Staff People Business Partner

Aurora Innovation Aurora Innovation · Robotics · Mountain View, CA · People

This is a Staff People Business Partner role at Aurora Innovation, a self-driving technology company. The role focuses on executing strategic HR programs, guiding functional leadership, driving alignment, optimizing organizational systems, and building capability within the People team. It requires strong functional expertise in HR business partnering, stakeholder management, systemic problem-solving, data-informed execution, and change leadership, particularly in a fast-paced, scaling tech environment. The role is described as being in a 'build-phase' environment, requiring decisive navigation of ambiguity and agile resilience.

What you'd actually do

  1. Execute Strategic Programs: Lead the design and delivery of major projects (e.g., org redesigns, specialized talent programs) that have broad applicability across multiple business units.
  2. Guide Functional Leadership: Serve as a key area expert and strategic advisor to leaders, sharing deep HR knowledge to clarify complex issues and guide functional decision-making.
  3. Drive Alignment & Communication: Masterfully manage stakeholders at all levels. You will ensure executive input is integrated into project design while effectively cascading information to ensure alignment across teams.
  4. Optimize Organizational Systems: Directly impact the effectiveness of your assigned functions by diagnosing system bottlenecks and implementing scalable models that improve cross-functional collaboration.
  5. Build Capability: Use data-driven insights to identify talent gaps and lead workforce planning efforts. You don't just identify needs; you build the systems to solve them.

Skills

Required

  • HR business partnering
  • leading high-stakes initiatives
  • navigating complex organizational webs
  • gaining alignment among senior leaders
  • managing the "upward and downward" flow of information
  • designing solutions that are sustainable and account for interdependencies
  • translating metrics into action plans
  • measuring the success of programs
  • managing large-scale change
  • providing clarity in ambiguous situations
  • helping teams maintain momentum through transitions

Nice to have

  • 8-10+ years of progressive HR Business Partner experience
  • Experience partnering with senior leadership (Director/ Senior Director level)
  • Proven track record of project ownership
  • Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources or a related field
  • Advanced degree or HR certification
  • Technology industry experience
  • Strong communication skills
  • ability to influence peers
  • manage executive-level input effectively
  • Fluent in English
  • Ability to travel within the U.S. approximately 10% of the time

What the JD emphasized

  • Thrive in a "Build-Phase" Environment
  • Decisive Navigation of Ambiguity
  • Agile Resilience
  • Functional Expertise
  • Stakeholder Mastery
  • Systemic Problem Solving
  • Data-Informed Execution
  • Change Leadership
  • leading major projects
  • scaling organization
  • senior leadership
  • project ownership
  • designing and executing features or systems used by multiple teams