Market HR Manager

AutoNation · Cockeysville · $135,000–$143,000 (stated in the posting)

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.

So what do you say? Are you ready to be part of something big?

The Market HR Manager is AutoNation's foundational field HR role. This associate is embedded in a market of lower-to-moderate complexity and serves as the daily HR presence for General Managers, Market Team members, and store associates across their assigned portfolio. Success at this level is defined by reliability, follow-through, and the ability to coach leaders rather than solve their problems for them. The Grade 11 Manager executes the four HRBP pillars with accuracy and consistency, builds trust through visibility and presence, and partners with COEs and the ER Team appropriately — routing the right work to the right expert rather than working around the system. Value is measured not by the volume of HR work processed, but by the quality of outcomes driven for associates and the business.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES

Talent Selection

Partner with General Managers and hiring managers to ensure a consistent, evidence-based interview process is followed for every open role
Push for structured, behavioral interviews — challenge gut-feel hiring decisions with data and process discipline
Participate directly in the interview process for GM-level candidates within the assigned market
Conduct monthly staffing reviews with GMs at highest-need stores; track open requisitions and time-to-fill with urgency
Monitor early turnover rates (0–90 days) to identify and address breakdowns in hiring quality or onboarding execution
Partner with Talent Acquisition as the field-level contact; route requisition and sourcing needs through the TA COE, not around it
Talent Development
Build working knowledge of every GM and Department Manager in the market — their strengths, development gaps, and succession readiness
Coach managers and GMs to handle their own people issues; resist the pull to take action on their behalf — build their capability instead
Advocate for internal promotion when roles open; push GMs to look at the bench before posting externally
Own the follow-up on 360 feedback and development conversations — connect leaders with the appropriate development COE resources
Partner with and actively leverage the Talent Development COE; do not design or deliver development solutions independently when a COE partner exists
Prepare and present basic talent reviews to the Market President and VP, Human Resources on a quarterly cadence

Listening Strategy

Be the first to review market listening dashboards and pulse survey results; add context and interpretation before surfacing findings to store or market leadership
Route listening signals to the appropriate response — development need, staffing gap, operational issue, or ER referral — rather than defaulting to a single channel
Conduct individual debrief conversations with each GM following pulse surveys; coach them on how to respond, do not hand off a report and walk away
Identify patterns across stores within the market and escalate market-wide themes to the Market President and VP, Human Resources
Coordinate with the ER Team on ER case trends visible within the assigned market

Business Performance

Develop foundational understanding of how assigned stores generate revenue — participate in store-level P&L reviews as a learning and relationship-building practice
Connect people problems to business outcomes in every leadership conversation; translate turnover, absenteeism, and ER trends into store-level financial impact
Use available data to quantify the cost of losing key associates — bring dollar-impact context to conversations with GMs about retention and hiring
Serve as a consistent, credible HR presence with the Market President — bring a prepared point of view to each interaction, not just status updates
This pillar is the lens through which all other pillar work is framed and communicated

EMPLOYEE RELATIONS SCOPE
All HRBPs handle Green-tier ER cases independently and may handle lower-acuity Yellow-tier cases with appropriate judgment. Higher-acuity Yellow, Orange, and Red-tier cases are escalated to and managed by the centralized ER Team, with the HRBP serving as the market-level partner — providing context, maintaining associate relationships, and ensuring continuity throughout the investigation process. HRBPs do not conduct formal investigations on elevated-tier matters; they are the bridge between the associate, the store, and the ER Team.

QUALIFICATIONS

Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field required
2–4 years of progressive HR experience in a generalist, coordinator, or HR assistant capacity
aPHR or PHR preferred; SHRM-CP a plus
Workday or comparable HRIS proficiency required; experience with HR reporting tools or dashboards preferred
Working knowledge of federal and state employment law; ability to identify when legal escalation is warranted
Retail, automotive, or high-volume multi-site experience a plus

CORE COMPETENCIES

Business Acumen — Understands how stores generate revenue and where people decisions affect financial outcomes; uses this lens in every conversation with GMs and store leaders
Coaching Over Doing — Coaches managers and GMs to handle their own people issues rather than stepping in; builds leader capability with every interaction
Diagnostic Thinking — Reviews data and dashboards with a questioning mindset; goes one level deeper than the obvious answer before making a recommendation
COE Partnership — Leverages Talent Development, Talent Acquisition, HR Operations, and Total Rewards as expert partners; routes work to the right COE rather than working around them
Execution & Follow-Through — Manages a consistent workload with precision and reliability; every commitment is tracked and completed
Integrity & Discretion — Handles sensitive associate information with unwavering confidentiality; never compromises associate trust or the integrity of the HR function

The anticipated base salary for this role is $135,000 - 143,000 annually. In addition to base salary, this role is eligible for participation in the company's annual bonus program, the terms and payout of which are determined at eh company's discretion and subject to change.

$107,250.00 - $178,750.00

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 committed to creating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment in our workplace and the services we provide. We welcome candidates from all backgrounds who are passionate about making a positive impact. Even if you do not meet every requirement, we encourage you to apply. Join our team and help us foster a culture of belonging while contributing to our revolutionary work in the automotive industry. We value innovation, teamwork, and a commitment to making a positive impact in the world.

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