Why this role is on the menu

Instacart’s People Team is at an inflection point — scaling a world-class HR function while simultaneously partnering with some of the company’s fastest-growing organizations, including Advertising, Commercial, and Supply Chain. Right now, the CPO and senior People leaders need a dedicated strategic partner who can operate at the highest levels of the function: someone who thinks in systems, builds durable frameworks, and brings structure to complexity. We’re hiring a Director, HR Business Partnership to serve as both an executive-level advisor to the CPO and broader People leadership and a hands-on people manager for a team of HRBPs supporting critical growth functions. The person who fills this role will have a direct line of sight to how Instacart builds and scales its organization — shaping not just how HR serves the business, but how the People team itself operates.

What you’ll cook up in your first year

• The CPO and People leadership team have a trusted, highly capable thought partner — one who’s embedded in the day-to-day rhythm of the People function, can translate executive priorities into org-wide action, and helps the CPO show up at their best in every leadership context.
• Advertising, Commercial, and adjacent go-to-market organizations have a consistent, high-quality HRBP experience — with talent strategies, org designs, and workforce plans that are proactive, data-informed, and directly tied to business growth.
• The HRBP team you manage is performing at a higher level than when you arrived — coaches developed, coverage clarified, and a shared standard of partnership quality that the business can depend on.
• Scalable People frameworks, processes, and workflows are in place across critical cycles — performance management, talent reviews, workforce planning, and organizational change — reducing friction and increasing consistency across the function.
• Complex organizational challenges — from leadership transitions and capability gaps to workforce changes and potential M&A activity — are navigated with clarity, speed, and minimal disruption to the business.

The secret ingredients we’re looking for

You’re someone who thrives at the intersection of strategy and execution — equally comfortable coaching a C-suite leader through a difficult organizational decision and rolling up your sleeves to build the process that makes that decision easier next time. You bring calm to complexity, judgment to ambiguity, and genuine care to the people you partner with and develop.

Must-have pantry staples

(Minimum Qualifications)

• 8–12+ years of progressive HRBP experience, including direct support of C-suite or senior executives, and 12+ years of overall HR or related experience.
• Demonstrated experience supporting senior business leaders in complex, fast-paced, high-growth environments.
• Prior people management experience with a track record of hiring, developing, and building high-performing HR teams.
• Proven ability to operate at both strategic and executional levels — advising executives on org strategy while also building and implementing scalable processes.
• Strong organizational design, talent management, and leadership coaching capabilities.
• Exceptional judgment, discretion, and ability to navigate ambiguity and sensitive situations with minimal direction.
• Strong business acumen with the ability to influence across executive leadership, People teams, and cross-functional stakeholders.
• In-depth knowledge of employment laws and HR best practices, with an analytical mindset and comfort using data to drive decisions.

Optional garnishes

(Preferred Qualifications)

• BA/BS degree in a relevant field.
• Experience serving as an HRBP directly to a People or HR function.
• Experience supporting revenue-generating or go-to-market organizations such as Advertising, Sales, or Marketing.
• Background building or scaling People programs in high-growth or transformational technology environments.
• Exposure to M&A, organizational due diligence, or post-acquisition integration.
• Familiarity with international workforce considerations and globally distributed teams.