Senior Director, People Business Partner & Global Employee Relations

Guardant Health Palo Alto, CA Updated 24 August 2026

Job description

Company Description Guardant Health is a leading precision oncology company focused on guarding wellness and giving every person more time free from cancer. Founded in 2012, Guardant® is transforming patient care and accelerating new cancer therapies by providing critical insights into what drives disease through its advanced blood and tissue tests, real-world data and AI analytics. Guardant tests help improve outcomes across all stages of care, including screening to find cancer early, monitoring for recurrence in early-stage cancer, and treatment selection for patients with advanced cancer. For more information, visit guardanthealth.com and follow the company on LinkedIn , X (Twitter) and Facebook . We are seeking a strategic, business-oriented Senior Director, Human Resources Business Partner (HRBP) & Global Employee Relations to serve as a trusted advisor to senior leaders across Business Development, Finance, Legal, and Public Affairs. A key responsibility will be to lead the vision and global strategy of our Employee Relations function in partnership with our Employee Relations Director. This combined role will partner closely with centers of expertise to deliver people strategies that enable business growth, organizational effectiveness, and a purpose-driven, high-performance culture. The ideal candidate is a proactive, business minded HR leader who leads with curiosity, collaboration, agility and wise compassion. They possess a proven track record of aligning talent strategies with business priorities, and delivering measurable outcomes in workforce planning, talent management, organizational design, leadership development, and employee relations. Reporting to our Chief People Officer, this leader will partner closely with executive stakeholders to anticipate business needs, shape workforce strategies, support AI-enabled tools, workforce readiness and change management across their client groups and be the global Employee Relations escalation point. They will lead a small employee relations team and partner closely with our Legal team and the entire People Business Partner community to ensure a consistent, compliant, proactive and employee-centered approach to employee relations across the enterprise. Key Responsibilities Strategic HR Business Partnership Serve as the primary People Business Partner to executive leaders across Business Development, Finance, Legal, and Public Affairs. Develop and execute people strategies that support business objectives, organizational growth, and operational excellence. Provide thought leadership and counsel on organizational effectiveness, change management, team design, leadership effectiveness, and talent optimization. Translate business strategies into actionable workforce plans in partnership with business leaders and Talent Acquisition partners to ensure their client groups have the talent and capabilities needed to achieve its goals. Leverage workforce analytics and business insights to identify trends, risks, and opportunities and recommend data-driven solutions in context of our business. Drive execution of talent reviews, workforce planning, and performance management processes within client groups, partnering with Organization Effectiveness and other COEs Workforce Planning and Talent Management Own the workforce planning rhythm for supported functions, facilitating regular reviews of organizational needs, headcount plans, hiring forecasts, workforce risks, and capability gaps. Partner with Talent Acquisition to convert workforce plans into executable recruiting strategies, providing visibility into future hiring demand, prioritization, and talent market considerations. Lead strategic workforce planning efforts across supported functions, including talent forecasting, capability assessments, and organizational planning. Partner with leaders to identify critical talent needs and develop strategies and drive talent processes in service to attraction, retention, development, and bench strength. Collaborate with Talent Acquisition and Organization Effectiveness teams to build robust talent pipelines and strengthen organizational capability. Leverage Guardant’s Organization Effectiveness frameworks, processes and practices that foster accountability, development, and high performance. Employee Relations Center of Excellence Senior Leadership Partner with our Director of Employee Relations to continue to design scalable programs, processes, and practices that promote the best possible employee experience while proactively mitigating organizational risk. Provide strategic oversight and guidance on complex employee relations matters, workplace investigations, performance issues, policy interpretation, and conflict resolution. Ensure consistent and compliant application of employment policies, practices, and employment laws across the organization. Partner with Legal and Compliance teams to assess risk and develop proactive solutions to employee relations challenges. In partnership with WF Analytics, ensure ER team analyzes trends are tied to workforce risk identification, business decision-making, and proactive interventions. Ensure manager capability is built through training, coaching, and resources that promote effective leadership and employee engagement. Change Management & Organizational Effectiveness Lead organizational change initiatives including business transformations, acquisitions, integrations, and workforce transitions. Partner closely with business leaders to design and implement change management strategies that improve adoption, engagement, and business outcomes. Facilitate organizational design discussions with leaders to optimize team structures, decision-making, and operational effectiveness. In partnership, drive and amplify initiatives that strengthen culture, employee engagement, and leadership effectiveness. Leadership & Collaboration Partner effectively across People Team Centers of Excellence, including Talent Acquisition, Total Rewards, Organizational Effectiveness, and People Operations, as well as Legal partners. Lead, mentor, and develop employee relations and HR team members. Foster strong cross-functional relationships and influence outcomes across all levels

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