People Experience Manager: Onboarding & Engagement

Build-A-Bear; Missouri; Hybrid; USD 85,000 - 115,000; Full time

Job summary

Build-A-Bear is seeking a Manager, Associate Experience & Engagement to shape the employee journey in St. Louis.

You will drive onboarding, engagement, and culture-building initiatives, partnering with HR, Field Operations, Communications, and business leaders to strengthen retention and reflect our values. You will manage communications, intranet content, and resources for managers, measure engagement metrics, and identify opportunities for continuous improvement across the associate lifecycle.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Communications, Business Administration, or a related field.
• 5+ years of experience in HR, employee engagement, communications, or people-focused roles.
• Demonstrated experience designing and delivering employee experience or engagement programs.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to craft clear, compelling messaging.
• Experience partnering across HR, Operations, and business leaders.
• Strong project management skills with the ability to manage multiple initiatives.
• High attention to detail, organization, and follow-through.
• Ability to navigate sensitive situations with discretion, empathy, and professionalism.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and execution of associate experience programs, including onboarding, engagement, recognition, communications, and culture-building initiatives.
• Manage end-to-end onboarding experience across HR, IT, Operations, and hiring managers; maintain Day 1 readiness, orientation content, and new hire resources.
• Oversee associate engagement strategies, including surveys, pulse checks, feedback channels, and action planning; analyze results and partner with leaders to drive meaningful improvements.
• Develop and maintain associate-facing communications; manage intranet content, handbooks, and experience guides.
• Support culture and recognition programs, including company events, celebrations, and initiatives that reinforce belonging and values.
• Identify experience gaps and lead continuous improvement across the associate lifecycle.
• Partner with HR Business Partners and cross-functional teams to ensure policies, processes, and communications are associate-centric, compliant, and easy to navigate.
• Provide tools, resources, and training for managers to strengthen leadership and ensure consistent associate experiences.
• Track and report associate experience metrics, including engagement, retention, onboarding effectiveness, and feedback trends; use insights to recommend strategic improvements.
• Serve as trusted advisor and escalation point for associate experience matters across the organization.
• Other responsibilities as needed.

Skills

Communication skills

Project management

Stakeholder engagement

Attention to detail

Empathy

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR / Communications / Business

Job description

Build-A-Bear is seeking a Manager, Associate Experience & Engagement to shape the employee journey in St. Louis.

You will drive onboarding, engagement, and culture-building initiatives, partnering with HR, Field Operations, Communications, and business leaders to strengthen retention and reflect our values. You will manage communications, intranet content, and resources for managers, measure engagement metrics, and identify opportunities for continuous improvement across the associate lifecycle.