Senior Director, People Business Partner & Global Employee Relations

Guardant Health•Palo Alto, CA

1d•$208,845 - $337,850•Hybrid

About The Position

Guardant Health is seeking a strategic, business-oriented Senior Director, Human Resources Business Partner (HRBP) & Global Employee Relations to serve as a trusted advisor to senior leaders across Business Development, Finance, Legal, and Public Affairs. A key responsibility will be to lead the vision and global strategy of our Employee Relations function in partnership with our Employee Relations Director. This combined role will partner closely with centers of expertise to deliver people strategies that enable business growth, organizational effectiveness, and a purpose-driven, high-performance culture. The ideal candidate is a proactive, business minded HR leader who leads with curiosity, collaboration, agility and wise compassion. They possess a proven track record of aligning talent strategies with business priorities, and delivering measurable outcomes in workforce planning, talent management, organizational design, leadership development, and employee relations. Reporting to our Chief People Officer, this leader will partner closely with executive stakeholders to anticipate business needs, shape workforce strategies, support AI-enabled tools, workforce readiness and change management across their client groups and be the global Employee Relations escalation point. They will lead a small employee relations team and partner closely with our Legal team and the entire People Business Partner community to ensure a consistent, compliant, proactive and employee-centered approach to employee relations across the enterprise.

Requirements

Experience supporting C-level leadership and corporate functions such as Finance, Legal, Business Development, Public Affairs, Corporate Affairs, or similar executive organizations.
Proven success leading complex global employee relations programs, managing sensitive workplace matters and ensuring a proactive measurable, approach to systemic issues.
Demonstrated expertise leading enterprise workforce planning processes, including headcount forecasting, talent demand planning, organizational modeling, and alignment of workforce investments with business and financial objectives.
Proven track record in accelerating business growth by driving strategic business outcomes through people strategies.
Experience leading organizational design, restructuring, integration, and executive team effectiveness initiatives.
Strong knowledge of employment law, HR compliance, and employee relations leading practices.
12+ years of progressive HR experience, including significant HR Business Partner leadership experience supporting senior executives/C-suite leadership.
Experience leading teams and helping team members be the best they can be.
Ability to travel at a rate of ~15% to support executive leadership, global employee relations initiatives, and key business meetings.

Nice To Haves

SPHR, SHRM-SCP, or equivalent certification.
Experience in highly regulated, publicly traded, healthcare, biotechnology, life sciences, or technology organizations.
Experience supporting global organizations and cross-functional executive leadership teams.
Exceptional business acumen and strategic thinking
Executive presence and influencing skills
Workforce planning and organizational effectiveness expertise
Talent management and succession planning leadership
Employee relations and risk management expertise
Strong judgment and decision-making capability
Change leadership and transformation management
Data-driven problem solving and analytics
Relationship building and stakeholder management
Demonstrated curiosity, sound judgment, and the ability to critically evaluate and responsibly leverage AI-enabled tools in accordance with company policies, ethical standards, and regulatory requirements.
AI & Digital Fluency

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary People Business Partner to executive leaders across Business Development, Finance, Legal, and Public Affairs.
Develop and execute people strategies that support business objectives, organizational growth, and operational excellence.
Provide thought leadership and counsel on organizational effectiveness, change management, team design, leadership effectiveness, and talent optimization.
Translate business strategies into actionable workforce plans in partnership with business leaders and Talent Acquisition partners to ensure their client groups have the talent and capabilities needed to achieve its goals.
Leverage workforce analytics and business insights to identify trends, risks, and opportunities and recommend data-driven solutions in context of our business.
Drive execution of talent reviews, workforce planning, and performance management processes within client groups, partnering with Organization Effectiveness and other COEs.
Own the workforce planning rhythm for supported functions, facilitating regular reviews of organizational needs, headcount plans, hiring forecasts, workforce risks, and capability gaps.
Partner with Talent Acquisition to convert workforce plans into executable recruiting strategies, providing visibility into future hiring demand, prioritization, and talent market considerations.
Lead strategic workforce planning efforts across supported functions, including talent forecasting, capability assessments, and organizational planning.
Partner with leaders to identify critical talent needs and develop strategies and drive talent processes in service to attraction, retention, development, and bench strength.
Collaborate with Talent Acquisition and Organization Effectiveness teams to build robust talent pipelines and strengthen organizational capability.
Leverage Guardant’s Organization Effectiveness frameworks, processes and practices that foster accountability, development, and high performance.
Partner with our Director of Employee Relations to continue to design scalable programs, processes, and practices that promote the best possible employee experience while proactively mitigating organizational risk.
Provide strategic oversight and guidance on complex employee relations matters, workplace investigations, performance issues, policy interpretation, and conflict resolution.
Ensure consistent and compliant application of employment policies, practices, and employment laws across the organization.
Partner with Legal and Compliance teams to assess risk and develop proactive solutions to employee relations challenges.
In partnership with WF Analytics, ensure ER team analyzes trends are tied to workforce risk identification, business decision-making, and proactive interventions.
Ensure manager capability is built through training, coaching, and resources that promote effective leadership and employee engagement.
Lead organizational change initiatives including business transformations, acquisitions, integrations, and workforce transitions.
Partner closely with business leaders to design and implement change management strategies that improve adoption, engagement, and business outcomes.
Facilitate organizational design discussions with leaders to optimize team structures, decision-making, and operational effectiveness.
In partnership, drive and amplify initiatives that strengthen culture, employee engagement, and leadership effectiveness.
Partner effectively across People Team Centers of Excellence, including Talent Acquisition, Total Rewards, Organizational Effectiveness, and People Operations, as well as Legal partners.
Lead, mentor, and develop employee relations and HR team members.
Foster strong cross-functional relationships and influence outcomes across all levels of the organization.
Serve as a role model for Guardant’s values and enterprise leadership expectations.