Job Description
Job Summary:
The People Team Business Partner is a strategic advisor who helps leaders solve business problems through the people lens. They diagnose root-cause issues, translate insights into action, and partner with leaders to strengthen performance, capability, and organizational health. PTBPs connect business priorities with the right people strategies — improving leadership effectiveness, talent readiness, team health, and associate experience.
Principle Duties:
1. Diagnose People & Organization Issues
- Identify root causes behind performance, turnover, engagement, or talent gaps.
- Use people data, trends, and on-the-ground insights to assess risks and opportunities.
- Translate findings into clear, actionable recommendations leaders can act on.
2. Advise & Coach Leaders
- Provide strategic coaching to help leaders strengthen capability, influence, and team performance.
- Challenge thinking, elevate expectations, and shift leader behavior where needed.
- Support leaders in setting clear expectations, feedback practices, and performance standards.
3. Shape People Strategy for the Business
- Build annual and ongoing people priorities with business leaders.
- Connect corporate people strategies to regional/department needs.
- Prioritize high-impact solutions that support performance, stability, and growth.
4. Drive Talent Assessment & Leader Readiness
- Lead talent reviews and succession conversations.
- Assess performance, potential, and readiness to guide decisions.
- Partner with leaders to build development plans for high-potential and solid performers.
- Identify critical roles, risk-of-loss, and pipeline gaps.
5. Improve Workforce & Staffing Health
- Monitor staffing trends, bench strength, and future role exposure.
- Partner with TA on internal/external fill strategies.
- Anticipate openings and develop proactive plans with leaders.
6. Strengthen Team Health & Associate Experience
- Diagnose issues related to team dynamics, trust, communication, or norms.
- Identify culture and engagement drivers impacting performance.
- Coach leaders on actions that improve belonging, connection, and associate pride.
7. Lead Through Change
- Guide leaders through organizational changes, new initiatives, or transitions.
- Assess readiness and resistance; help leaders land messages clearly.
- Ensure new ways of working are adopted effectively across teams.
8. Partner with Associate Relations on Risk Patterns
- Surface patterns in ER cases that point to leadership, structural, or cultural issues.
- Partner with AR to reduce repeat events and prevent risk.
- Bring insights from case trends into leader coaching and action plans.
9. Connect the People Team to the Business
- Represent the People Team holistically — ensuring leaders receive integrated support.
- Bring business insights back to COEs and functional partners to inform strategy.
- Ensure the right people solutions show up at the right time.
Essential Functions:
- Strong business acumen and curiosity — understands how the business works.
- Exceptional diagnosing and problem-solving abilities.
- Able to translate data into insights and insights into action.
- High emotional intelligence and strong relationship building.
- Skilled at influencing without authority.
- Strong communicator who can simplify complexity.
- Comfortable challenging leaders respectfully with facts, insight, and conviction.
- Operates 2–3 steps ahead and anticipates people needs.
- Demonstrated ability to guide teams through change.
Basic Qualifications:
- 8–12 years of experience in HR, talent, organizational effectiveness, or relevant operations leadership.
- Experience diagnosing people and organizational issues.
- Strong understanding of HR disciplines (performance, talent assessment, staffing, engagement, learning, change).
- Proven ability to coach leaders and influence decisions.
- Bachelor's degree preferred; advanced training or certifications a plus.
Wawa will provide reasonable accommodation to complete an application upon request, consistent with applicable law. If you require an accommodation, please contact our Associate Service Center at asc@wawa.com.
Wawa, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. Wawa maintains a work environment in which Associates are treated fairly and with respect and in which discrimination of any kind will not be tolerated. In accordance with federal, state and local laws, we recruit, hire, promote and evaluate all applicants and Associates without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, ancestry, familial status, marital status, sexual orientation or preference, gender identity or expression, citizenship status, disability, veteran or military status, genetic information, domestic or sexual violence victim status or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Unlawful discrimination will not be a factor in any employment decision.