Senior People Partner

At Element Biosciences, we are passionate about our mission to empower the scientific community with more freedom and flexibility to accelerate our collective impact on humanity. We have built a highly efficient product-driven organization where employees can learn, grow, and thrive in a challenging but encouraging environment. We are committed to scientific integrity, collegiality, honesty, objectivity, and openness.

We are seeking an experienced Senior People Partner who will be instrumental in aligning our business initiatives, organizational design, and talent development with the company’s mission and growth strategy. Working across R&D, operations, and our other corporate functions, you will partner closely with senior leadership to shape Element Biosciences’ culture, enhance organizational agility, and strengthen strategic partnerships that drive innovation. This role blends human capital strategy, R&D collaboration, and organizational effectiveness. You will be influential in developing frameworks for learning, leadership, and partnership that enable our scientific teams to thrive and scale in a fast-paced, high-growth environment.

This role will report to our Chief People Officer and will be a daily onsite role out of our San Diego headquarters.

If you possess the following and want to make a meaningful impact, we invite you to explore this role.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities:

• Manage, research, and redesign human resource and organizational development functions to enable the company’s rapid evolution and R&D growth trajectory
• Design and execute a holistic human capital strategy focusing on engagement, retention, and capability building across scientific, technical, and business teams
• Develop and implement organizational structures, competency models, and career frameworks that support innovation and cross-disciplinary collaboration
• Establish scalable organizational processes to support new programs, partnerships, and research initiatives
• Partner with R&D, Product, and Business Development teams to build strong, effective collaborations with academic institutions, industry partners, and internal scientific teams
• Lead initiatives to strengthen knowledge-sharing and technology transfer across R&D partnerships, ensuring alignment with organizational goals
• Support talent and skill mapping within R&D functions to identify emerging capability needs and guide workforce planning
• Facilitate cross-functional initiatives that integrate scientific innovation with operational excellence and human capital strategies
• Design and deliver leadership and learning programs that drive scientific excellence, innovation readiness, and continuous improvement
• Partner with senior leaders to implement change management strategies that foster agility, accountability, and collaboration across all levels
• Build systems and programs that reinforce organizational learning, mentorship, and professional development for R&D and non-R&D employees alike
• Utilize data analytics to measure organizational health, leadership effectiveness, and development impact
• Provide hands-on guidance for complex employee relations matters, investigations, and performance improvement planning
• Ensure compliance with global, federal, and state employment regulations; partner with legal counsel on employment and immigration matters
• Develop and continuously refine HR policies and practices that scale with company growth, maintaining fairness, transparency, and equity
• Manage annual performance and merit review processes aligned with business objectives and organizational culture

Education and Experience:

• MBA or advanced degree in Business Administration, Organizational Development, Data Analytics, Human Resources, or related field
• 10+ years of progressive experience in human resources, organizational effectiveness, or people strategy roles, preferably within biotechnology, life sciences, or R&D-focused organizations
• Demonstrated success leading organizational design, change management, or R&D partnership initiatives in a scaling environment
• Proven experience leading organizational development and HR transformation within high-growth, R&D-driven environments
• Strong understanding of scientific organizational dynamics and cross-functional collaboration between research, engineering, and business units
• Expertise in building and sustaining strategic partnerships with research institutions, biotech firms, and technology collaborators
• In-depth knowledge of employment laws, compliance, and regulatory frameworks (U.S. and global)
• Demonstrated ability to develop systems, policies, and communication frameworks that enhance employee engagement and cultural alignment
• Strong analytical, data-driven mindset; capable of using metrics to inform strategy and measure organizational effectiveness
• Excellent interpersonal, facilitation, and communication skills with the ability to influence and coach at all levels
• Proficiency with HRIS, analytics, and collaboration platforms (e.g., ADP, Greenhouse, Lattice, Praisidio, MS Teams, etc)

Physical Requirements:

• Must be flexible in working hours as this position may require customer support during non-regular business hours

Location:

• San Diego – daily on-site

Travel: 

• Up to 10%

Job Type:

• Full-time, Exempt

Base Compensation Pay Range:

• $160,000 - $220,000

In addition to base compensation noted above, you will be eligible for stock options, discretionary annual bonus, no cost health insurance plans, 401k with company match, and flexible paid time off. 

Please note: Base compensation will depend on multiple factors, including geographic location, qualifications, and experience. 

We foster an environment such that all people are afforded the freedom to pursue their passions without regard to race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, gender (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, veteran status or any other characteristics protected by law.