Senior Human Resource Business Partner, Corporate

At Appian, our HR Business Partners are strategic advisors to the business. We partner with leaders to solve organizational challenges, build high-performing teams, and ensure talent strategy enables business strategy.

We're looking for a Senior HR Business Partner to support several of Appian's Corporate organizations—including Business Technology, Finance, Legal, Strategy, and the People Team. These teams sit at the center of how Appian operates, making this one of the broadest and most influential HRBP roles in the company.

Reporting to the VP of HR, you'll partner directly with senior leaders on organizational design, leadership effectiveness, workforce planning, succession, and change management. You'll be expected to bring insight, challenge assumptions, and influence decisions—not simply execute HR programs.

Success in this role requires someone who is intellectually curious, highly analytical, and comfortable navigating ambiguity. You'll diagnose problems before proposing solutions, use data to shape recommendations, and build credibility through sound judgment and consistent execution.

This role is based at our ​​headquartered in ​McLean, Virginia. Appian was built on a culture of in-person collaboration, which we believe is a key driver of our mission to be the best. Employees hired for this position are expected to be in the office 5 days a week to foster that culture and ensure we continue to thrive through shared ideas and teamwork. We believe being in the office provides more opportunities to come together and celebrate working with the exceptional people across Appian

What you’ll do

• Partner with senior leaders across Business Technology, Finance, Legal, Strategy, and the People Team to develop talent strategies aligned to business priorities.

• Advise leaders on organizational design, workforce planning, succession planning, and leadership effectiveness.

• Lead organizational change initiatives, including restructures, leadership transitions, and new team design.

• Partner with Finance and Compensation on headcount planning, promotions, leveling, and organizational investments.

• Facilitate talent reviews and succession planning while helping leaders identify and develop future talent.

• Use workforce data, engagement insights, and business metrics to identify trends and recommend actions.

• Coach leaders through complex employee relations, organizational, and leadership challenges.

• Build trusted relationships across multiple executive teams while influencing decisions through data, insight, and sound judgment

Who you are

You bring a combination of business acumen, strategic thinking, and practical execution. You're comfortable moving between executive coaching, organizational consulting, and operational excellence—knowing when each is required.

You're someone who

• Leads with curiosity and diagnosis before recommending solutions.

• Builds credibility through thoughtful analysis and strong execution.

• Can simplify complex organizational challenges into actionable plans.

• Is comfortable influencing senior leaders without relying on formal authority.

• Thrives in fast-moving environments where priorities evolve quickly.

• Balances long-term thinking with an ability to execute in the moment.

Basic qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in HR Business Partnering, Organizational Effectiveness, Management Consulting, or a related field.

• Experience supporting VP-level leaders within corporate functions such as Finance, Technology, Legal, Strategy, or HR.

• Demonstrated success leading organizational design, workforce planning, or talent strategy initiatives.

• Strong analytical skills with the ability to translate data into business recommendations.

• Excellent communication and executive stakeholder management skills.

• Bachelor's degree required.

Preferred qualifications

• Experience supporting multiple corporate functions simultaneously in a high-growth technology company.

• Experience leading large-scale organizational change initiatives.

• Familiarity with executive compensation, organizational design, and succession planning.

• MBA or advanced degree preferred.

Why Appian:

At Appian, HR is expected to shape the business—not simply support it. Our HR Business Partners are trusted advisors who influence organizational decisions, challenge leaders to think differently, and help build high-performing teams across the company.

You'll have the opportunity to work alongside senior executives, partner with an exceptional People Team, and help shape the future of a company that continues to grow, innovate, and lead its market.