Market Human Resources Director

AutoNation; Columbus (GA); On-site; USD 83,000 - 138,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation

401(k) matching

Health, dental, vision insurance

Maternity benefits

Associate purchase & discounts

Job summary

AutoNation seeks a strategic Talent Advisor to bridge enterprise talent strategy with frontline leadership across 3–4 market clusters. You will translate enterprise programs into market outcomes, surface insights, and drive accountability as the talent conscience of your markets.

You will partner with Market Presidents and HRBPs on talent reviews, succession, coaching, and engagement actions, while traveling to stores as needed to support leaders and development initiatives.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of progressive HR, talent management, or organizational development experience.
• Strong coaching skills with ability to develop people leaders across levels.
• Exceptional communication skills; able to adapt from frontline associate conversations to Market President briefings.
• Analytical mindset; able to surface insights from engagement and talent data.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary talent contact for 3–4 market clusters and build trusted advisor relationships with Market Presidents.
• Facilitate talent review conversations for markets, ensuring depth, candor, and actionable outcomes.
• Coach leaders through the full performance management lifecycle and address gaps early with resources.

Skills

Coaching

Communication

Analytics

Autonomy

Travel readiness

Relationship building

Education

SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP or equivalent HR certification

Tools

Workday

Perceptyx

Job description

The Talent Advisor is an embedded, market-facing talent advisor who serves as the bridge between AutoNation’s enterprise talent strategy and the frontline leaders who bring it to life. This role is responsible for building deep relationships with Market Presidents and their leadership teams, translating enterprise programs and tools into meaningful market-level outcomes, and advancing the talent agenda across a defined cluster of 3–4 AutoNation markets.Talent Advisors are not program administrators—they are strategic advisors who know their talent as well as their business leaders know their operations. They surface insights, drive accountability, and serve as the talent conscience of their markets.

Market Relationships & Business Partnership

• Serve as the primary talent contact for 3–4 market clusters, building trusted advisor relationships with Market Presidents and their leadership teams
• Attend key market operating rhythms to stay embedded in business context, priorities, and talent dynamics
• Translate the voice of the market back to the CoE to inform program design and enterprise priorities

Talent Review & Succession

• Facilitate talent review conversations for your markets, ensuring depth, candor, and actionable outcomes at every level
• Drive succession pipeline visibility—identifying and developing the next generation of GMs, market leaders, and high-potentials
• Partner with HRBPs on talent review prep and ensure 9-box calibration is meaningful, not just an exercise

Performance Management Coaching

• Coach people leaders through the full performance management lifecycle: mid-year check-ins, year-end ratings, and performance improvement conversations
• Identify performance gaps early and connect leaders to the right resources before issues escalated
• Champion the AutoNation rating framework and DRIVE behaviors as the foundation for performance conversations

Engagement & Retention

• Partner with HRBPs to translate Signal survey data into market-level action plans with accountable owners and measurable outcomes
• Proactively identify flight risk and retention red flags—surface insights before they become exits
• Act as a feedback loop between associates and leadership, ensuring engagement data drives real action

Manager Capability Building

• Deliver frontline coaching and just-in-time support to people leaders—meeting them where they are, not in the classroom
• Reinforce DRIVE leadership behaviors through observation, feedback, and targeted development conversations
• Partner with the CoE to identify capability gaps and inform leadership development program design
• Facilitate targeted in-store modules when market data or performance trends indicate a specific need—covering topics such as delivering feedback, performance conversations, coaching skills, or DRIVE behaviors—bringing development directly to where leaders work
• Travel to stores within your market cluster on an as-needed basis to deliver facilitation, support leader conversations, or address emerging talent situations that require an in-person presence

Minimum Qualifications

• 5+ years of progressive HR, talent management, or organizational development experience
• Demonstrated ability to build credibility and trust with senior business leaders
• Experience facilitating talent reviews, succession planning, or leadership calibration conversations
• Strong coaching skills with the ability to develop people leaders across levels
• Analytical mindset—comfortable using engagement and talent data to surface insights and drive decisions
• Exceptional communication skills; able to adapt from frontline associate conversations to Market President briefings
• High degree of autonomy—this role requires someone who can operate independently in the market and self-manage against enterprise priorities
• Willingness and ability to travel to store locations within assigned market cluster on an as-needed basis

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in a multi-unit, decentralized, or retail-adjacent organization
• Background in both HR Business Partner and CoE/specialist roles
• Familiarity with Workday, Perceptyx, or similar HRIS/survey platforms
• SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, or equivalent HR certification
• Experience with 9-box calibration, succession planning framework, or talent review facilitation

$82,500.00 - $137,500.00

Benefits and Perks

Exciting Benefits and Perks Await You:

• Competitive compensation and 401k matching
• Enjoy a healthy work-life balance with insurance plans (health, dental, vision) and maternity benefits.
• Associate purchase and discount programs for new and pre‑owned vehicles, services, parts, collision, accessories, and AutoGear
• Access amazing deals and discounts through YouDecide, a website with offers from top providers and retailers
• Join our DRVPNK mission to raise and donate millions of dollars to cancer research and treatment, partnering with cancer charities nationwide

AutoNation is one of the largest automotive retailers in the United States, offering innovative products, exceptional services, and comprehensive solutions, empowering our customers to make the best decisions for their needs. With a network of dealerships nationwide strengthened by a recognized brand, we offer a wide variety of new and used vehicles, customer financing, parts, and provide expert maintenance and repair services. Through DRV PNK, we have raised over $40 million for cancer‑related causes, demonstrating our commitment to making a positive difference in the lives of our Associates, Customers, and the communities we serve.Join our team and help us foster a culture of belonging while contributing to our revolutionary work in the automotive industry.