Principal HR Business Partner, R&D

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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.

Principal HR Business Partner for R&D

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

AI & Data-Driven Systems Transformation

Enterprise-Wide Influence & Strategic Planning

Talent Strategy & Workforce Planning

Leadership Development & Executive Coaching

Qualifications

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

Per year :

The base salary range for the role is as follows :

New York and San Francisco : $216,000 - $270,000

Austin and Arlington (D.C. Area) : $194,400 - $243,000

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 support@betterup.co

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.

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