Principal HR Business Partner (R&D)

Toronto, ON · Remote · CAD 140,000-190,000 · 10+ years experience · Posted Sep 21, 2026

At a glance

Toast is looking for a Principal People Success Partner to serve as the strategic HR partner for Toast's 2,000+ person R&D organization spanning Engineering, Product, and Design.
This is a high-impact individual contributor role reporting directly to the Senior Director, PSP, acting as a true thought partner to senior leaders.
The role involves navigating organizational complexity, influencing without authority, and translating people strategy into practical outcomes.

Partner with R&D SVPs, VPs and senior directors to design and evolve org structures that scale, serving as a trusted advisor during reorgs and structural changes.
Lead org design initiatives end-to-end from diagnosing root causes through to stakeholder alignment, change communication, and implementation.
Drive consistent, high-quality performance calibrations across Engineering, PM, and Design.
Champion a culture of clear expectations and candid feedback, helping leaders understand what raising the bar looks like in practice.
Cultivate an AI Builder approach by adopting and testing AI solutions to address challenges at scale.
Use engagement data, pulse surveys, and qualitative signals to surface org health risks and partner with leaders on action planning.
Serve as the R&D voice in the design and rollout of company-wide people programs.
Bring an analytical lens to work using data to shape decisions, measure outcomes, and tell a coherent story to senior stakeholders.

10+ years of HR Business Partner experience.
Demonstrated expertise in org design including leading restructuring initiatives.
Experience as a trusted partner to VP- and SVP-level leaders with the ability to influence and coach.
Strong analytical skills using AI tools, employee data, engagement metrics, and headcount models.
Excellent judgment on when to push, listen, and escalate.
High EQ and the ability to build trust quickly across a diverse, technically-oriented workforce.
Experience at a high-growth SaaS or fintech company.
Experience supporting a globally distributed R&D org.