People Partner Lead, Engineering

People Partner Lead, Engineering

We're looking for a high-ownership People Business Partner to support our Engineering, Data Science, and Security/IT organizations s role reports into Gusto's Head of People and serves as a trusted partner to leaders across some of our most technically complex teams.

This role blends high-trust business partnership with hands-on execution. You'll partner with leaders through organizational changes, drive core People programs and operating rhythms, and act as the connective tissue between R&D and the broader People team. The leaders you'll support have strong points of view and deep context — you add value by stress-testing their thinking, then making it happen.

The ideal candidate is equally comfortable analyzing gPulse data to surface a team health trend, running a clean reorg end-to-end, and building a lightweight process that makes a program actually land. This role is designed for someone who operates with high ownership, has a strong bias toward action, and earns trust through follow-through — not decks.

We are in an active build phase — this role requires someone who arrives ready to construct, not inherit.

Here's what you'll do day-to-day:

• Build trusted partnerships with Engineering, Data Science, and Security/IT leaders — understanding what's happening in their teams, surfacing friction early, and navigating performance management, promotions, leveling, and employee relations matters with good judgment.
• Synthesize People data — gPulse results, Gustofied performance cycles, attrition signals, headcount trends — into clear, actionable reads for R&D leaders before they have to ask.
• Support and operationalize core talent programs including performance cycles, calibration discussions, promotion processes, and manager enablement.
• Reinforce high performance standards, accountability, and clarity around expectations, feedback, and growth across Engineering, Data Science, and Security/IT.
• Serve as the liaison between R&D and Gusto's broader People team (Talent Acquisition, Total Rewards, L&D, People Ops), translating company-wide programs into what they mean specifically for technical orgs — and surfacing R&D context back to the center.
• Proactively identify risks, friction points, and opportunities for improvement using People insights and organizational data.
• Build lightweight but scalable People frameworks, operating mechanisms, and repeatable processes that improve consistency across the business.
• When org changes are decided, own end-to-end execution — transition planning, communication sequencing, Workday updates, leader enablement, and follow-through until nothing is left unresolved.

Here's what we're looking for:

• 10+ years of HRBP or People Partner experience, with meaningful time supporting technical organizations — Engineering, Data Science, Security, or similar.
• Strong operator mindset. You've executed complex People work — not just advised on it. You know what a well-run reorg looks like from the inside.
• A strong bias toward action and a high speed of execution. You'd rather move and adjust than wait for the perfect answer — and when you decide to move, you move quickly.
• Demonstrated ability to influence and partner with senior technical leaders. You have opinions, you share them, and you push back when something doesn't make sense — but you don't need to own the answer.
• Deep experience with performance management, calibrations, promotions, and organizational design.
• Strong analytical instincts. You're comfortable in spreadsheets and can tell a story with People data without over-engineering it.
• You build credibility through follow-through. Leaders trust you because you do what you say you'll do.
• Ability to thrive in ambiguity and hold a lot of detail without losing the thread.
• Sound judgment that accounts for Gusto, not just R&D. You make People decisions that hold up beyond your client group — ones your COE partners can build for and that don't create one-off exceptions that ripple across the company. You proactively build COE relationships because you know that's what makes the model work.
• AI-native mindset. You actively use AI to do your work better — synthesizing…