Human Resources Business Partner

Retail & People Excellence Manager
People & Culture
· New Delhi
·

Reports to:

TBD

HR Business Partnership
Learning & Development
Store Operations

Step Into the World of Nicobar
Founded in 2016 by Simran Lal and Raul Rai, Nicobar is a modern, mindful, design-led lifestyle brand from India.
'We wanted to create a new Indian sensibility that wasn't necessarily Westernised.'
We're reimagining a contemporary Indian way of living, dressing, and looking at the world—rooted in culture, shaped by design, and guided by intention. At Nicobar, we believe in culture as much as commerce, and that how we build is just as important as what we build.
Our studio is tucked away in Tulsi Farms, Chhatarpur, Delhi—nestled among trees, a seasonal garden, a citrus grove, and our beloved dogs Nico & Dot. We call it 'the Treehouse.' If you're drawn to thoughtful design, a youthful and nourishing team culture, and the chance to grow a brand with heart—we'd love to hear from you.

Your Role in the Story
We're looking for an HR Business Partner who can operate across three interconnected pillars: people partnership, learning & development, and store operations. This is not a compliance-first role—it's a role for someone who understands that frontline culture, team capability, and operational rigour are all the same thing expressed differently.

You will be the bridge between our people and the business—driving performance, strengthening employee experience, and ensuring that Nicobar's culture is felt as clearly on the shop floor as it is at the Treehouse.

PILLAR 1
HR Business Partnership
Talent, People Planning & Performance

Talent Acquisition
Lead retail hiring across the store network and business expansion requirements
Manage campus recruitment programmes and build early talent pipelines
Partner with TA to ensure quality of hire, not just speed of hire
People Planning & Development
Drive strategic workforce planning including manpower planning (AOP) and capability building
Manage Performance Improvement Plans (PIP) and Individual Development Plans (IDP) end-to-end
Support employee engagement for campus recruits and new joiners through structured career progression planning
Partner closely with the Chief Retail Officer, Area Managers, and Store Managers on all people matters
Conduct fortnightly check-ins with AMs/ROMs to review performance, team health, and people challenges
Performance & Retention
Oversee attrition management—go beyond exit interviews to understand root causes at the store level
Drive targeted retention interventions in discussion with retail leadership
Monitor and control AOP vs Actuals for manpower and people-related metrics
Manage employee grievances end-to-end with timely, fair, and well-documented resolution
Anchor disciplinary processes including warnings, corrective actions, and PIPs
Build a culture of continuous feedback—not just annual review cycles

PILLAR 2
Learning & Development
Store Excellence, Capability Building & Customer Experience

Store Excellence Training
Conduct store hygiene training covering cleanliness standards, stockroom organisation, and product folding and presentation standards.
Drive and optimise store compliance on the Amply app
Ensure training outcomes are measurable and tied to store audit scores
Operational Capability Building
Deliver Amplify Training Programmes focused on store floor walk standards and section/category management
Build store manager capability in people leadership—feedback, performance conversations, and team health
Design and cascade capability-building interventions across stores in partnership with business stakeholders
Customer Experience
Drive customer service training programmes to improve service quality and in-store experience
Embed Nicobar's brand values and design sensibility into every customer-facing training module
Track and act on customer experience metrics that are influenced by people behaviour

PILLAR 3
Store Operations (People Lens)
Performance, Rewards & Inventory Integrity

Performance Management
Drive and track store KPIs and operational performance in partnership with the Chief Retail Officer
Use people data to identify performance outliers—stores and individuals—and design targeted…