Principal People Partner - #228237

We believe that communication belongs to everyone. TextNow is redefining how people connect by combining simplicity, intelligence, and accessibility. We're a team of curious builders using technology to make communication more affordable and powerful for millions of users every day.

We're a high-performing company where great people can do their best work. As a Principal People Partner, you'll play a critical role in helping leaders build strong teams, navigate change, and create an environment where performance and culture reinforce each other.

This role is equal parts strategic advisor, performance partner, and coach. You'll work closely with leaders across the business to improve organizational effectiveness, elevate management capability, and ensure our talent practices support both business outcomes and employee growth.

What You'll Do:

Partner with Leaders

• Act as a trusted advisor to leaders on organizational design, team effectiveness, talent planning, performance management, and employee relations.
• Coach managers through difficult conversations, performance challenges, and leadership development opportunities.
• Help leaders make thoughtful, data-informed people decisions that align with TextNow's values and business goals.
• This is not a traditional HR role. This is a high-judgment, high-trust operator role.
  
  

Drive Performance Excellence

• Own and evolve key performance programs, including performance reviews, talent assessments, development planning, and calibration conversations.
• Partner with leaders to identify high performers, support growth opportunities, and address performance concerns early and effectively.
• Use data and insights to identify trends and opportunities across engagement, performance, retention, and organizational health.
• Drive calibration with rigor. Differentiate performance with clarity and conviction and hold the bar.
  
  

Build Manager Capability

• Design and deliver practical manager enablement programs and resources.
• Support leaders in creating high-accountability, high-trust team environments.
• Help managers build strong feedback habits and navigate change effectively.
  
  

Support Organizational Growth

• Diagnose structural gaps before they become hiring or performance problems.
• Model team design options with tradeoffs across headcount, spans, layers, and role clarity.
• Own workforce planning as a live model, not a once-a-year exercise.
• Surface organizational health signals proactively using data.
  
  

Operational Compliance

• Partner with leaders and stakeholders to ensure people practices align with company policies, employment legislation, and compliance requirements.
• Provide guidance on employee relations matters while balancing business needs and employee experience.
  
  

What We're Looking For:

• 10+ years of experience in HR Business Partner, People Partner, Organizational Development, or related roles.
• Strong experience supporting leaders in fast-paced, high-growth environments.
• Proven ability to coach managers and influence decision-making at multiple levels.
• Deep understanding of performance management, talent development, and employee relations.
• Strong business acumen and ability to connect people strategies to business outcomes.
• Excellent communication, facilitation, and relationship-building skills.
• Comfortable using data and analytics to identify issues and drive action.
• Experience working in technology companies is an asset.
• Ability to work in a hybrid environment with up to 3 days per week in the Kitchener-Waterloo office.
  
  

You'll Thrive Here If You:

• Believe high performance and great culture can coexist.
• Are comfortable challenging leaders when needed.
• Balance empathy with accountability.
• Enjoy solving complex people and organizational challenges.
• Think like an owner and focus on outcomes.
• Embrace change and continuous improvement.
  
  

Why TextNow

At TextNow, we're building the future of communication while creating an environment where people can grow, learn, and make meaningful impact. You'll join a team that cares deeply about our people, our culture, and our mission—and you'll have the opportunity to shape all three.

Compensation

The expected base salary range for this role is:

CAD $156,000 – $200,000 annually

Our salary ranges are determined by role, level, and location. Within the range, individual pay is based on job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.

Our goal is to offer a competitive package that reflects the impact and expertise you bring to the team.

This posting is for a current, active vacancy.

More About TextNow

Our Culture

We're proud of the culture we've built at TextNow, but one of the most common questions we hear is, "How do you continue to sustain it as the world and the company continue to change?"

The reality is that we're only able to keep up because each and every TextNovian contributes to our culture through being involved, living our values, sharing feedback, embracing change, and more.

Our Values

Customer Obsessed

We strive to have a deep understanding of our customers.

Do Right By Our People

We treat each other with fairness, respect, and integrity.

Accept the Challenge

We adopt a "Yes, We Can" mindset to achieve ambitious goals.

Act Like an Owner

We treat this company like it's our own... because it is!

Give a Damn

We are deeply committed and passionate about our work and achieving results.

Our Benefits and More

This is a brief overview of the benefits that TextNow offers its employees. More complete details can be found in TextNow's Benefit Guide and legal plan documents, which are available to employees on or shortly after their start date with TextNow. The benefits listed herein are for illustrative purposes only and may change from time to time in TextNow's sole discretion.

• Free phone service
• Strong work-life blend
• Hybrid work environment with up to 3 days per week in the office
• Employee stock options
• Unlimited vacation
• 12 paid holidays per year
• Competitive pay
• Health, dental, and vision benefits
• Short-term and long-term disability
• $750 annual wellness benefit or healthcare spending account
• RRSP matching (Canada)
• Parental leave for eligible employees
• Learning & Development opportunities
• We travel a few times a year for various team events, company-wide off-sites, and more
  
  

More information about our total rewards package will be available during the hiring process.

Dogfooding & Customer Obsession

At TextNow, every employee gets to actively use our app for calling and texting. Dogfooding helps us experience what customers do, spot issues early, and drive better design, developer, and user experiences.

Diversity and Inclusion

Our aim is to make every person who joins TextNow feel like they belong, that they're valued, and that they're able to be their authentic selves at work.

We're all accountable for creating an inclusive culture and a sense of belonging for one another. By doing this together, we'll make TextNow better for everyone.

Equal Opportunity

We are an equal opportunity employer and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, coloUr, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, or any other protected characteristic.

Applicants who require reasonable accommodation during the hiring process may contact our Talent Team.

AI Usage

We use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans.

If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact our Talent Team.

TextNow Candidate Policy

By submitting an application to TextNow, you agree to the collection, use, and disclosure of your personal information in accordance with the TextNow Candidate Policy.