Associate People Partner, The Athletic
$60-70k
May require some travel
Subscription-based sports content publisher
Be an early applicant
Subscription-based sports content publisher
501-1000 employees
Be an early applicant
$60-70k
May require some travel
501-1000 employees
Company mission
To produce smarter coverage for die-hard fans and redefine the way fans get access to sports content by flipping the normal model for sports journalism.
Role
Who you are
- You’ll bring strong attention to detail, sound judgment, high EQ, and a hands-on mindset
- Bachelor’s degree required (or equivalent relevant professional experience)
- 0-2+ years of professional HR or relevant HR internship/co-op experience a plus
- Demonstrated integrity, accountability, service orientation, and strong work ethic
- Working knowledge of core HR areas and interest in employment laws and HR best practices
- Ability and willingness to learn how to coach and support employees and managers with guidance
- Strong relationship-building skills; approachable, trusted, and employee-first
- Self-starter comfortable in a fast-paced, fluid environment with willingness to adapt to change
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Strong attention to detail and documentation habits
- Proficient with Google Workspace and Microsoft Office
- SHRM or PHR certification a plus (or interest in pursuing)
What the job involves
- We are hiring an Associate People Partner to help serve the needs of our team. This role is an exciting opportunity to support The Athletic through the execution and continuous improvement of core human resources programs, while building strong, trust-based relationships with employees and managers
- The Associate People Partner will collaborate closely with the broader People team, leaders, and employees to ensure working at The Athletic is a world-class experience for all
- In this role, you’ll learn to coach and support managers, contribute to People initiatives, and help ensure a consistent, compliant, and positive employee experience
- Support the Manager, People Partnerships for a designated employee population; act as a day-to-day point of contact for employee questions and manager needs, escalating as appropriate
- Advocate on behalf of employees to help ensure they have the tools, resources, and support needed to be successful
- Support the delivery and administration of core People programs (onboarding/offboarding, training coordination, internal communications, and more)
- Build and maintain meaningful relationships with managers and employees through regular, high-touch communication
- Develop a foundational understanding of the business model and team goals to align People support to business priorities
- Approach HR matters with a compliance-driven mindset, sound judgment, discretion, empathy, and confidentiality
- Assist with employee relations matters (e.g., documentation, intake, follow-ups), partnering with People leadership on more complex cases and investigations
- Perform HR generalist tasks to ensure data integrity across systems, reporting, and program administration in an organized fashion
Our take
The Athletic provides authentic, in-depth coverage written by journalists who know the teams they write about inside out. Its model bucks the trend of traditional sports journalism outfits by asking for a subscription rather than relying on ad-revenue.
Despite initial doubts that users would be willing to pay for sports journalistic content, The Athletic has found significant success and was acquired by the New York Times in 2022. Despite it operating at a loss directly after the takeover, it was clear that the New York Times perceived this as a long-term investment.
In 2025, it was reported that The Athletic was now profitable, which aligns well with its parent's prediction of profitability within 4 years. This has been aided by accelerated customer growth alongside the rising trend of subscription-based sports news.
Kirsty
Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle
Insights
Company
Funding (last 2 of 7 rounds)
Jan 2020
$50m
SERIES D
May 2019
$21.8m
SERIES C
Total funding: $139.7m
Company benefits
- Paid Time Off
- Paid Sick Leave
- Paid Parental Leave
- 401 (k)
- Short & Long Term Disability
- Free Subscription
- Competitive Health Care
- HSA & FSA
- Commuter Benefits
Company HQ
Financial District, San Francisco, CA
Leadership
Adam Hansmann
(President & Co-Founder)Previously a McKinsey Business Analyst and then Associate at Calera Capital.
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