Director, People Business Partners

ABOUT THE ROLE This is a founding role on Suno's new People Team that offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to build Suno's People Business Partner function from the ground up. This role is ideal for an HR leader with a sharp, progressive outlook on the role that People Business Partners and Employee Relations can play in scaling organizations at the frontier of entertainment and AI. You're motivated to push beyond what “great” looks like in this space. You will define what modern People Business Partnering looks like at an AI-native company. This role reports to Suno's Head of People and will sit on her Leadership Team. We are not looking for a traditional HRBP. We are looking for a systems thinker, operator, architect, and strategist , someone who sees the People function as core infrastructure to company performance. Someone who understands that org design is product design. That talent density is strategy. That compensation philosophy shapes culture. That employee relations, done right, protects velocity. This role is expected to work from either Suno’s NYC or Cambridge offices 5 days a week, per Suno’s company policy. Check out the Suno version of this role here! https://suno.com/s/Yb37xwR8aL2a8fdF WHAT YOU’LL BUILD You will design and scale Suno’s People Business Partner function from first principles , establishing the philosophy, operating model, tooling, and management cadence that supports a rapidly evolving, high-performance organization. You will: ARCHITECT ORGANIZATIONAL STRATEGY - Partner with the Suno leadership team to translate business strategy into org design, workforce planning, and talent capability roadmaps. - Lead high-stakes org design work: team topologies, decision rights, span and layer optimization, and structural evolution. - Develop scalable frameworks for headcount planning, role clarity, and operating models. - Ensure our structure accelerates, not constrains, innovation at the intersection of AI and entertainment. ELEVATE TALENT & LEADERSHIP - Design and operationalize Suno’s approach to talent density, succession planning, and leadership development. - Build progressive performance management systems that are clear, fair, and hold a high bar. - Coach senior leaders through scale inflection points, team evolution, and performance complexity. - Partner closely on senior leader hiring, onboarding, and bench building. DRIVE WORKFORCE PLANNING & COMPENSATION STRATEGY - Drive headcount modeling and budget alignment in partnership with Head of People, Finance and Talent Acquisition. - Ensure compensation and growth pathways reinforce performance, ownership, and fairness. - Integrate people analytics into every workforce decision. REDEFINE EMPLOYEE RELATIONS AS A STRATEGIC LEVER - Establish a modern, principled, and high-integrity approach to employee relations. - Lead complex investigations, performance cases, and risk mitigation with clarity and sound judgment. - Build proactive systems that prevent issues before they escalate. - Ensure compliance across jurisdictions while protecting speed and culture. BUILD AN AI-NATIVE PEOPLE FUNCTION - Integrate AI into workforce analytics, scenario modeling, performance insights, and operational workflows. - Experiment with AI tools to increase leverage, insight depth, and execution speed. - Develop workforce and talent dashboards and predictive insights that inform executive decision-making. - Continuously evaluate how automation and AI reshape org design and talent strategy. ESTABLISH THE PBP OPERATING MODEL - Define engagement cadences between PBPs and leadership. - Build a small, elite team of progressive People Business Partners over time. - Set a new standard for what strategic People partnership looks like. WHO YOU ARE You are unconventional by design and you combine intellectual rigor with emotional intelligence. You do not see People as a support function. You see it as performance architecture. You may have come up through HR, Strategy & Operations, consulting, or a hybrid path. You are equally comfortable modeling a workforce plan in a spreadsheet, coaching a leader through a difficult transition, leading a sensitive investigation, or debating equity philosophy. You are: - Business fluent: you understand financial models, product roadmaps, market dynamics. - Highly analytical: you instinctively use data to guide decisions. - Sophisticated in org design and workforce planning. - Comfortable operating at the senior leadership level with good judgment and independence. - Grounded in employment law and employee relations. - Hands-on with AI tools and energized by building AI-enhanced workflows. - Motivated by building systems that endure. WHAT YOU’VE DONE - 10+ years of progressive experience in HR Business Partnering, Strategy & Operations, or related organization transformation roles. - Significant experience partnering with senior leaders in high-growth, high-complexity tech company environments. - Demonstrated success leading org design, workforce planning, and headcount budgeting at scale. - Deep experience with compensation strategy, performance systems, and talent development frameworks. - Strong grounding in U.S. employment law and employee relations; global experience is a plus. - Track record of building new functions or transforming existing ones. - Experience in tech, AI, media, or frontier industries strongly preferred. PERKS & BENEFITS - Company Equity Package - 401(k) with 3% Employer Match & Roth 401(k) - Medical, Dental, & Vision Insurance (PPO w/ HSA & FSA options) - 11 Paid Holidays + Unlimited PTO & Sick Time - 16 Weeks of Paid Parental Leave - Creative Education Stipend - Generous Commuter Allowance - In-Office Lunch (5 days per week) Suno is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We consider qualified applicants without regard to race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital or family status, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other legally protected basis under provincial, federal, state, and local laws, regulations, or ordinances. We will also consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of state and local laws, including the Massachusetts Fair Chance in Employment Act, NYC Fair Chance Act, LA City Fair Chance Ordinance, and San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance.