Principal 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. As the Principal HR Business Partner for R&D, you will serve as a transformational consultant and trusted advisor to our Engineering, Product, and Design leadership, operating at the intersection of human capital strategy, organizational architecture, and technical innovation. This is not a traditional HRBP role—you will architect and lead enterprise-wide people transformations that enable our R&D organization to compete at the forefront of AI-enabled product development. You will be the architect of reinvention for our R&D function, bringing deep consulting acumen and systems-level thinking to drive platform transformations, organizational redesigns, and the strategic adoption of AI and data analytics across our talent practices. You'll mobilize multiple functions to retire low-value practices, scale new workflows, and position BetterUp's R&D organization as an industry pace-setter for innovation velocity and engineering excellence. This role requires someone who can see around corners—spotting shifts in technology, talent markets, and organizational needs before they land—and who can translate those insights into data-backed proposals that fundamentally reimagine how our R&D teams are structured, led, and developed. What you’ll do: STRATEGIC ORGANIZATIONAL DESIGN & CONSULTING - Lead large-scale R&D transformations including platform engineering reorganizations, product-led growth initiatives, and technical architecture realignments that require deep understanding of modern software development methodologies - Architect organizational structures that optimize for speed, innovation, and cross-functional collaboration in complex technical environments—from designing dual-track career ladders to creating new specialized roles for emerging technologies - Serve as internal management consultant to VP+ and C-level R&D leaders on the most complex people challenges - Design and execute end-to-end change strategies for major transitions including global expansion, hybrid/distributed engineering model optimization, and cultural transformation initiatives PLATFORM TRANSFORMATION & TECHNICAL ORGANIZATION EXPERTISE - Guide R&D organizations through platform transformation journeys, understanding the talent implications of establishing platform teams - Translate complex technical initiatives (API strategies, infrastructure modernization, DevOps transformation) into organizational design, capability building, and talent acquisition roadmaps - Assess organizational readiness for platform shifts and proactively design workforce planning, skills development, and team restructuring to accelerate technical transformation outcomes AI & DATA-DRIVEN SYSTEMS TRANSFORMATION - Pioneer the adoption of AI and intelligent tooling in all aspects of R&D talent management—from AI-assisted recruiting and skills mapping to predictive attrition modeling and workforce scenario planning - Leverage real-time data and advanced analytics to diagnose systemic organ