Principal HR Business Partner (R&D)

<p>Toast creates technology to help restaurants and local businesses succeed in a digital world, helping business owners operate, increase sales, engage customers, and keep employees happy.&nbsp;We're looking for a Principal People Success Partner (more commonly referred to as "HRBP") to serve as the strategic HR partner for Toast's R&amp;D organization — a 2,000+ person community spanning Engineering, Product, and Design. You'll report directly to the Senior Director, PSP and operate as a true thought partner to senior leaders, helping shape how we build, develop, and sustain a world-class product and technology organization.</p> <p>This is a high-impact individual contributor role for someone who excels at navigating organizational complexity, influencing without authority, and translating people strategy into practical outcomes. The right person is equally comfortable in a room with a SVP discussing org design as they are rolling up their sleeves on a calibration cycle or a difficult performance conversation.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Note to applicants:&nbsp;</strong>We are prioritizing candidates located near our hubs in Boston, New York City, Toronto, San Francisco, and Omaha.&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>A day in the life (Responsibilities)&nbsp;</strong></p> <ul> <li>Partner with R&amp;D SVPs, VPs and senior directors to design and evolve org structures that scale; Serve as a trusted advisor during reorgs and structural changes, helping leaders navigate people impacts with care and clarity.</li> <li>Lead org design initiatives end-to-end: from diagnosing root causes through to stakeholder alignment, change communication, and implementation.</li> <li>Drive consistent, high-quality performance calibrations across Engineering, PM, and Design — building leader capability and ensuring fair, differentiated outcomes.</li> <li>Champion a culture of clear expectations and candid feedback; help leaders understand what "raising the bar" looks like in practice.</li> <li>Cultivate an AI "Builder" approach by adopting and testing AI solutions to address challenges at scale.</li> <li>Use engagement data, pulse surveys, and qualitative signals to surface org health risks and partner with leaders on action planning.</li> <li>Serve as the R&amp;D voice in the design and rollout of company-wide people programs — ensuring compensation cycles, leveling frameworks, and engagement initiatives land effectively.</li> <li>Bring an analytical lens to your work — using data to shape decisions, measure outcomes, and tell a coherent story to senior stakeholders.</li> </ul> <p><br><br></p> <p><strong>What you'll need to thrive (Requirements)&lt