Principal Human Resources Business Partner

PsiQuantum•Palo Alto, CA

12d•Hybrid

About The Position

PsiQuantum’s mission is to build the first useful quantum computers—machines capable of delivering the breakthroughs the field has long promised. Since our founding in 2016, our singular focus has been to build and deploy million-qubit, fault-tolerant quantum systems. Quantum computers harness the laws of quantum mechanics to solve problems that even the most advanced supercomputers or AI systems will never reach. Their impact will span energy, pharmaceuticals, finance, agriculture, transportation, materials, and other foundational industries. Our architecture and approach is based on silicon photonics. By leveraging the advanced semiconductor manufacturing industry—including partners like GlobalFoundries—we use the same high-volume processes that already produce billions of chips for telecom and consumer electronics. Photonics offers natural advantages for scale: photons don’t feel heat, are immune to electromagnetic interference, and integrate with existing cryogenic cooling and standard fiber-optic infrastructure. In 2024, PsiQuantum announced government-funded projects to support the build-out of our first utility-scale quantum computers in Brisbane, Australia, and Chicago, Illinois. These initiatives reflect a growing recognition that quantum computing will be strategically and economically defining—and that now is the time to scale. PsiQuantum also develops the algorithms and software needed to make these systems commercially valuable. Our application, software, and industry teams work directly with leading Fortune 500 companies—including Lockheed Martin, Mercedes-Benz, Boehringer Ingelheim, and Mitsubishi Chemical—to prepare quantum solutions for real-world impact. Quantum computing is not an extension of classical computing. It represents a fundamental shift—and a path to mastering challenges that cannot be solved any other way. The potential is enormous, and we have a clear path to make it real. Job Summary: The Principal Human Resources Business Partner (HRBP) is a strategic partner to senior leadership, responsible for aligning people strategies with business objectives in a high-growth, global technology company. This role will support executive leaders and their organizations by driving key human capital initiatives including organizational design, workforce planning, talent development, performance management, employee relations, and culture development. As the company continues to scale globally, the HRBP will play a critical role in supporting distributed global teams across multiple geographies and time zones and ensuring HR programs and practices support rapid growth while maintaining operational rigor. This role collaborates closely with Talent Acquisition, Compensation, HR Operations, and the People team’s cross-functional partners to deliver scalable people programs. The position reports to the Chief People Officer and will serve as a trusted advisor to senior leadership. This is a hybrid role with onsite attendance at the company’s headquarters in Palo Alto and/or Milpitas, CA.

Requirements

7+ years of progressive Human Resources Business Partner experience supporting senior leadership in high-growth organizations.
Experience working in high-growth technology environments, including hardware, software, or deep-tech organizations.
Proven ability to influence senior leaders and build trusted partnerships in complex, fast-paced organizations.
Strong business acumen with the ability to translate business strategy into people strategies and organizational initiatives.
Experience driving organizational change and scaling people programs in rapidly growing companies.
Demonstrated ability to handle complex employee relations matters with sound judgment and discretion.
Strong analytical mindset with experience leveraging HR data and metrics to guide decision-making.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to translate strategic priorities into clear direction for the business and influence at all levels of the organization.
Ability to work independently.
Ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional partners.
Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, International Relations, or a related field.
Familiarity with global employment law and international workforce considerations.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office and related business tools.

Nice To Haves

Experience working in late-stage startups (Series D/E or pre-IPO) strongly preferred.
Demonstrated experience supporting globally distributed teams and navigating multi-country employment environments.
Experience with HRIS platforms such as ADP or similar systems preferred.

Responsibilities

Serve as a trusted strategic advisor to senior leadership, aligning HR initiatives with evolving business priorities and growth objectives.
Develop a deep understanding of the company’s strategy, organizational goals, and talent needs to proactively guide workforce planning and organizational development.
Design and implement scalable people strategies to support rapid global growth, including organizational design, talent assessment, leadership development, and succession planning.
Partner with leaders and the employee relations business partners to drive performance management, including goal setting, performance evaluations, development planning, and improvement plans.
Partner with employee relations to provide coaching and guidance to leaders on employee relations matters, ensuring fair and consistent resolution aligned with company policies and applicable employment laws and regulations.
Lead and support change management initiatives associated with organizational growth, new leadership structures, and evolving business priorities.
Collaborate with HR Analytics to leverage data and insights to inform decision-making, monitor organizational health, and track key HR metrics.
Partner with Talent Acquisition to align hiring strategies with business needs, including workforce planning, candidate evaluation, and effective onboarding.
Partner with Compensation to support annual compensation planning cycles, including merit reviews, promotions, and market alignment.
Drive employee engagement initiatives that foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and high performance across distributed teams.
Lead the development and implementation of innovative people programs that enhance leadership effectiveness and employee experience globally.