About the Role
As our first HR Business Partner, you will play a pivotal role in shaping the employee experience at InStride with a primary focus on resolving employee relations. Supporting a growing organization, this role is a strategic advisor and coach - guiding leaders through performance challenges, scaling our approach to talent development, and reinforcing our core values. You will partner closely with the SVP of People and cross-functional stakeholders to address real-time needs while also designing long-term, scalable solutions that empower our managers and teams.
Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
- Be a strategic HR partner: Serve as a trusted advisor to leaders on employee relations, performance management, team development, engagement, and retention. Guide leaders on team dynamics, difficult conversations, talent development, and inclusive leadership.
- Lead employee relations and performance management: Proactively manage and resolve complex employee relations cases, from investigation to resolution. Provide objective, fair, and business-aligned guidance.
- Build manager and leadership scalability: Design and implement manager onboarding, training, and development programs. Co-create leadership development initiatives with the SVP of People.
- Integrate technology & AI into people practices: Implement scalable, tech-enabled practices that support ongoing performance management and employee development. Leverage platforms like Lattice and emerging AI tools to identify trends, enable manager self-service, and scale performance-related insights.
- Oversee performance review cycles: Guide the bi-annual review process, including performance calibration. Continuously improve performance management approach and workflows.
- Analyze people data to drive decisions: Use employee engagement, performance, and retention data to identify trends and recommend improvements to programs, policies, and practices.
- Ensure compliance and consistency: Partner with People Operations and Compliance to ensure adherence to employment laws, policies, and internal standards of fairness and consistency.
- Collaborate cross-functionally: Build strong relationships with department leaders to assess team needs, deliver strategic HR guidance, and inform long-term talent planning. In particular, support our care teams across coaching, therapy, and psychiatry.
- Support inclusive hiring and onboarding: Partner with Talent Acquisition and People Operations to promote equitable hiring practices and deliver a thoughtful and valuable employee experience.
- Act as a change agent: Help leaders and teams navigate organizational change through clear communication, alignment-building, and a strong employee-centered approach.
What You Need to Succeed in the Role
- 7-10+ years as an HR Business Partner in a high-growth, progressive, and evolving organization.
- Proven success in navigating and resolving complex employee relations cases.
- Deep understanding of HR practices across employee relations, performance, compensation, compliance, and employment law (federal and state), given InStride’s national employee population.
- Strong track record in:
- Strategic HR advising
- Performance management
- Conflict resolution
- Manager coaching
- Leadership and career development
- Training design and delivery
- Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to build trust, understand stakeholder needs, offer thoughtful solutions, and follow through to resolution.
- A proactive, solutions-oriented mindset with strong self-starter initiative.
- Excellent organization, time management, and attention to detail.
- Analytical skills to interpret data and recommend evidence-based improvements.
- Proficiency in Google Workspace and MacBook.
- Strong facilitation and presentation skills.
- PHR, SPHR, or equivalent HR certification (preferred, not required).
The expected annual base salary for this role is between $130,000-$160,000. Actual starting salary will be determined on an individualized basis and will be based on several factors including but not limited to specific skill set, work experience, etc. In addition to base compensation, this role offers a target performance-based bonus.
