Position Summary
The Associate Director of Human Resources serves as the strategic leader and operational architect of the full employee lifecycle. This role balances high-level strategy with execution, driving scalable programs across recruiting, onboarding, total rewards, payroll, and compliance. Operating independently as a trusted advisor to management, the ideal candidate will build compliant, efficient HR infrastructures and foster a high-performance culture tailored to the unique regulatory, clinical, and scientific demands of the life sciences industry.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic HR Infrastructure & HRIS Governance
- Systems Architecture: Serve as the executive administrator and architect of the company’s HRIS/payroll platform (currently iSolved), optimizing workflows, automation, and manager self-service capabilities.
- Data & Analytics: Establish HR reporting frameworks, delivering predictive workforce metrics and ad-hoc data analysis to leadership to inform business decisions.
- Process Scaling: Redesign operational workflows to support corporate scaling, transition milestones (e.g., private to public, or clinical to commercial), and multi-state expansion.
Payroll, Benefits, & Total Rewards Strategy
- Payroll Oversight: Own the end-to-end strategy, compliance, and execution of semi-monthly/biweekly payroll, ensuring seamless integration with Finance on journal entries, audits, and tax reporting.
- Total Rewards Strategy: Partner with executive leadership and brokers to design, negotiate, and implement competitive benefits, compensation structures, and open enrollment strategies.
- Fiscal Accountability: Manage the total rewards and HR operational budget, ensuring competitive positioning to attract top-tier scientific and executive talent.
Risk Management, Leaves, & Global Compliance
- Compliance Leadership: Act as the ultimate authority on federal, state, and local employment laws (FMLA, ADA, FLSA, EEO, COBRA, ERISA, ACA), with specific emphasis on complex life science hubs (e.g., California, Massachusetts).
- Leave & Accommodations Governance: Oversee the administration of all complex leave programs (FMLA, short-term/long-term disability, parental leave) and complex ADA accommodations, coordinating closely with legal counsel.
- Audit Readiness: Lead regulatory filings (EEO-1, VETS-4212), HR audits, and data retention policies, maintaining strict confidentiality and GxP alignment.
Talent Acquisition & Strategic Onboarding
- Workforce Planning: Partner with executive hiring managers to forecast headcount needs, define specialized scientific/technical profiles, and build robust talent pipelines.
- Full-Cycle Recruitment Strategy: Direct full-cycle recruitment for critical roles, managing staffing agency partnerships, executive search firms, and ATS selection.
- Executive Onboarding: Design and evolve a sophisticated onboarding program that accelerates "time-to-productivity" for new hires and preserves company culture.
Employee Relations, Retention, & Culture
- Executive Advisory: Serve as a trusted advisor and conflict-resolution mediator for managers and employees at all organizational levels.
- Performance Management Frameworks: Architect and oversee performance management programs, progressive discipline strategies, and manager training initiatives.
- Offboarding & Retention Insights: Oversee the offboarding framework, personally conducting executive exit interviews and translating data into actionable retention strategies.
HR Vendor & Partner Management
- Strategic Partnerships: Manage high-stakes relationships with benefits brokers, legal counsel, PEOs/contractors, and technology vendors.
- RFP & Contract Negotiation: Lead vendor evaluation, RFP processes, and contract renewals to optimize service delivery and vendor ROI.
Required Qualifications
- Education: Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field (Master’s or MBA preferred).
- Experience: 7–10+ years of progressive HR generalist and people operations experience, with at least 3+ years in a leadership or autonomous management role.
- Industry Domain: Direct, verifiable experience working within the biotech, pharma, medical device, or broader life sciences industry.
- Technical Mastery: Proven success owning end-to-end payroll administration, multi-state compliance, and advanced HRIS optimization.
- Regulatory Compliance: Advanced expertise in navigating federal and state employment regulations, specifically multi-state workforces (California experience highly valued).
Preferred Qualifications
- Certification: SPHR, SHRM-SCP, or an equivalent senior HR certification.
- Scale Experience: Prior experience growing an organization from 50 to 250+ employees.
- Specialized Environments: Familiarity with HR compliance in GxP environments, FDA-regulated workplaces, and laboratory safety cultures.
Core Competencies
- Strategic Autonomy: Ability to navigate ambiguity and operate as a department of one while aligning with broader corporate goals.
- Executive Presence: Exceptional communication and influence, with the ability to confidently present to the C-suite.
- Change Management: Proven ability to guide organizations through high-growth phases, restructuring, or strategic pivots.
- Data Integrity: Absolute commitment to confidentiality, metrics-driven decision-making, and bulletproof operational execution.
