Senior People Business Partner

The Zebra; United States; Remote; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation

Stock option offering

Health, dental, vision insurance

Unlimited PTO

Job summary

The Zebra is seeking a Senior People Business Partner to lead People strategy for its Agency Team. This is a high-touch, individual contributor role with close collaboration to Leaders, People Ops, and Legal as needed. The position supports a nationwide, remote workforce with options for office/hybrid in Austin.

You will oversee employee relations, talent development, performance, and compensation actions for hourly staff, driving scalable people practices across the organization.

Qualifications

• 5-7+ years of professional HR experience with strategic business partnership focus.
• Experience handling hourly, call-center, or sales staff and high-volume employee relations.
• Autonomy to influence leaders and manage ambiguity with sound judgment.
• Builder's instinct to identify gaps and drive quick improvements.
• Strong data analysis, documentation, and structured decision-making.
• Working knowledge of FMLA, EEO, ADA and related employment laws.

Responsibilities

• Own the People relationship for the client group, embedded with leaders and managers.
• Standardize hiring, onboarding, coaching, and development practices across frontline teams.
• Advise on organizational design, workforce planning, talent development, and change management using data.

Skills

HR Business Partner

Employee relations

Talent development

Data analysis

Change management

Cross-functional collaboration

Policy administration

Education

PHR/SHRM-CP or SPHR/SHRM-SCP certification

Job description

TheZebra.com meets customers right where their search for car and home insurance begins: online. We provide easy-to-use tools and services, plus friendly, licensed agents who offer advice and guidance at any point along the way. The Zebra has helped customers compare over 74 million quotes since 2012. At its heart, both insurance and tech industry veterans collaborate together to simplify insurance shopping for customers. In today's digital world, The Zebra's customer-centered approach offers people the choices they want and simplicity they need.

The Zebra was recently named Austin Business Journal's 2026 Best Place to Work. Our motto is 'All Stripes Welcome.' Building the best product, the best teams, and the best company comes from inviting a diverse array of voices, backgrounds, and perspectives to contribute, making everyone feel welcome. Our Zeebs are passionate about learning, growing, and working together to tackle exciting problems.

The Role

We're looking for a Senior People Business Partner to own the People strategy and relationships for our Agency Team. You'll be the primary advisor for the leaders and managers you support, and the one setting the People agenda for the Agency business. This is an individual contributor role with influence and opportunity to improve the processes we run on, and is a high-touch, hands-on position. The Agency organization is a customer facing, revenue generating group consisting of hourly, commission based employees that operates 7 days a week.

Reporting to our Director of People Business Partner you'll work closely with business leadership, colleagues across the People team, and People Operations to improve how we deliver for employees at scale.

Location

Our company headquarters are in Austin, TX, but our employees work remotely across the US. For folks who live around Austin, we offer the option to join us in our office or opt for a hybrid setup. Whether you prefer the structure of an office, the convenience of remote work, or a mix of both, we support what works best for you!

Please note: at this time we are not able to hire in California or Massachusetts.

What You'll Do

• Own the People relationship for your client group - you'll be embedded with leaders and managers, fluent in how the business actually runs, and trusted to shape decisions about structure, talent, coaching, performance and process improvement.

• Bring consistency to how we hire, onboard, coach, and develop frontline teams, standardizing manager practices and lifting the quality of talent decisions across the group.

• Advise leaders and managers on organizational design, workforce planning, talent development, and change management, using data and insight to drive outcomes.

• Independently manage sensitive employee relations matters, providing counsel on investigations, performance management, and compliance; partner with Legal as needed on escalated cases.

• Partner with workforce management on attendance policy, administration, and relevant process improvement.

• Analyze and act on workforce metrics: turnover/attrition, absenteeism, time to fill, internal mobility specific for the client group.

• Identify training needs and design and lead practical sessions that support managers and employees in areas such as performance management, employee development, and mental health and well-being.

• Partner with business leaders and People Ops on compensation actions specific to hourly pay structures (shift differentials, overtime, pay equity within job levels.)

• Get hands on with the frameworks that shape how work is defined, leveled, and rewarded - including market data analysis, role architecture, and the systems and data that support them.

• Partner with People team colleagues and Operations to find where processes break down for employees and managers, then lead the change from diagnosis through adoption - owning the design, the rollout, and whether it holds.

• Serve as a senior voice on People team strategy, sharing expertise with colleagues and helping elevate the practice across the function.

What We're Looking For

As we evaluate candidates across all roles, we look for folks with a strong sense of ownership, excellent communication and collaboration skills, and a dedication to continuous improvement.

• 5-7+ years of professional HR experience, with an emphasis on strategic business partnership, employee relations, and generalist work.

• Experience working with hourly, call-center, and/or sales employees including experience independently managing high case volume employee relations issues.

• Proven ability to operate with autonomy and influence leaders and managers, navigating ambiguity with confidence and sound judgment.

• A builder's instinct. Where you find a gap, you aim to elevate, correct, or improve quickly.

• Comfort working in the details - analyzing data, documenting decisions, and standing up structure where it may be needed.

• Working knowledge of FMLA, EEO, ADA, and applicable state and federal employment laws, and good judgment about when to bring in help.

• Experience managing high case volume employee relations issues independently

• Experience with an hourly workforce, leave management and ADA interactive process, ideally at scale

• Strong relationship-building skills with frontline leaders - this is not a role for someone who only wants to partner with senior leadership

• Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Action are central to how you view your professional world and how you do your work.

• Ability to work occasional non-standard hours to support multi-shift/extended-hours operations

• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build trust at all levels, deliver difficult messages with care, and drive alignment across a diverse set of stakeholders.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting sales, commissioned, or quota-carrying teams.

• Experience supporting hourly populations or contact center environments.

• Exposure to compensation structures, job architecture, or leveling frameworks.

• Background in tech, insurance, or another scaling B2C business.

• PHR/SHRM-CP or SPHR/SHRM-SCP certification.

Why Work Here?

When we say 'All Stripes Welcome,' we mean it. Considering viewpoints outside of our own as individuals creates a better, more inclusive experience for everyone.

We live and breathe inclusion.

We believe in innovation.

We trust our teams.

We care about each other.

We take thoughtful action.

Benefits & Perks

Inclusive and healthy environments are crafted intentionally. Here are some other wonderful perks of working here:

• Competitive Compensation & Stock Option Offering

• Health, Dental, Vision & Disability Coverages

• Sabbatical program for tenured employees

• HSA offering + employer contribution

• Fertility support through Carrot

• $100 monthly wellness perk

• $300 pet reimbursement program

• 401k with match

• Unlimited PTO (paid time off) + flexibility to enjoy it

• Paid Parental Leave Program

• Learning & Development Opportunities

Compensation

The base salary range for this position is $120,000 - $150,000 per year. The final salary amount will be determined based on a variety of factors, including experience, skills, internal equity, and insights gained throughout the interview process.

Equal Opportunity

Headquartered in Austin, Texas, The Zebra seeks to bring transparency and simplicity to car and home insurance shopping - it's Insurance in black and white.®

We've garnered attention across the industry and across the nation. Check out all of our awards & recognition!

Our core motto is 'All Stripes Welcome.' As part of our dedication to maintaining an inclusive and diverse workforce, we provide equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform core job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation!