AKIRA · 2 days ago
Director of Human Resources
Chicago, IL
Full-time
Hybrid
Director/Executive
$110K/yr - $150K/yr
10+ years expAKIRA is a fast-growing women's fashion brand with over 30 retail stores nationwide and a strong eCommerce presence. They are seeking a Director of Human Resources to lead HR operations for a large retail organization with over 1,000 employees, focusing on workforce planning, employee relations, and compliance across multiple locations.
Apparel & Fashion
Responsibilities
Lead and scale HR operations for 1,000+ employees across retail, distribution, and corporate teams
Serve as the top HR partner to executive leadership on workforce planning, performance, and organizational growth
Own retail recruiting strategy for store leadership, field teams, and warehouse operations
Oversee payroll, benefits, workers' comp, and leave administration
Drive compliance across multi-state employment laws
Lead employee relations, investigations, corrective action, and terminations
Design and execute training, leadership development, and retention programs for retail leaders
Manage HRIS, ATS, and reporting systems (iSolved, ADP, or similar)
Build and strengthen company culture, engagement, and DEIB initiatives
Develop policies and processes that support fast-paced retail operations
Qualification
Required
Bachelor's degree in HR, Business, or related field (HR certification a plus)
10+ years of progressive HR leadership experience
5+ years leading HR for a large, multi-unit retail organization (40+ locations required)
Proven experience supporting store managers, district leaders, and large hourly workforces
Strong background in payroll operations, compliance, and employee relations
Deep knowledge of federal and multi-state employment law
Expert-level experience with HRIS and ATS platforms
Proven ability to scale HR systems in a high-growth retail business
Strong executive presence with a hands-on leadership style
Benefits
Medical, dental, vision, life, disability
401(k), FSA/HSA, transit benefits
Generous employee discount
Company
AKIRA
AKIRA first opened in 2002 as a single women’s clothing boutique in the trendy Bucktown/Wicker Park neighborhood of Chicago and is owned by Eric Hsueh, Erikka Wang, Sarah Hughes, Gordon Liao and Mark Ricard.
1001-5000 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageLeadership Team
Jon Cotay
Founder and Owner
Company data provided by crunchbase