Vice President Human Resources, Retail

The Vice President, Human Resources - Retail is a key leadership role that partners with the Ascend Wellness Holdings' (AWH) company-wide Retail team as we sustainably scale our operations and develop the workforce to provide best-in-class customer and employee experiences that align with our mission and values. Reporting to the Chief People Officer, the VP will have a passion for culture and employee engagement and be highly collaborative to help build and drive the human resources and talent strategy to achieve our goals and objectives. Our ideal candidate must have a successful history as an HR leader with a strong generalist background in retail environments leading and directing key aspects of people operations including workforce planning; deploying performance management processes; championing culture, engagement and diversity efforts; leading succession planning and talent development activities; and developing routines across a highly dynamic and evolving footprint to drive positive outcomes. Both strategic and hands-on, the VP, HR - Retail welcomes solving challenging problems, builds strong relationships at all levels of the company and prioritizes mentoring and developing a talented team of Human Resources professionals.

Location: Remote with the ability to travel routinely within our seven-state footprint (IL, MA, MD, MI, NJ, OH and PA) and to attend key meetings. Ideally residing within one of our dispensary markets, travel is approximately 40-50%.

Primary Responsibilities

• Serve as a trusted advisor and partner to the Chief People Officer as a key leader in the Human Resources organization.
• Foster trusted relationships at all levels of the organization by modeling the highest standards of integrity, confidentiality and professionalism.
• Collaborate with leadership to define the Retail strategy and goals and identify ways to drive the strategy through people operations and talent management.
• Partner with Retail leadership on all aspects of Human Resources operational functions including but not limited to: workforce planning, performance management, employee development, workplace policies, associate relations, union relations, engagement, safety and recognition programs.
• Coach and mentor HR staff including all aspects of the employee lifecycle (hiring, managing performance, goal-setting, career-pathing/promotions, coaching/development, etc.).
• Assure Retail compensation is aligned with AWH's compensation structures, pay practices and market factors.
• Develop, recommend and implement HR policies and procedures assuring buy-in from leadership and consistency in the organization.
• Serve as a champion for culture and people to drive performance, engagement and associate development.
• Oversee a team of HR business partners responsible for assuring successful, routine partnership and processes including:

o Annual performance reviews and goal-setting process

o Learning & Development initiatives

o Benefits administration and open enrollment

o Maintaining records, associate files, badging processes, and reports, policies, and procedures to effect continual improvements in efficiency

o Participation in Retail staff meetings, company-wide meetings and HR meetings

o Employee communications, culture and diversity initiatives and recognition programs

o Proactive recruitment and new employee onboarding and retention programs

o New store opening people planning activities

o Compensation rewards including incentive programs, annual merit and promotions

o Positive and productive employee relations to monitor employee concerns and address issues, conduct investigations, administer the progressive discipline process and recommend opportunities for improvement

o Maintaining accurate and complete employee records

o HR compliance activities

• Manage and monitor key performance indicators for Retail operations (e.g. turnover, internal promotion rates, productivity) and recommend/drive programs to improve KPI results.
• Identify workforce trends and recommend opportunities for improvement.
• Collaborate with HR peers to identify opportunities within our talent management programs/processes, partner with appropriate functional leaders across the HR team to continuously improve Talent Acquisition, Total Rewards, Learning and Development, Employee Relations and Communications.
• Provide support and guidance to HR staff, Retail management, and other staff when complex, specialized, and sensitive matters arise including providing reasonable accommodations, managing leaves of absence, navigating areas of risk, etc.
• Establish and maintain positive relationships with our union partners to facilitate productive outcomes and stay abreast of developments in union environments.
• Partner with Environmental Health and Safety and Compliance to assure effectiveness of employee safety programs and protocols.
• Contribute to strategic planning efforts as well as annual planning initiatives including headcount planning, new program development and budgeting.
• Partner with the CPO and HR leaders on monthly business review presentations and reporting.
• Maintain knowledge of trends, best practices, regulatory changes, and new technologies in human resources, talent management, and employment law.
• Maintain compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws and regulations, and recommended best practices; review policies and recommend changes to maintain compliance.
• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business, or related discipline. Master's degree preferred
• Human Resources professional certification highly desired (PHR, SPHR, SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP)
• 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in Human Resources management, 5+ years in a retail environment preferred
• Experience successfully leading and managing an HR team across multiple states; possesses strong coaching and mentorship abilities to develop the team
• Union experience preferred
• Must operate at both strategic and tactical levels
• Financial and analytical acumen to manage the annual budget, make data-driven decisions, identify workforce trends and present recommendations with sound data to support
• Ability to build and deliver an HR strategy using knowledge of the organization, associates, strategic imperatives and budgets
• Strong objective assessment skills coupled with excellent judgement and perspective on Human Resources opportunities
• Ability to build and collaboratively deliver an HR strategy within the HR and Retail organizations
• Quick learner that has passion for innovative HR solutions and process improvement
• Adept at being a player/coach, jumping in and "doing" as well as coaching the team when needed
• Microsoft Suite; Intermediate Excel and PowerPoint proficiency along with all other Office platforms
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, with an ability to package ideas simply and persuasively
• Strong execution, interpersonal savvy, ability to build rapport and effectively interface and collaborate with employees at all levels of the organization
• Excellent consensus-building, negotiation and conflict resolution skills
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail
• Adept at working in multiple HR systems
• Travel within the US approximately 40%-50%

Physical Requirements

The position must occasionally lift, push, pull and /or move up to 25 pounds. While performing the duties of this job, this position is occasionally required to sit and regularly use hand(s) to handle, grasp, feel, and or touch. This position is frequently required to stand, walk and reach with hands and arms. This position requires you to speak and listen regularly.

Work Environment

This position performs duties in an office setting. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Company Overview

Ascend Wellness Holdings (AWH) is a vertically integrated cannabis cultivator, processor and provisioning center operator with assets in Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio and Pennsylvania. We seek to foster a robust and inclusive cannabis industry through a premium, unmatched customer-focused retail experience. We are looking to build a world-class team that will help carry out our mission of helping to shape the future of cannabis as a leading healthcare solution. We are committed to improving the quality of our patient's lives by offering unrivaled quality, consistency and meticulously curated products that satisfy our customers unique, individual needs. When it comes to customer service experience, our dispensaries will set a new standard of excellence, emphasizing health and wellness by a highly knowledgeable team. A team that is committed to our values, our people, and our communities; we are looking for people who are inspired by our vision and stay dedicated to our mission as we continuously expand.

EEO Statement

Ascend Wellness Holdings, LLC and its subsidiaries is an equal opportunity employer and celebrate the population of differences and does not discriminate in its hiring / hiring practices, regardless of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Nothing in this job specification restricts management's right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time. Critical features of this job are described under various headings above. They may be subject to change at any time due to reasonable accommodation or other reasons. The above statements are strictly intended to describe the general nature and level of the work being performed. They are not intended to be construed as a complete list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of employees in this position.

This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee(s) incumbent in this position. Employees will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related duties requested by any person authorized to give instructions or assignments. All duties and responsibilities are essential functions and requirements and are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities.

To perform this job successfully, the incumbents will possess the skills, aptitudes, and abilities to perform each duty proficiently. Some requirements may exclude individuals who pose a direct threat or significant risk to the health or safety of themselves or others. The requirements listed in this document are the minimum levels of knowledge, skills, or abilities. This document does not create an employment contract, implied or otherwise, other than an "at will" relationship.