Sr. People Business Partner (HRBP)

sweetgreen•New York, NY

6h•Onsite

About The Position

sweetgreen is on a mission to build healthier communities by connecting people to real food. They believe real food should be convenient and accessible to everyone, with 5,000+ team members making food from scratch daily. The company is committed to leaving people better than they found them. The Senior People Business Partner is a key strategic leader on the People Team, acting as a trusted advisor and thought partner to senior Operations leadership. This role drives the development and execution of people strategies supporting sweetgreen’s growth, partnering with Centers of Excellence to build the future of the organization. It is a leadership position for a senior people leader who can think enterprise-first, influence at the VP level, and drive meaningful outcomes across complex, multi-layered organizations. This leader will bring a sharp consultative approach, a data-driven mindset, and the instincts to know when to push, coach, and escalate, championing an inclusive culture, leading through ambiguity, and elevating leadership capability. The People Team's mission is to obsess over the employee experience to enable sweetgreen employees to do the best work of their lives.

Requirements

8+ years of progressive HR Business Partner experience, with at least 3 years supporting senior or executive-level leaders
Demonstrated experience building and delivering a People Strategy to VP and above; comfort operating in the room with senior stakeholders
Deep expertise in organizational design and development, with the ability to translate insights into practical, scalable recommendations
Significant experience with multi-state employers and large hourly or field-based populations
Track record of successfully leading complex change initiatives in ambiguous, fast-paced environments
Proven ability to lead end-to-end execution of high-visibility, cross-functional projects
Experience navigating and resolving sophisticated employee relations matters, including those with legal or regulatory exposure
Strong executive presence and communication skills, equally comfortable in a board room and a restaurant break room
Strategic business partnership, you think like a business leader who happens to be in HR, not the other way around
Executive-level influence without authority; you move people and priorities without needing a mandate
Results-driven, with high personal accountability for outcomes and a bias toward action
Unimpeachable integrity and sound judgment, especially when handling sensitive or confidential matters
Advanced critical thinking and analytical skills, you don’t just find the answer, you find the right question
Ability to hold multiple competing priorities simultaneously without dropping the ball or the relationship
A genuine passion for navigating complex employee relations situations, you don’t avoid hard conversations, you lead them
Clear, direct, and diplomatic communicator; upward, downward, and laterally
Deep alignment with sweetgreen’s Core Values and mission; you model the culture you’re building

Nice To Haves

Restaurant or retail industry experience a strong plus

Responsibilities

Own and lead workforce planning strategies across multiple levels of Operations leadership, translating business priorities into actionable people plans
Serve as a strategic advisor to senior leaders (Director through VP level), proactively identifying organizational risks and opportunities before they become problems
Drive people analytics and storytelling, using data to surface insights, shape strategy, and influence decisions at the executive level
Lead talent management processes including succession planning, calibration, and high-potential identification; build and maintain a strong internal bench
Partner with Talent Acquisition and Operations leadership to design and execute a staffing strategy that scales with the business
Lead complex, high-stakes employee relations investigations end-to-end — from intake through resolution, and provide clear, defensible recommendations
Serve as a key partner on employment litigation, labor investigations, and regulatory matters, working cross-functionally with Legal
Translate business insights and trend analysis into retention and engagement strategies with measurable impact
Coach and develop leaders at all levels on building inclusive, high-performing teams — going beyond the moment to build lasting capability
Drive and oversee compensation and total rewards programs, including annual salary planning, equity cycles, salary surveys, and benefits administration
Build and maintain strong cross-functional partnerships that reinforce sweetgreen’s core values and culture at scale
Champion compliance across all people practices, ensuring alignment with sweetgreen policy and federal, state, and local law
Lead or co-lead enterprise-wide people initiatives, from design through execution, with accountability for outcomes
Contribute to the development of company-wide policies, training programs, and frameworks that address evolving people priorities
Mentor and develop junior People team members, raising the overall bar of the team

Benefits

Highly competitive pay + bonus plan
Three different medical plans to suit your and your family's needs
Dental and Vision insurance
Flexible PTO plan
401k program
Employee HSA and FSA
Complimentary greens
An opportunity to make a real impact on the people around you, both by growing them and by connecting them to real food
To live the sweetlife and celebrate your passion + purpose
A collaborative team of people who live our core values and have your back
A clear career path with opportunities for development, both personally and professionally
Free sweetgreen swag