadership to understand labor costs, productivity, staffing levels, and business trends, using workforce insights to improve operational performance.
• Build trusted partnerships with operational leaders by providing strategic guidance, coaching, and practical business solutions.
• Coach and develop General Managers, Assistant Managers, and Operations leaders on leadership behaviors, accountability, employee engagement, and performance management.
• Lead succession planning, talent reviews, leadership development, and internal mobility initiatives.
• Support employee engagement, recognition programs, organizational development, and culture-building initiatives.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws while balancing operational needs, employee experience, and organizational risk.
• Maintain compliance with collective bargaining agreements, airport badging requirements, I-9 documentation, personnel records, and company policies.
• Audit HR practices and documentation across assigned operations to proactively identify and mitigate compliance risks.
• Partner with Leave Administration and Operations to support ADA accommodations, FMLA, workers' compensation, and other leave-related processes.
• Analyze workforce metrics, turnover, retention, engagement, absenteeism, overtime, labor costs, and employee relations trends to identify business opportunities.
• Utilize workforce analytics to support staffing decisions, workforce planning, succession planning, and operational performance.
• Develop and present people metrics to operational leadership, recommending data-driven solutions that improve employee experience and business results.
• Forecast workforce needs using labor trends, recruiting data, turnover metrics, and operational forecasts.
• Demonstrate proficiency using Human Resources Information Systems (HRIS), including SAP SuccessFactors, Workday, UKG, ADP, Oracle HCM, or similar enterprise platforms.
• Experience utilizing Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), onboarding platforms, Learning Management Systems (LMS), and workforce reporting tools.
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office, including Outlook, Word, Excel (pivot tables, reporting, and data analysis), PowerPoint, Teams, and SharePoint.
• Ability to quickly learn and effectively utilize new HR technologies and business applications.

Qualifications & Experience Required

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Minimum 7–10 years of progressive Human Resources experience, including 3–5 years supporting multi-unit operations as an HR Business Partner, HR Manager, Senior HR Generalist, or HR Leader.
• Demonstrated experience supporting unionized workforces, including grievance administration and collective bargaining agreement interpretation.
• Demonstrated success independently conducting complex workplace investigations and preparing employment recommendations.
• Strong knowledge of federal, state, and local employment laws with demonstrated ability to apply legal requirements while balancing operational needs and organizational risk.
• Demonstrated business acumen with the ability to influence operational leaders, build credibility, exercise sound judgment, and manage competing priorities independently.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills with experience preparing investigations, executive communications, employment documentation, and presentations.
• Ability to work primarily on-site in Seattle with approximately 20% travel.

Preferred

• Experience supporting airport, hospitality, restaurant, retail, logistics, manufacturing, healthcare, distribution, or other high-volume operational environments.
• Experience partnering directly with Operations leadership to drive engagement, retention, workforce planning, organizational development, and succession planning.
• Professional certification such as SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, or SPHR.