Associate Partner Jobs in Iowa (NOW HIRING)

The Grow People Business Partner (HR Business Partner) is a broad, hands-on role responsible for key people operations across the U.S. associate lifecycle. This position owns several core HR processes, including offboarding, leave and accommodation administration, workers’ compensation, associate relations, employment compliance, the Associate Handbook, and standard operating procedures.

The HR Business Partner also serves as the primary U.S. liaison for cross-border people matters involving Krause Group’s operations in Italy and Portugal. This includes supporting international assignments, employment-based immigration cases, and coordination with international HR partners.

Working closely with Grow People leadership, this role also contributes to retention, recognition, culture, associate communications, talent management, and other people initiatives. The ideal candidate is a versatile and trusted HR partner who is comfortable managing day-to-day execution while also improving processes and programs.

Principal Functions of the Job

Key Responsibilities

HR Operations and the Associate Lifecycle

• Lead the U.S. offboarding process from start to finish, including exit logistics, required documentation, and exit interviews.
• Identify and report offboarding trends and themes to Grow People leadership.
• Maintain and periodically review the Associate Handbook, coordinating legal review and the communication and rollout of updates.
• Serve as a backup for payroll and benefits administration, including providing support during annual open enrollment and other peak periods.

Leave, Accommodation and Workers' Compensation

• Administer leave-of-absence and workplace accommodation processes from intake through return to work, including matters covered by the Family and Medical Leave Act, Americans with Disabilities Act, and applicable state laws.
• Partner with third-party administrators, legal counsel, and other resources on complex or extended leave and accommodation cases.
• Coordinate workers’ compensation claims, including claim intake, carrier communication, required documentation, and return-to-work planning.
• Support compliance with applicable federal and state safety requirements and coordinate related safety committee follow-up.

Associate Relations and Employment Compliance

• Manage associate relations matters and conduct or coordinate workplace investigations.
• Partner with legal counsel on complex or higher-risk associate relations matters.
• Coach leaders and managers on consistent policy interpretation and application.
• Monitor federal, state, and local employment law developments and recommend updates to policies and practices as needed.
• Support employment compliance, required recordkeeping, and audit readiness, including Form I-9 documentation, workplace postings, and leave-related records.

Global Mobility, Immigration and International HR Support

• Coordinate U.S.-based employment immigration matters with outside immigration counsel, including H-1B, L-1, TN, permanent residency, and similar cases.
• Maintain accurate immigration records and monitor important filing and renewal deadlines.
• Support the development and administration of international assignment policies and processes, including relocation, tax equalization, and payroll coordination.
• Coordinate the U.S. portion of international assignment cases with external partners and internal stakeholders.
• Serve as the primary U.S. Grow People contact for cross-border associate matters involving Krause Group’s operations in Italy and Portugal.

Culture, Recognition, Retention and Communications

• Administer associate recognition and service award programs and recommend improvements that align with Krause Group’s values.
• Coordinate the administration of associate culture and engagement surveys.
• Partner with Grow People leadership to analyze survey results and support the development and tracking of action plans.
• Develop and coordinate associate communications related to policies, programs, benefits, engagement initiatives, and other Grow People priorities.
• Support the development of retention practices and recommendations by identifying and organizing relevant workforce trends and feedback.

Talent Development and Process Ownership

• Support talent management processes, including performance review cycles, talent calibration, succession planning, and development goal tracking.
• Support the delivery of training and professional development programs.
• Help coordinate internship programming across Krause Group’s U.S. and international operations.
• Own and maintain the Grow People standard operating procedure library, including documentation standards and the master review plan.
• Identify missing, inconsistent, or outdated process documentation and coordinate necessary updates.

Project and Stakeholder Coordination

• Manage multiple Grow People projects simultaneously, maintaining clear timelines, approvals, responsibilities, and status updates.
• Coordinate effectively with Grow People, Brand, Communications, executive leadership, business units, international partners, and external vendors.
• Maintain accurate vendor, project, case, and performance records.
• Support additional Grow People projects, communications, and organizational priorities as assigned.

Other

• Other duties as assigned.
• Adheres to all company policies and procedures.

Supervisory Responsibilities

Position has no formal leadership responsibilities and no direct reports.

Level of Supervision Received

This position will have access to supervision as needed to resolve issues or problems.

Knowledge and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 5+ years of progressive HR generalist/HRBP experience with demonstrated ownership of end-to-end processes (not just task support).
• Working knowledge of leave-of-absence, accommodation, and workers' compensation frameworks (FMLA, ADA, state workers' comp and leave laws).
• Direct or supporting experience with U.S. employment-based immigration processes (H-1B, L-1, TN, PERM, or similar) and working with outside immigration counsel strongly preferred.
• Experience supporting or designing international assignment programs (shadow payroll, tax equalization, relocation policy) preferred; exposure to multi-country organizations a plus.
• Experience conducting or coordinating workplace investigations.
• Experience owning policy documents (e.g., handbooks) and process documentation/SOPs.
• Experience supporting engagement/culture survey administration and associate communications a plus.
• Proficiency with HRIS platforms and Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook); Microsoft 365/Copilot experience a plus.
• PHR, SHRM-CP, or equivalent certification a plus.

Skills and Competencies

• High degree of discretion and sound judgment in handling confidential and sensitive information across a wide range of HR matters.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including drafting associate-facing communications and policy documents.
• Excellent organizational and process-design skills; able to build and maintain documentation systems (SOPs, handbook) as well as manage multiple concurrent cases and deadlines.
• Sound problem-solving and decision-making ability; knows when to resolve independently versus escalate.
• Comfortable operating across a fast-paced, multi-vertical organization spanning corporate, soccer, wine, hospitality, and real estate, including cross-border coordination with Italy and Portugal.
• Skilled at building trust and working cross-functionally with associates, leaders, vendors, outside counsel, and international HR counterparts.
• Facilitation skills for training delivery and talent management processes.
• Data literacy sufficient to support survey analysis and translate retention/engagement data into recommendations.

Duties and responsibilities, as required by business necessity may be added, deleted, or changed at any time at the discretion of management, formally or informally, either verbally or in writing. Scheduling, assignments, and work location may be changed at any time, as required by business necessity.

Krause Group believes in People First. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer building a culture of equity and inclusion.

Krause Group Purpose

Our purpose is to enhance the way people experience the world.

Krause Group Mission

Our mission is to nurture our family of brands, creating opportunities to do good in the world.

Krause Group Values

• Agility – We challenge the status quo with open minds, flexibility, and speed. We are comfortable being uncomfortable. We view change as opportunity.
• Courage – We take risks. We innovate. We win or learn. We push limits, disrupt norms, and define our own path.
• Growth Mindset – We are building an organization and legacy that will outlive us. We are continuously learning. There is no final-destination, only the journey to be better than we were yesterday.
• Inclusion – We actively seek and welcome alternative points of view. Diverse perspectives improve decision-making and make us all more successful.
• Integrity – We do the right thing, even when it's difficult. We do not take shortcuts and always take accountability.
• Community Focused – We are committed to positively impacting our communities, stakeholders, and associates. We do good and encourage others to join us.