HR Business Partner - R&D

Who Are We Looking For?

Vestwell is looking for a dedicated and self-motivated People (HR) Business Partner, R&D to join our People Team. We are building a team of world class talent and are looking for an organizational powerhouse who can collaborate with multiple internal teams and stakeholders. You will manage our full employee life-cycle, including onboarding, and internal operations. As the People Business Partner for the R&D Organization which consists of the technology, product, UX and AI teams, you will have a front row seat and a direct impact on the next phase of our growth. The People Business Partner will be responsible for managing the successful partnership and collaboration of the Technical Teams and the People Team. Our ideal candidate is passionate about innovation, embodies our Vestwell Core Values, and takes initiative to ensure the wellbeing and growth of our employees.

What Will You Be Doing?

Day-to-day you will be expected to:

• Serve as a strategic People Partner to leaders and employees within the R&D organization, acting as a trusted advisor and primary point of contact for people-related matters.
• Exercise independent judgment in managing and advising on the full employee lifecycle, including onboarding, offboarding, performance management, compensation and benefits administration, and workforce planning.
• Partner closely with technical and people leaders to anticipate organizational needs, identify risks or opportunities, and proactively recommend people strategies that support business objectives.
• Lead and facilitate on-site and hybrid onboarding experiences, lunch-and-learns, and engagement sessions to support employee integration, learning, and connection.
• Ensure ongoing compliance with local, state, and federal employment laws and regulations, applying policy interpretation and judgment to real-world employee scenarios.
• Actively support and help evolve Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) and other inclusion-focused frameworks that strengthen belonging and engagement across the organization.
• Lead employee relations efforts, including conducting investigations, internal audits, and disciplinary meetings, and advising leaders on appropriate, compliant courses of action.
• Assess team capabilities and performance trends to identify development needs, succession considerations, and opportunities for upskilling.
• Partner with Learning & Development to design and deliver targeted training programs and workshops aligned to the unique needs of the R&D organization.
• Remain deeply embedded in the business by attending and leading regular stakeholder meetings, serving as the “eyes and ears” of the organization and surfacing insights that inform leadership decisions.
• Collaborate closely with technical leadership to understand workforce dynamics, team health, and organizational design considerations.
• Partner with Recruiting to forecast hiring needs, support resourcing strategies, and provide insight into workforce changes to enable proactive talent planning.
• Lead the annual Summer Internship Program, including program design, execution, and evaluation, with a focus on talent development and full-time conversion opportunities.

Requirements

The Necessities:

• 3-5 years of Human Resources / People Operations experience, preferably at a high-growth tech company / start-up
• Experience building, maintaining and presenting HR data analytics
• High emotional and social intelligence with experience fostering positive, strong relationships with diverse groups of people
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills that demonstrate a high level of professionalism
• Highly organized and detail-oriented; you can handle multiple projects and dynamic priorities without missing a beat
• Passionate about people and how they function together to create a valuable organization
• Required to be in-office 4 days per week in NYC office

The Extras

• Experience working in a high-paced startup environment or SaaS environment
• Prior experience using Rippling
• Experience supporting a hybrid team

This role will be based in our New York City office, and will be part of Vestwell's hybrid in-office operation.

The expected base salary range for this position is $90K - $105K base. This position is eligible to participate in the Company Bonus Pool and is eligible to receive new hire equity in the Company. Please note that salary bands are based on NY and other similar metro areas and may differ based on where the role is ultimately hired.