ABOUT US:
Our mission at Santa Cruz Bicycles is to make the best bicycles and to have fun doing it. Since 1994, we’ve been doing just that, and finding unique and innovative solutions for everything from suspension design to manufacturing processes along the way. We are a global organization and one of many premium brands in the Pon Bike portfolio. We are proud of our heritage, built on our commitment to quality products and talented people. Our employees are invited to be themselves and enhance our distinctive and evolving workplace.
ABOUT YOU:The Senior People Business Partner is a strategic advisor to senior leaders and managers, aligning people strategies with business objectives while ensuring compliance with California and federal employment laws. This role balances high-impact strategic partnership with hands-on execution. You will drive organizational effectiveness, talent development, employee engagement, and risk mitigation across assigned business units.
You will be a trusted thought partner, providing guidance on workforce planning, organizational design, performance management, employee relations, and change management in an evolving environment.
Strategic Business Partnership
Partner with executive and senior leaders to develop and execute people strategies that support business goals and growth initiatives
Serve as a coach and advisor to MD and Senior leaders on talent decisions, leadership effectiveness, and organizational health
Translate business needs into scalable people programs, policies, and practices
Employee Relations & Compliance
Lead complex employee relations matters, including investigations, performance issues, accommodations, leaves, and terminations
Ensure consistent, fair, and legally compliant application of policies and practices across the organization
Proactively identify and mitigate people-related risks, with strong knowledge of California employment laws (wage & hour, leaves, accommodations, terminations, etc.)
Ensure HR practices align with federal, state (California), and local employment regulations
Contribute to policy development, updates, and training to support compliance and manager capability
Designated Ethics & Compliance Officer
Designated Data Privacy Champion
Talent & Performance Management
Support leaders through performance management cycles, including goal setting, feedback, development planning, and corrective action
Partner on talent planning, succession planning, and internal mobility strategies
Advise on compensation decisions, promotions, and organizational changes in alignment with company philosophy and equity principles
Organizational Effectiveness & Change Management
Support organizational design, restructures, and change initiatives with a people-first, data-informed approach
Drive adoption of new processes, tools, and cultural initiatives across client groups
Partner with People team colleagues (Talent, Total Rewards, Payroll, DEI/Belonging, Learning & Development) to deliver integrated solutions
Designated DEI Ambassador
10+ years of progressive HR experience, with significant time in an HR Business Partner or Senior HR Generalist role
Demonstrated experience supporting executives or senior leaders in complex and evolving companies
Strong working knowledge of California employment law and best practices
Proven ability to manage sensitive matters with sound judgment, discretion, and empathy
Experience operating in fast-paced, matrixed, or growth environments preferred
PHR or SPHR certification is a plus
Strategic thinking and business acumen
Executive presence and influencing skills
Strong communication and coaching capabilities
Sound judgment and decision-making skills
Ability to navigate ambiguity and manage competing priorities
High level of integrity, discretion, and professionalism
Proficiency with HRIS software
LANGUAGE SKILLS: Ability to read and comprehend and explain documents in English. Effectively communicate, verbally and in writing, in English.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS FOR THE ROLE: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the overall duties and responsibilities of this job.
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable otherwise qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the overall duties and responsibilities. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, use of hands and fingers, handle, or feel, reach above head with hands and arms, lift, push, climb, stoop, kneel, crouch, and/or crawl, pull, talk and hear. The employee must lift and/or move up to 20 pounds. Vision may be corrected within normal range. The noise level in the work environment is quiet.
SALARY RANGE: This compensation package will be dependent on experience, qualifications, industry experience and the interview with a potential range of up to $130,000 - $175,000.
Top Skills
What We Do
At Santa Cruz Bicycles, our mission is to build the best bicycles possible and to have fun doing it. This isn’t about glory or status. It’s about building bikes to last a lifetime and backing them up with top-tier rider support. Less waste and less hassle mean more fun and more time on the bike. But this “No Missed Rides” policy does not end with our customers. We treat our employees with the same mentality: that every moment on the trail, every evening with our families, and every weekend away counts. We’re not interested in holding our employees back with meaningless work. We provide them with the support they need so they can focus on real goals, real results, and what really matters. That’s why our employees don’t view us as a “company to work for.” To them, working here is a lifestyle choice. It’s not the bikes that bring us together, it’s our sense of community, our passion for the brand, and our desire to be a part of something that does
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