Circle is building the world’s leading all-in-one platform for online communities. We make it possible for creators, coaches, educators, and businesses to bring together their audience with engaging discussions, live streams, events, chat, courses, and payments — all in one place, all under their own brand.

We’re proud to be a fully remote company of around 200 (and growing!) team members from 30+ countries around the world. We seek exceptional individuals around the world, set them up to do the best work of their lives, and in turn, create a meaningful impact in their own lives. We don't track hours, but we do manage for high expectations very closely. We collaborate across time zones, are highly async, and like to document a lot.

Twice a year, we bring the whole company together in beautiful places around the world for our company offsites. So far, we’ve hosted offsites in Turkey, Portugal, Mexico, Thailand, Colombia, Italy, Ireland, and more, with still

more to come!

About the role

As a People Partner at Circle, you will play a hands-on and increasingly strategic role in supporting our R &D functions (Engineering and Design) as the company continues to scale. Reporting into the Head of People and working directly with a People Partner (GTM) counterpart, this role serves as a critical bridge between People Operations and business leadership — translating people strategy into practical, day-to-day support for managers and teams.

This role is designed for someone with a strong People Ops or Generalist foundation into a true people partnership. You’ll support managers through performance, engagement, and employee relations needs while building the business acumen, judgment, and influence required to operate as a trusted advisor. You’ll be deeply involved in execution while gradually expanding into more strategic ownership over people initiatives and insights.

How we think about People Ops at Circle

At Circle, People Partners help leaders do their best work by ensuring teams are supported, engaged, and set up to perform well — especially during periods of growth and change.

Our approach is grounded in:

Care and trust: Employees are not just headcount; they’re people.
Judgment over process: We build structure where it adds value, not friction.
Data-informed, human-centered decisions: Trends and insights guide action, but empathy drives execution.

This role reflects the evolution of our People function — shifting from primarily operational execution to strategic partnership with leaders, while remaining close enough to the work to understand what teams actually need.

What you’ll be doing

People Partnership & Manager Support

Act as a People Partner for R&D leaders and managers, with a strong focus on supporting new and developing managers
Provide guidance on performance management, feedback, development conversations, and team health
Serve as a trusted point of contact for managers navigating people decisions, escalations, or uncertainty
Build strong relationships with leaders to understand team goals, challenges, and talent needs

Employee Relations & Coaching

Support employee relations matters with fairness, discretion, and sound judgment, escalating to Head of People as needed
Coach managers through performance concerns, difficult conversations, and corrective action
Partner on investigations, documentation, and follow-up actions in collaboration with Legal and People Ops
Act as an employee advocate while balancing business needs and risk considerations

Performance, Engagement & Talent Programs

Support and co-lead performance management cycles, including goal setting, reviews, calibration, and manager enablement
Help deliver engagement surveys, analyze results, and support managers in building action plans
Partner on career development conversations, talent reviews, and retention efforts within R&D
Strengthen manager capability through frameworks, coaching, and training support

People Insights & Data

Analyze people data (engagement, turnover, performance trends) to identify risks and opportunities
Share insights and recommendations with People Partner (GTM) counterpart and business leaders to drive proactive action
Contribute to the development of dashboards, reporting, and people reviews for supported teams

Change Management & Culture

Change Management & Culture

Support teams through organizational changes, growth, and evolving team structures
Act as a steward of Circle’s culture by reinforcing values and inclusive, high-performing behaviors
Partner on initiatives that strengthen belonging, collaboration, and clarity within R&D teams

Collaboration & Scaling

Collaboration & Scaling

Work closely with People Partner (GTM) counterpart to plan, prioritize, and deliver HRBP-level initiatives
Partner with People Ops on the execution and scaling of People programs and processes
Collaborate cross-functionally with Talent, Finance, and Legal to ensure alignment and compliance
Take on expanding scope and ownership as experience and tenure in the HRBP role grows

What will help you succeed

What will help you succeed

Strong foundations in People Ops, HR Generalist work, or employee relations
Ability to think strategically while remaining comfortable with hands-on execution
Confidence coaching managers and navigating sensitive employee situations
Curiosity about the business and desire to understand how R&D teams operate
Ability to use people data and insights to inform decisions and recommendations
Excellent judgment, discretion, and emotional intelligence
Clear, thoughtful written and verbal communication skills
Comfort operating in ambiguity and evolving scope

Requirements

Requirements

3–5 years of experience in HR, People Operations, or a Generalist/Associate HRBP role
Demonstrated experience supporting managers with performance management and employee relations
Exposure to engagement surveys, performance cycles, or talent programs
Working knowledge of employment law fundamentals and compliance best practices
Experience partnering cross-functionally in a scaling organization
Ability to collaborate effectively with People Partner counterpart and grow into increased ownership over time

$110,000 - $120,000 USD per year

The cash compensation range shown is a starting point. In addition to equity, benefits and perks, your cash compensation is subject to an annual review and increase on a once per year basis.

The fun stuff

The fun stuff

Fully remote: work from anywhere in the world!
Autonomy and trust to do your job: we care about outcomes over everything else.
Paid time away: all employees are given 35 days of PTO annually. We also offer a paid sabbatical after 5 years.
Generous U.S. benchmarked compensation and startup equity no matter where you are in the world.
Awesome medical coverage with 100% coverage for you and your family, or medical reimbursement options where applicable!
Parental leave for parents expanding their family, or just starting one.
Home office stipend to help you get up and running.
Learning & development stipend to help you level up your professional skills.
Annual bonus potential for roles that don't already receive variable income or commission.
Company retreats: Twice a year, the Circle team gets together for a fully paid company retreat in incredible places around the world! We’ve had past retreats in Colombia, Portugal, and Mexico, with more planned on the horizon.

People Partner

Anywhere in the world

Remote

Mid-level

Circle