Senior Employee Relations Business Partner

Role Description

We are seeking a Senior Employee Relations Business Partner to provide best in class employee relations expertise and services to Dropbox leaders and employees. In this role, you will serve as a highly skilled fact-finder in complex internal investigations, provide thoughtful and practical guidance on policy interpretation and application, and partner closely with HR Business Partners and Employment Legal on matters with heightened people-related or legal risk.

You will also analyze and report on employee relations trends with the business to develop proactive strategies, solutions, and training programs. In your work, you will uphold our values and amplify the success of our business and products through our most important asset: our people.

This role reports directly to the VP, Head of HR Business Partners (dotted line reporting to our Head of Employment Law).

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic partnership and guidance to leaders and Dropboxers, ensuring fairness, consistency, and employee advocacy.
• Build trust and credibility across the organization by maintaining confidentiality, balancing business and employee needs, and modeling integrity.
• Lead highly sensitive and complex investigations end-to-end, including harassment, bullying, retaliation, discrimination, hostile work environment, and violations of Dropbox policies.
• Collaborate closely with Employment Legal and HR Business Partners to assess issues, determine outcomes, and recommend next steps.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for HRBPs and People Partners, coaching and providing guidance on ER questions, concerns, and case strategy.
• Evolve investigative frameworks, documentation standards, performance management guidance, and ER-related best practices - in line with business needs and best in class practice.
• Improve, design, and roll out processes, guidelines, and programs that reinforce a positive employee relations environment.
• Maintain an ER case management system; produce dashboards and insights to identify trends and organizational risks.
• Analyze ER and workforce data to develop strategies that strengthen engagement, culture, and leadership effectiveness.
• Act as a culture ambassador who models inclusion, empathy, and fairness.
• Contribute to initiatives that strengthen Dropbox’s culture and the employee experience.

Requirements

• 8+ years of experience in Employee Relations, HR Business Partnering, or related roles, with extensive experience leading complex and sensitive workplace investigations.
• Strong working knowledge of employment and equal employment opportunity laws (e.g., Title VII, ADA, ADEA, FMLA).
• Proven experience partnering with employment legal counsel on investigations and risk mitigation.
• Exceptional judgment, discretion, and integrity in handling confidential information and determining investigation outcomes.
• Strong communication skills, including interviewing, writing investigative reports, and presenting recommendations to senior stakeholders.
• A data-driven mindset, with experience analyzing trends, generating insights, and leveraging data to inform people-related decisions.
• Proven ability to influence, coach, and partner with senior leaders, ICs, and cross-functional stakeholders (e.g., Legal, HRBPs).
• Ability to work both autonomously and collaboratively, demonstrating agility, adaptability, and strong prioritization across a varied ER caseload.
• Comfortable operating in a Virtual First, distributed environment.
• Proficiency using design thinking to understand employee needs, rapidly prototype improvements, and iterate based on data.
• Demonstrated experience leveraging AI tools in the flow of work, with comfort and fluency using AI to enhance productivity and decision-making.
• Willingness to travel occasionally as business needs require.

Preferred Qualifications

• Formal training or certification in labor/employee relations or workplace investigations (e.g., AWI)
• Prior experience navigating employee relations across multiple countries or jurisdictions
• Experience in a high-growth, tech, or similarly dynamic industry

Compensation

US Zone 1

This role is not available in Zone 1

US Zone 2$143,100—$193,500 USDUS Zone 3$127,200—$172,000 USD

The range(s) listed above is the expected annual salary/OTE (On-Target Earnings) for this role, subject to change.

Please note, OTE are for sales roles only.

Salary/OTE is just one component of Dropbox’s total rewards package. All regular employees are also eligible for the corporate bonus program or a sales incentive (target included in OTE) as well as stock in the form of Restricted Stock Units (RSUs).

Dropbox takes a number of factors into account when determining individual starting pay, including job and level they are hired into, location/metropolitan area, skillset, and peer compensation. We target most new hire offers between the minimum up to the middle of the range.

Dropbox uses the zip code of an employee’s remote work location to determine which metropolitan pay range we use. Current US Zone locations are as follows:

• US Zone 1: San Francisco metro, New York City metro, or Seattle metro
• US Zone 2: California (outside SF metro), Colorado, Connecticut (outside NYC metro), Delaware, Illinois (Chicago metro), Indiana (Chicago metro), Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan (Chicago metro), New Hampshire, New Jersey (outside NYC metro), New York (outside NYC metro), Oregon, Pennsylvania (D.C. metro), Pennsylvania (outside NYC or DC metro), Texas (Austin metro) Virginia (DC metro), Washington (outside Seattle metro), Washington DC metro, West Virginia (DC metro), Wisconsin (Chicago metro)
• US Zone 3: All other US locations

Company Description

Dropbox isn’t just a workplace—it’s a living lab for more enlightened ways of working. We're a global community of bold visionaries and resourceful doers who are shaping the future of Dropbox—and with it the future of work. Our Virtual First model combines the autonomy of a distributed workplace with the power of human connection, making space for both meaningful work and meaningful relationships. With our start-up mindset and enterprise-level opportunities, you can be who you are and grow into who you’re meant to be. Here, you can own your impact to make work more intuitive, joyful, and human—for you as a Dropboxer and for hundreds of millions of people worldwide. If you're ready to push boundaries—and yourself— Dropbox is ready for you.

Team Description

The Dropbox People Team is designing a workplace where every Dropboxer can thrive. We take a human-centered, HR as a Product approach—treating programs like well-crafted products shaped by employee and candidate needs, informed by data, and backed by actionable insights. Our team continuously innovates to attract, develop, and retain world-class talent while building a culture of experimentation, craft, and community. From fostering connection in our Virtual First model to scaling HR systems and offering personalized learning tools, we build experiences that evolve with our people. We think big, act fast, and adapt with agility—grounded in outcomes, empathy, and clear communication. Areas of work include Talent Acquisition, HR Business Partnership, Learning & Development, Total Rewards, and Employee Experience.

Benefits

Dropbox is committed to investing in the holistic health and wellbeing of all Dropboxers and their families. Our benefits and perks programs include, but are not limited to:

• Competitive medical, dental, and vision coverage
• 401(k) plan with a generous company match and immediate vesting
• Flexible PTO/Paid Time Off, paid holidays, Volunteer Time Off, and more, allowing you time to unplug, unwind, and refresh
• Income Protection Plans: Life and disability insurance
• Business Travel Protection: Travel medical and accident insurance
• Perks Allowance to be used on what matters most to you, whether that’s wellness, learning and development, food and groceries, and much more
• Parental benefits including: Parental Leave, Child and Adult Care, Day Care FSA, Fertility Benefits, Adoption and Surrogacy Support, and Lactation Support
• Access to over 10,000 global co-working spaces through Gable.to, making it easy to book flexible workspaces for collaboration or individual work
• Quarterly Cell phone and internet allowance
• Mental health and wellness benefits
• Disability and neurodivergence support benefits

Additional benefit details are available upon request.

Dropbox supports responsible use of AI for preparation, but misrepresentation of skills or experience is not permitted. See our AI philosophy.

Dropbox is an equal opportunity employer. We are a welcoming place for everyone, and we do our best to make sure all people feel supported and connected at work. A big part of that effort is our support for members and allies of internal groups like Asians at Dropbox, BlackDropboxers, enABLE, TODOS (Latinx), Pridebox (LGBTQ), Vets at Dropbox, and Women at Dropbox.