Senior Manager, Human Resources People Partner (HRPP)

ABOUT KENDO

Kendo Holdings, Inc. is a San Francisco-based beauty brand developer and wholesaler owned by LVMH Moët Hennessy - Louis Vuitton, the world’s largest luxury group. A play on the words “can do”, Kendo has become the hub of creativity and next generation beauty product development for global Sephora channels and selective retailers outside of Sephora.

Through original development, collaborations and acquisitions the Kendo stable of brands will always be creative, inspiring and innovative. A dynamic engine of speed, expertise and market-savvy, the Kendo team continues to redefine the beauty industry through great product, great storytelling, great retail and direct-to-consumer partnerships. This shows up in everything we do and in what we stand for:

• “Can Do” Spirit: We work together to make our wildest dreams a reality: As entrepreneurs, we embrace optimism and find creative ways to reach our goals
• Advocacy, Diversity, and Inclusion: We recognize and celebrate the full spectrum of personal identities. We create safe spaces so everyone’s voice is heard. We listen with humility and act with courage.
• Storytelling: We tell authentic stories like no, one else. It’s our key to inspire trust and build relationships, rallying, our people, partners, and consumers around our brands.
• Resilience: We embrace challenges as opportunities. Change is ever- constant, and agility is our strength.
• Product Excellence: We put the consumers first: We constantly raise the bar to create products of the highest quality that everyone just has to have.

The salary range for this position is $124,000 - $145,000 per year. Offered salary is dependent upon experience and San Francisco location. Kendo Total Rewards offerings also include an annual bonus and a comprehensive benefits package including: medical, dental and vision insurance, flex paid time off program, parental leave, employee discount/perks, a retirement plan with employer contributions, Summer Fridays, opportunity to work from anywhere for two weeks during the calendar year and December wellness/shutdown week for applicable positions.

The Kendo house of brands currently includes: Fenty Beauty, Fenty Skin, Fenty Eau de Parfum, Fenty Hair, Ole Henriksen, KVD Beauty, Lip Lab.

SUMMARY

The Senior Manager, Human Resources People Partner (HRPP) is a strategic advisor and hands-on partner to our HQ client groups, serving as a catalyst for building high-performing, inclusive, and engaged teams. This role blends strategic thinking with operational excellence—balancing long-term organizational design and change management with deep, compassionate navigation of the employee lifecycle. This position reports to the Director, HR People Partner.

You will coach senior leaders, diagnose organizational needs, guide employee relations with clarity and empathy, and drive execution across performance management, talent planning, engagement, and org effectiveness. This is the perfect role for a progressive HR leader who thrives in fast-paced, constantly evolving environments and knows how to influence without ego, push thinking forward, and get things done.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic HR Partnership & Organizational Health

• Build strong, trusted relationships with client group leaders; deeply understand the business context, dynamics, and long-term objectives.
• Act as strategic sounding board—assessing org structures, identifying capability gaps, and advising on workforce planning, change management, and leadership effectiveness.
• Analyze HR and engagement metrics to identify patterns, risks, and opportunities; synthesize insights into clear recommendations for action.

Employee Relations & Culture Stewardship

• Lead complex employee relations matters with sound judgment, compassion, and clarity—balancing risk mitigation with values-based decision-making.
• Influence leaders toward equitable practices, ensuring consistency, transparency, and fairness in all decisions.
• Champion diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging—integrating inclusive behaviors into coaching, decision-making, talent reviews, and performance frameworks.

Performance, Talent & Development

• Lead annual talent processes (PCR, ICR, calibration, promotions, succession planning), acting as both operational driver and strategic advisor.
• Coach managers to deliver meaningful feedback, career development conversations, and action plans.
• Partner with Talent Development to build targeted learning paths and leadership readiness programs based on real business needs.

Change Management & Communication

• Support org changes—from restructures to role evolutions to leadership transitions—crafting the right communications, cadence, and change support plans.
• Translate complex updates into accessible narratives that keep employees informed, engaged, and connected.
• Hold leaders accountable to the culture they say they want and see employee experience and business outcomes as two sides of the same coin.
• Not afraid to challenge, redirect, or escalate when necessary, but you do so with clarity, grace, and facts.

Collaboration & Program Execution

• Partner cross-functionally with Total Rewards, Learning & Development, Talent Acquisition, and DEI to drive scalable, integrated People solutions.
• Lead and/or support HR initiatives ranging from policy rollout to engagement campaigns to process optimization projects.

REQUIREMENTS

• 7+ years of progressive HR experience, with demonstrated success in HR Business Partner or HRPP roles supporting corporate client groups.
• Strong track record navigating complex employee relations and advising senior leadership through ambiguity and transformation.
• High emotional intelligence—able to flex between coach, mediator, strategist, and executor depending on the moment.
• Exceptional communication and influence skills; able to clearly distill information, challenge thinking constructively, and drive alignment without unnecessary escalation.
• Comfort operating in fast-paced, high-growth, evolving environments where priorities shift and solutions are not always defined.
• Demonstrated ability to use data and insights to shape strategy and influence decisions.
• Strategic but scrappy, equally comfortable setting vision and rolling up your sleeves- thrive in gray space, asking the right questions, not just executing the last ask.
• Experience working in matrixed or multi-functional organizations; beauty, consumer goods, or CPG experience preferred.
• Knowledge of California and U.S. employment law; HR certification a plus (PHR, SPHR, SHRM-CP, etc.).