Senior HR Business Partner, R&D

Let’s face it, a company whose mission is human transformation better have some fresh thinking about the employer/employee relationship. 

We do. We can’t cram it all in here, but you’ll start noticing it from the first interview. 

Even our candidate experience is different. And when you get an offer from us (and accept it), you get way more than a paycheck. You get a personal BetterUp Coach, a development plan, a trained and coached manager, the most amazing team you’ve ever met (yes, each with their own personal BetterUp Coach), and most importantly, work that matters. 

This makes for a remarkably focused and fulfilling work experience. Frankly, it’s not for everyone. But for people with fire in their belly, it’s a game-changing, career-defining, soul-lifting move.

Join us and we promise you the most intense and fulfilling years of your career, doing life-changing work in a fun, inventive, soulful culture. 

If that sounds exciting—and the job description below feels like a fit—we really should start talking.

We are a hybrid company with a focus on in-person collaboration when necessary. Employees are expected to be available to work from one of our office hubs at least two days per week, or eight days per month. Our US hub locations include: Austin, TX; Chicago, IL; New York City, NY; San Francisco, CA; and the Washington, DC metro area. If this is a role based in Europe, our Europe hub locations are London, UK and Amsterdam, NL. Please ensure you can realistically commit to this structure before applying.

As the Senior HR Business Partner supporting the R&D organization you’ll play a critical role in shaping how we scale our technical teams, build high-performing engineering culture, and accelerate innovation through our people. You will serve as a strategic thought partner to our R&D leaders, deeply embedded in their business priorities, and will influence decisions related to organizational design, leadership effectiveness, and talent investments.

What you’ll do:

• Partner closely with Engineering, Product, and Design leaders to align team structures, capabilities, and workflows to business goals and product priorities.

• Translate the needs of a dynamic technical organization into forward-looking talent strategies that support innovation, velocity, and long-term scalability.

• Anticipate organizational challenges and proactively design strategic org interventions—from role clarity and team design to leadership coaching and change planning.

• Use data to diagnose organizational health and influence decisions around team effectiveness, retention, engagement, and performance.

• Guide leaders through complex transitions, including scaling, restructuring, and cross-functional change—ensuring strong change narratives and employee clarity.

• Embed with your client group to provide on-the-ground leadership coaching, ensuring managers are supported, upskilled, and aligned on expectations.

• Collaborate across People teams (e.g., Talent, L&D, Total Rewards) to deliver integrated solutions that improve the employee experience and business outcomes.

• Champion the responsible adoption of AI and intelligent tooling in talent practices, enabling efficiency, insight, and future-readiness for our R&D teams.

If you have some or all of the following, please apply:

• 10+ years of HRBP, consulting, and/or business partnership experience, with at least 6–7 years directly supporting R&D, Product, or Engineering teams in high-growth or technology organizations

• Track record of direct partnership with business leaders on talent, culture, and organizational change

• Demonstrated ability to use AI tools to enhance your own work, improve efficiency, and accelerate learning.

• Strong analytical skills and experience using data to inform decision-making (Google Sheets / Excel proficiency preferred)

• Comfortable in ambiguous, fast-paced environments where needs evolve quickly

• Demonstrated influence without authority across cross-functional partners

• Experience with global teams or scaling internationally is a plus

• Strong problem-solving skills, ability to analyze data, understand trends, and develop recommendations for action based on the analysis

AI at BetterUp

Our team thrives at the intersection of human expertise and AI capability. As an AI-forward company, adaptation and continuous learning are part of our daily work. We're looking for teammates who are excited to evolve alongside technology – people who experiment boldly, share their discoveries openly, and help define best practices for AI-augmented work. These professionals thoughtfully integrate AI into their work to deliver exceptional results while maintaining the human judgment and creativity that drives real innovation. During our interview process, you’ll have opportunities to showcase how you harness AI to learn, iterate, and amplify your impact.

Benefits: 

At BetterUp, we are committed to living out our mission every day and that starts with providing benefits that allow our employees to care for themselves, support their families, and give back to their community. 

• Access to BetterUp coaching; one for you and one for a friend or family member 

• A competitive compensation plan with opportunity for advancement

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance

• Flexible paid time off

• Per year: 

  • All federal/statutory holidays observed

  • 4 BetterUp Inner Workdays (https://www.betterup.co/inner-work)

  • 5 Volunteer Days to give back

  • Learning and Development stipend

  • Company wide Summer & Winter breaks

• Year-round charitable contribution of your choice on behalf of BetterUp

• 401(k) self contribution

We are dedicated to building diverse teams that fuel an authentic workplace and sense of belonging for each and every employee. We know applying for a job can be intimidating, please don’t hesitate to reach out — we encourage everyone interested in joining us to apply.

BetterUp Inc. provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, genetics, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status. In addition to federal law requirements, BetterUp Inc. complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

At BetterUp, we compensate our employees fairly for their work. Base salary is determined by job-related experience, education/training, residence location, as well as market indicators. The range below is representative of base salary only and does not include equity, sales bonus plans (when applicable) and benefits. This range may be modified in the future.

The base salary range for this role is $126,000 – $198,000.

If you live in New York, the base salary range for this role is: 

$144,000– $198,000: New York City

$126,000– $172,700: Albany, Buffalo, Nassau, Newburgh, Rochester, Syracuse

Protecting your privacy and treating your personal information with care is very important to us, and central to the entire BetterUp family. By submitting your application, you acknowledge that your personal information will be processed in accordance with our Applicant Privacy Notice. If you have any questions about the privacy of your personal information or your rights with regards to your personal information, please reach out to [email protected]

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