About this role
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. 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&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.
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.
Note to applicants: We are prioritizing candidates located near our hubs in Boston, New York City, Toronto, San Francisco, and Omaha.
A day in the life (Responsibilities)
• Partner with R&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.
• Lead org design initiatives end-to-end: from diagnosing root causes through to stakeholder alignment, change communication, and implementation.
• Drive consistent, high-quality performance calibrations across Engineering, PM, and Design — building leader capability and ensuring fair, differentiated outcomes.
• Champion a culture of clear expectations and candid feedback; help leaders understand what "raising the bar" looks like in practice.
• Cultivate an AI "Builder" approach by adopting and testing AI solutions to address challenges at scale.
• Use engagement data, pulse surveys, and qualitative signals to surface org health risks and partner with leaders on action planning.
• Serve as the R&D voice in the design and rollout of company-wide people programs — ensuring compensation cycles, leveling frameworks, and engagement initiatives land effectively.
• Bring an analytical lens to your work — using data to shape decisions, measure outcomes, and tell a coherent story to senior stakeholders.
What you'll need to thrive (Requirements)
• 10+ years of HR Business Partner experience, with at least 5 years supporting engineering, product, or design organizations.
• Demonstrated expertise in org design — you've led restructuring initiatives, not just supported them.
• Experience as a trusted partner to VP- and SVP-level leaders; you're known for your ability to influence and coach.
• Strong analytical skills — comfortable using AI tools and working with employee data, engagement metrics, and headcount mo