Principal HR Business Partner

Upwork•Palo Alto, CA

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

Upwork Inc.’s (Nasdaq: UPWK) family of companies connects businesses with global, AI-enabled talent across every contingent work type including freelance, fractional, and payrolled. This portfolio includes the Upwork Marketplace, which connects businesses with on-demand access to highly skilled talent across the globe, and Lifted, which provides a purpose-built solution for enterprise organizations to source, contract, manage, and pay talent across the full spectrum of contingent work. From Fortune 100 enterprises to entrepreneurs, businesses rely on Upwork Inc. to find and hire expert talent, leverage AI-powered work solutions, and drive business transformation. With access to professionals spanning more than 10,000 skills across AI & machine learning, software development, sales & marketing, customer support, finance & accounting, and more, the Upwork family of companies enables businesses of all sizes to scale, innovate, and transform their workforces for the age of AI and beyond. Since its founding, Upwork Inc. has facilitated more than $30 billion in total transactions and services as it fulfills its purpose to create opportunity in every era of work. Learn more about the Upwork Marketplace at upwork.com and follow on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X; and learn more about Lifted at go-lifted.com and follow on LinkedIn. We’re seeking a Principal HR Business Partner to support Upwork’s Chief Operating Officer—including Customer Support, Trust & Safety, Payments, Legal, Infosec, and Communications—as well as our CTO organization. These high-impact teams safeguard our platform, enable secure global payments, protect our community, and drive the infrastructure that powers our business. You’ll partner with senior leaders across corporate and technical domains to shape talent strategies, navigate organizational complexity, and support workforce transformation. This role requires both strategic insight and a roll-up-your-sleeves approach. You’ll drive initiatives that enhance employee engagement, scale operational excellence, and optimize both employee and contingent workforce performance. This is a high-visibility opportunity to influence the future of work from inside the company leading it. This role will be based in our Palo Alto HQ, three days a week.

Requirements

Extensive HRBP experience partnering with diverse global client groups across both corporate and contingent workforce models.
Extensive experience working with technical teams.
Strong coaching and relationship-building skills with a track record of influencing senior leaders and driving complex, cross-functional change.
Strategic mindset with the ability to connect day-to-day execution to long-term business outcomes in operational, technical, and regulatory environments.
Demonstrated use of AI tools to increase efficiency and insight in workforce planning, communication, and people analytics.
Commitment to building inclusive teams and scalable systems that support equitable experiences across global, distributed teams.
Ability to roll up sleeves and juggle multiple, competing priorities.
Excellent judgment on how to prioritize and focus on work that drives business outcomes.

Responsibilities

Partner with the COO, CTO and their executive leadership team to develop people strategies and provide executive coaching aligned with business priorities across both corporate employees and a broad contingent workforce.
Shape and implement workforce planning, org design, and talent development strategies that scale across multiple geographies and disciplines.
Use data and AI tools to assess organizational health, surface insights, and deliver actionable people plans that drive measurable outcomes.
Lead complex change initiatives, partnering with cross-functional stakeholders to ensure clear communication, risk mitigation, and business continuity.
Provide guidance on sensitive workforce matters, including employee relations, engagement, and workplace culture.
Collaborate with COEs (Total Rewards, Talent Development, Legal, DEI, etc.) to design and operationalize people programs (incorporating the business’ point of view) and scale inclusive, high-performance systems.
Drive talent lifecycle processes including compensation strategy, engagement survey action planning, succession planning, and performance reviews.
Mentor peers within the People team and champion a culture of feedback, learning, and collaboration.