Senior People Partner, Engineering and Security

Role Overview

• Serve as a trusted advisor to Engineering and Security leadership on org design, workforce planning, operating rhythms, and team effectiveness.
• Diagnose organizational health (structure, spans/layers, talent distribution, engagement signals) and recommend clear actions.
• Partner with leaders through change, including reorganizations, leadership transitions, and scaling moments.
• Coach leaders and managers at multiple levels on performance, feedback, accountability, and team culture.
• Build manager capability through toolkits, training, and real-time guidance, especially for new managers and fast-growing teams.
• Support succession planning, talent reviews, and readiness conversations for critical roles.
• Lead end-to-end performance processes for your client groups (calibrations, promotions, development planning, performance improvement).
• Partner with leaders to define expectations for high performance in technical orgs, including clear role scope, career paths (IC and manager), and leveling conversations.
• Identify retention risks and development opportunities, and drive practical plans to address them.
• Independently manage complex employee relations concerns with sound judgment, empathy, and consistency.
• Partner with Legal and the People team on investigations, performance actions, and policy interpretation, ensuring compliance with US employment practices.
• Bring an extra layer of discretion and care when supporting Security teams and sensitive business areas.
• Champion inclusive leadership and equitable people practices in Engineering and Security.
• Translate engagement, attrition, and sentiment data into action plans with leaders, then drive follow-through and measurable improvement.
• Strengthen connection and belonging in distributed teams.
• Use HR metrics and insights to spot trends, influence decisions, and evaluate impact (headcount, attrition, performance distribution, internal mobility, engagement).
• Share clear, leader-ready narratives from the data, not just dashboards.
• Partner closely with Talent Acquisition on hiring plans and candidate strategy for technical roles.
• Collaborate with Total Rewards, People Ops, and L&D to deliver programs that fit Engineering and Security realities.
• Contribute to People Team initiatives, playbooks, and scaling improvements beyond your client group.

Requirements

• 7+ years of progressive HRBP/People Partner experience, including meaningful experience supporting Engineering and or Security (or similarly technical, product-focused orgs).
• Strong working knowledge of US employment practices and employee relations, with comfort navigating ambiguity and sensitive issues.
• Experience supporting global, distributed teams, with particular strength partnering across the US and EMEA regions (leaders, employment practices, and cultural context).
• Demonstrated strength in org design, workforce planning, talent reviews, and coaching leaders through performance and change.
• Data fluency: you use metrics to tell a story, make decisions, and drive measurable action (Excel/Google Sheets proficiency required).
• Clear, confident communicator who can influence senior leaders and build trust quickly.
• High integrity, strong judgment, and consistent follow-through in a fast-moving environment.
• Familiarity with HRIS systems and standard People tools.

Benefits

• Freedom & flexibility; fit your work around your life
• Designated quarterly Whaleness Days plus end of year Whaleness break
• Home office setup; we want you comfortable while you work
• 16 weeks of paid Parental leave
• Technology stipend equivalent to $100 net/month
• PTO plan that encourages you to take time to do the things you enjoy
• Training stipend for conferences, courses and classes
• Equity; we are a growing start-up and want all employees to have a share in the success of the company
• Docker Swag
• Medical benefits, retirement and holidays vary by country
• Remote-first culture, with offices in Seattle and Paris