Play a critical role in shaping workforce strategy and organizational design by analyzing internal people analytics and external market trends and anticipating their potential impact on the business. Provide guidance across multiple Associate Experience disciplines to business leaders to drive positive outcomes and implement successful change within the business. Lead and inspire a high-performing team responsible for bringing the associate lifecycle to life within the business, including talent acquisition, associate relations, performance management, leadership development, workforce planning and total rewards. Demonstrate the company's core values of respect, honesty, integrity, diversity, inclusion, and safety.
Responsibilities- Be a strategic liaison with non-executive and executive leadership in business-critical areas or teams with high complexity, scope and scale, serving as a trusted advisor, valued business partner and primary Associate Experience resource to provide talent strategies to support assigned business team’s short and long-term objectives.
- Partner with business leaders to diagnose and address critical people and organizational challenges that impact business performance and operational effectiveness.
- Consult with associates and business leaders to improve working relationships and resolve complex associate relations issues.
- Provide actionable and ongoing coaching to senior business leaders across core Associate Experience functional areas including performance management, talent development, compensation, recruiting, training and associate relations.
- Collaborate with Center of Excellence (COE) partners to influence strategies, policies and procedures that meet the needs of the business, continually assessing impact and offering recommendations for improvement.
- Interpret and utilize data, insights and people analytics to inform people strategies, engagement drivers and work with leaders to manage action plans.
- Manage overall talent acquisition efforts by partnering with the Talent Acquisition & Training COE to support talent needs, prioritization, and progress against hiring plans.
- Support assigned client groups with updating annual resourcing plan to achieve core business targets and manage headcount budget, including active and visible leadership during transformation efforts.
- Promote Associate Experience employee lifecycle strategies across client groups to strengthen retention, including coaching, associate engagement, organization design, workforce planning, talent development, compensation planning, communications and change management.
- Oversee and implement critical performance, career development and succession planning strategies alongside business leaders to accelerate business performance and build talent pipelines.
- Take a leadership role alongside other HR Business Partners to identify synergies and process improvements to deliver a consistent experience and ensure compliance with all appliable Federal/State/Local legislative requirements.
- Manage progress of the Associate Experience team against established objectives, budget, timeline, deliverables and quality of service.
- Supervise and coach direct reports in the performance of their duties; complete performance reviews and provide feedback to direct reports.
- Travel up to 15% of time to support business units.
- Must be able to perform the essential job functions of this position with or without accommodations.
Minimum
- 2+ years as a HR Business Partner or equivalent HR role
- 5+ years in a HR leadership role
- 7+ years as HR generalist or other related HR role
- Excellent oral/written communication skills
- Demonstrated ability to protect highly confidential and sensitive information
- Strong business and financial acumen
- Strong analytical and data interpretation skills with an ability to apply quantitative analysis to HR outcomes and use data to influence and drive decisions
- Strong knowledge across multiple human resources disciplines
- Demonstrated ability to effectively partner with all levels of the organization, positively influence teams and manage conflict
- Applied knowledge of federal, state and local laws and statutes for employment
Desired
- Bachelor's Degree business administration, human resources or related field
- Any experience with labor contracts
- Society of Human Resource Management Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP)
- Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR)
Kroger Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Kroger and has not been reviewed or approved by Kroger.
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Healthcare Strength — Healthcare coverage in many union divisions has been protected or improved in recent contracts, with some regions avoiding proposed cuts and others expanding spousal coverage and strengthening short‑term disability. Mental‑health resources and 24/7 access are also emphasized, supported by third‑party recognition in recent years.
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Retirement Support — Retirement options include a company 401(k) with a match and, in many union roles, access to pension or variable annuity plans that have been stabilized through recent agreements. Match levels and pension participation vary by division and role, so specifics require local confirmation.
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Wellbeing & Lifestyle Benefits — Education assistance through “Feed Your Future” offers substantial tuition support for both part‑ and full‑time associates, alongside free financial coaching. Perks such as associate discounts and periodic Boost membership offers add incremental value to total rewards.
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What We Do
At Kroger, we believe no matter who you are or how you like to shop, everyone deserves affordable, easy-to-enjoy, fresh food. This idea is embodied in our simple tagline—Fresh for Everyone™. Kroger ranks as one of the world’s largest retailers. We are nearly half a million associates across 2,800 stores in 35 states operating two dozen grocery retail brands and 34 manufacturing and 44 distribution locations, all dedicated to living our Purpose: to Feed the Human Spirit™. Together, we serve more than 11 million customers daily in our stores and online through convenient e-commerce options like pickup, ship and delivery, serving America through food inspiration and uplift. Customers love Our Brands, including the popular Kroger®, Private Selection® and Simple Truth® brands. Our own manufacturing plants produce many of Our Brands products, including breads, dairy products, meat and thousands of grocery items. We also believe in and are committed to doing our part to create #ZeroHungerZeroWaste communities by 2025.









