Senior People Leader

Join Our Team!

Join Our Team!
Location: Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) | Seattle, WA | On-Site
Compensation: $100,000–$105,000 + Bonus Eligible
Schedule: Full-Time | Exempt

Compensation & Benefits

• $100,000–$105,000 annual salary, based on experience
• Bonus eligibility
• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• Basic Life & AD&D Insurance
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Voluntary Benefits including Life Insurance, Accident, Critical Illness, Hospital Indemnity, and Pet Insurance
• SSP 401(k) Plan with Company Match
• Paid Time Off (PTO)
• Paid Holidays
• Paid Sick Leave

Career Growth & Internal Development

Opportunity to support one of SSP America's largest and most complex airport operations.

Direct partnership with Regional People Leadership, Legal, Labor Relations, Operations Leadership, and Corporate Centers of Excellence. Exposure to complex employee relations, labor relations, organizational development, and strategic business initiatives.

Participate in enterprise-wide projects, leadership development initiatives, and cross-functional partnerships. Career advancement opportunities into Regional People Leader, Director, and Corporate Center of Excellence roles.

Scope of the Role:

• Primary responsibility for Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA), with support for Portland (PDX) and Spokane (GEG).
• 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.
• Serves as the primary Human Resources Business Partner for assigned airports.

Strategic Partnership

• Serve as the primary Human Resources Business Partner to airport operations leadership, participating in business planning, workforce planning, staffing strategy, operational reviews, labor planning, and leadership discussions.
• 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.

Employee & Labor Relations

• Coach leaders on employee relations, performance management, attendance, corrective action, documentation, and leadership effectiveness while conducting complex workplace investigations and ensuring consistent application of company policy.
• Lead workplace investigations involving employee misconduct, harassment, discrimination, policy violations, and performance concerns while preparing well-supported employment recommendations.
• Administer grievances, interpret collective bargaining agreement provisions, manage day-to-day union interactions, and partner with Labor Relations on escalated matters and bargaining strategy.
• Partner with Legal and Employee Relations regarding agency charges, unemployment claims, demand letters, audits, and other employment-related matters.

Scope of the Role Continued:

Talent & Leadership Development

• 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.
• Partner with Talent Acquisition on recruiting strategies, interviewing, workforce planning, onboarding, and retention initiatives.
• Support employee engagement, recognition programs, organizational development, and culture-building initiatives.

Compliance

• 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.

Analytics

• 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.

Technology Skills

• Demonstrated 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.
• Experience creating workforce reports, dashboards, and HR metrics to support operational decision-making.
• Ability to quickly learn and effectively utilize new HR technologies and business applications.

What Success Looks Like in Year One:

• Operations leaders view you as a trusted business partner and involve HR early in operational and people decisions.
• Employee and labor relations matters are addressed proactively, investigated thoroughly, and resolved with timely, well-documented outcomes.
• General Managers demonstrate improved leadership capability through coaching and development.
• Turnover, open position aging, and employee relations trends improve against established benchmarks.
• Union relationships remain productive, with grievances resolved at the lowest appropriate step whenever possible.
• Workforce planning, succession planning, and talent development processes become embedded within the operation.
• HR is recognized as a strategic contributor to operational performance and business results.

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.

SSP America is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. SSP America provides reasonable accommodations throughout the application and interview process in accordance with applicable laws.