Sr. People Business Partner (HRBP)

About the role

The Senior People Business Partner is a key strategic leader on the People Team, serving as a trusted advisor and thought partner to senior Operations leadership. This role drives the development and execution of people strategies that directly support sweetgreen’s growth, partnering seamlessly with Centers of Excellence to build the future of our organization.

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

Requirements

• 8+ years of progressive HR Business Partner experience, with at least 3 years supporting senior or executive-level leaders
• 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; restaurant or retail industry experience a strong plus
• 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

Qualifications

• 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

Benefits

• Highest 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
• 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

Pay

Highly competitive pay + bonus plan

Schedule

In-person, based at our New York Support Center. Approximately 20% of time will be spent in our restaurants, with regular travel to field locations across regions.