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Blue Bottle Coffee is seeking a People Partner (Cafe HRBP) to support the company's growth and culture-building mission in Japan. Reporting to the Sr. People Manager, Japan, this role serves as the first contact for the People Team, supporting both business leaders and employees across Head Office, Cafes, and Production facilities.
Key Responsibilities:
- Act as strategic business partner to Cafe leadership, providing consultation on employee issues, decision-making, and organizational challenges
- Deliver coaching and developmental feedback to Cafe leadership and team members
- Design and implement employee lifecycle programs from onboarding through offboarding to create exceptional employee experiences
- Partner with function leadership on talent acquisition strategies and sourcing programs; oversee the entire TA process lifecycle for Cafes/Production and lead external hiring for critical positions
- Support talent and organization management, including PDI cycle management, succession planning, learning and development, and recognition programs
- Ensure employee health, safety, and mental health support in the workplace, including stress check tests and health/safety committee meetings
- Lead employee engagement and retention initiatives; investigate and resolve employee relations matters, workplace conflicts, and policy/legal violations
- Manage company policy and procedure; advise employees on HR-related questions
- Maintain regulatory and compliance practices
- Collaborate with HQ counterparts on global HR projects
- Draft and review employee relations and HR communications
The ideal candidate combines strong people intuition with business judgment, is an empathetic listener, and builds trust-based relationships with executives and employees. You are comfortable with ambiguity, rapidly changing environments, and building from scratch. You embody the Blue Bottle brand as both a role model and partner, and are a skilled communicator and problem-solver.
Requirements:
- 5+ years experience as an HR generalist or Business Partner, ideally in consumer retail, food/beverage, hospitality, and/or production facilities
- Strong knowledge of labor/employment laws and practices, with Japan-specific risk and HSE expertise
- Broad familiarity with HR disciplines and best practices (TA, TD, C&B, OD) and ability to apply with judgment
- Fluent in English and Japanese (reading, writing, speaking)
- People management experience with at least one direct report or team leadership experience
- Specific experience with employee relations and navigating difficult situations and conversations
- Excellent judgment, integrity, and decision-making skills with a bias to action
- Deep appreciation for great coffee, food, and exceptional customer experience
