Toast creates technology to help restaurants and local businesses succeed in a digital world, helping business owners operate, increase sales, engage customers, and keep employees happy. We're looking for a Principal People Success Partner (more commonly referred to as "HRBP") to serve as the strategic HR partner for Toast's R&D organization — a 2,000+ person community spanning Engineering, Product, and Design. You'll report directly to the Senior Director, PSP and operate as a true thought partner to senior leaders, helping shape how we build, develop, and sustain a world-class product and technology organization.

This is a high-impact individual contributor role for someone who excels at navigating organizational complexity, influencing without authority, and translating people strategy into practical outcomes. The right person is equally comfortable in a room with a SVP discussing org design as they are rolling up their sleeves on a calibration cycle or a difficult performance conversation.

Note to applicants: We are prioritizing candidates located near our hubs in Boston, New York City, Toronto, San Francisco, and Omaha.

A day in the life (Responsibilities)

Partner with R&D SVPs, VPs and senior directors to design and evolve org structures that scale; Serve as a trusted advisor during reorgs and structural changes, helping leaders navigate people impacts with care and clarity.
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 — building leader capability and ensuring fair, differentiated outcomes.
Champion a culture of clear expectations and candid feedback; help 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 — ensuring compensation cycles, leveling frameworks, and engagement initiatives land effectively.
Bring an analytical lens to your work — using data to shape decisions, measure outcomes, and tell a coherent story to senior stakeholders.

What you'll need to thrive (Requirements)

10+ years of HR Business Partner experience.
Demonstrated expertise in org design — you've led restructuring initiatives, not just supported them.
Experience as a trusted partner to VP- and SVP-level leaders; you're known for your ability to influence and coach.
Strong analytical skills — comfortable using AI tools and working with employee data, engagement metrics, and headcount models to shape recommendations.
Excellent judgment: you know when to push, when to listen, and when to 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.

AI at Toast

At Toast, one of our company values is that we're hungry to build and learn. We believe learning new AI tools empowers us to build for our customers faster, more independently, and with higher quality. We provide these tools across all disciplines, from Engineering and Product to Sales and Support, and are inspired by how our Toasters are already driving real value with them. The people who thrive here are those who embrace changes that let us build more for our customers; it’s a core part of our culture.

Our Total Rewards Philosophy

We strive to provide competitive compensation and benefits programs that help to attract, retain, and motivate the best and brightest people in our industry. Our total rewards package goes beyond great earnings potential and provides the means to a healthy lifestyle with the flexibility to meet Toasters’ changing needs. Learn more about our benefits at https://careers.toasttab.com/toast-benefits.

The base salary range for this role is listed below. The starting salary will be determined based on skills, experience, and geographic location. In addition to base salary, our total rewards components include cash compensation (overtime, bonus/commissions if eligible), equity, and benefits. You can learn more about how we align pay with local labor markets in our Geographic Pay Zone Philosophy.

Pay Range

$138,000—$221,000 USD

How Toast Uses AI in its Hiring Process

Throughout the hiring process, our goal is to get to know you. We use AI tools to support our recruiters and interviewers with tasks like note-taking, summarization, and documentation of interviews to ensure they can be fully focused on your conversation. All hiring decisions are made by people. We ask that you complete interviews and assessments on your own, without real-time AI tools, recording, or transcription bots, unless we tell you otherwise in advance. To learn more: https://careers.toasttab.com/ai-in-hiring

Our Approach to Hybrid Working

We embrace a hybrid work model that fosters in-person collaboration while valuing individual needs. Our goal is to build a strong culture of connection as we work together to empower the hospitality community, regardless of location. Please visit the Locations page on our career site to learn more about our in-office expectations by region: https://careers.toasttab.com/locations-toast

People Are the Secret Ingredient in Our Recipe for Success

At Toast, our employees are our secret ingredient—when they thrive, we thrive. The restaurant industry brings together people with a wide range of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives, and we value that same breadth at Toast. We strive to build a culture grounded in authenticity, respect, and humility, where every Toaster has a real opportunity to grow, contribute, and do their best work—raising the bar in delivering exceptional experiences for our customers and each other.

Apply today!

Toast is committed to creating an accessible and inclusive hiring process. As part of this commitment, we strive to provide reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities to enable them to access the hiring process. If you need an accommodation to access the job application or interview process, please contact [email protected].

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For roles in the United States, it is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Pay Range 138000 - 221000 USD

About the company

Toast builds a cloud platform that connects point-of-sale terminals, payments and business software for restaurants and retailers. Its Toast Go handheld devices let staff take orders and accept payments beside the customer, while kitchen screens route tickets to the people preparing each meal. Operators manage menus, online orders and employee payroll through connected tools that share real-time information across the front counter and back office. The company earns software subscription fees and transaction-based payment fees, and sells hardware and implementation services. Toast was founded in 2011 and is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts.

Company Size

5,001-10,000

Company Stage

IPO

Headquarters

Boston, Massachusetts

Founded

2011

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Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

Toast's profits are scaling: August 2026 results show Q2 net income nearly doubled to $154 million.
Staying earns recovery time: Toast's U.S. employees receive a paid sabbatical after five years.
Internal moves have a track record: Toast says employees fill approximately 20% of its open roles.

What critics are saying

Toast's payment income follows diners' spending: transaction fees depend on restaurant sales and card usage.
Toast Capital has a single lending dependency: its bank partner originates every loan in the program.
Nearby U.S. staff face commuting: non-field employees within 25 miles of a Toast office attend twice weekly.

What makes Toast unique

Restaurant experience shapes Toast's team: the company says roughly two-thirds of employees previously worked in the industry.
Google Maps expands Toast's ordering reach: Ask Maps carries restaurant recommendations through completed orders using Toast's first-party system.
Toast IQ acts inside the restaurant system: its included assistant edits menu items and shifts after operator confirmation.

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Benefits

Peer Nominated Toastie Awards
Professional Development Reimbursement Program
Sabbatical
Unlimited Vacation & Flexible Work Hours
Medical, Dental, & Vision Coverage + Wellness Stipend
Commitment to Employee Wellness

Growth & Insights and Company News

6 month growth

1 year growth

2 year growth

Bloomberg

Oct 29th, 2026

FTC and eight states sue Toast over misleading free trials and hard-to-cancel subscriptions

The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and eight states have sued Toast Inc., accusing the restaurant management and financial technology company of misleading customers on subscriptions. The suit, filed Thursday in California federal court, alleges Toast falsely told customers they could try its products for free. It then enrolled them in a subscription that was difficult to cancel, the plaintiffs say. The FTC and the states claim the company violated federal and state consumer protection laws. Toast, which had more than $6.1 billion in revenue last year, bills itself as a "one-stop shop" for restaurants. It helps them manage inventory, take orders, and accept payments.

Yahoo Finance

Oct 27th, 2026

S&P Global vs. Toast: $15.3B revenue steady giant or 24% growth disruptor?

S&P Global and Toast offer investors a choice between stability and rapid growth, according to a Motley Fool comparison. S&P Global reported fiscal 2025 revenue of nearly $15.3 billion, up about 7.9%. Net income was roughly $4.5 billion, a margin of close to 29.2%, and free cash flow reached close to $5.5 billion. Toast's revenue rose about 24.1% to roughly $6.2 billion. It posted net income of nearly $342.0 million, a 5.6% margin, and free cash flow of nearly $608.0 million. Toast trades at a price-to-sales ratio of 2.8x, against 8.4x for S&P Global. Forward price-to-earnings ratios are similar, at 22.8x for Toast and 25.3x for S&P Global. The author plans to buy both stocks, calling S&P Global the steadier pick and Toast the higher-growth one.

Yahoo Finance

Oct 15th, 2026

Toast launches AI labour management platform Toast IQ Team and expands marketing suite

Toast launched Toast IQ Team, an AI-driven labour management platform for restaurants and retailers, on October 14, 2026. The tool covers labour forecasting, automated scheduling, and tip management. The company also expanded its Toast IQ Grow suite with new automation tools to streamline marketing workflows. The suite now offers added language capabilities to support multilingual campaigns. The launches fit Toast's strategy of selling more software modules to each customer, moving it from a point-of-sale vendor towards a labour system of record. Analysts note the company still has to show that AI-heavy products can drive enough paid adoption to justify the added complexity and sales effort.

Yahoo Finance

Oct 14th, 2026

Toast shares fall 4.5% as Square launches $1,999 AI voice kiosk for restaurants

Toast shares fell more than 4.5% in midday trading on Wednesday after Block's Square unveiled an AI voice kiosk for restaurants. Square Kiosk pairs a 21.5-inch touchscreen with a conversational voice system that understands a quick-service restaurant's full menu in real time. Customers can place and change orders, ask about ingredients, and request substitutions. It costs $1,999 plus a $99 monthly software fee per device, and requires a Square Plus or Premium subscription. Investors fear added competition for Toast, which makes its own restaurant kiosks. In the second quarter, Toast reported revenue of $1.91 billion, up 23%, and net income of $154 million, up 93%. Its stock is down 17% this year.

Yahoo Finance

Sep 16th, 2026

Toast posted $154M profit on $1.91B revenue, with payments segment driving 82% of sales

Toast reported Q2 revenue of $1.91 billion, up 23%, with net income reaching $154 million. The company's financial technology solutions segment, which includes payments, generated $1.57 billion in revenue, representing 82.2% of total sales. The payments segment contributed roughly $360 million in gross profit. Toast's subscription services segment proved most profitable on a margin basis, delivering $226 million in gross profit from $290 million in revenue. The hardware and professional services segment operated at a loss, posting $48 million in revenue against $116 million in costs. This strategy enables Toast to place devices with customers who then use higher-margin services, anchoring the company's broader business model for the restaurant industry.

Toast

Principal HR Business Partner - R&D

About the job

About the company

Get referred to Toast

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

What critics are saying

What makes Toast unique

Benefits

Growth & Insights and Company News

6 month growth

1 year growth

2 year growth