People Operations Manager

About Formation Bio

Formation Bio is a tech and AI driven pharma company differentiated by radically more efficient drug development. 

Advancements in AI and drug discovery are creating more candidate drugs than the industry can progress because of the high cost and time of clinical trials. Recognizing that this development bottleneck may ultimately limit the number of new medicines that can reach patients, Formation Bio, founded in 2016 as TrialSpark Inc., has built technology platforms, processes, and capabilities to accelerate all aspects of drug development and clinical trials. Formation Bio partners, acquires, or in-licenses drugs from pharma companies, research organizations, and biotechs to develop programs past clinical proof of concept and beyond, ultimately helping to bring new medicines to patients. The company is backed by investors across pharma and tech, including a16z, Sequoia, Sanofi, Thrive Capital, John Doerr, Spark Capital, SV Angel Growth, and others. 

You can read more at the following links:

• Our Vision for AI in Pharma
• Our Current Drug Portfolio
• Our Technology & Platform

At Formation Bio, our values are the driving force behind our mission to revolutionize the pharma industry. Every team and individual at the company shares these same values, and every team and individual plays a key part in our mission to bring new treatments to patients faster and more efficiently.

About the Position 

As People Operations Manager at Formation Bio, you will own the day-to-day operations that support our employees throughout their time at the company. From onboarding and benefits to employee changes, compliance, and core People programs, you'll ensure our processes run smoothly, our data is accurate, and employees and managers have a great experience.

You'll report to the Director, People Operations and work closely with the broader People Team, Finance, Legal, and external partners. We're looking for someone who combines strong People Operations experience with exceptional execution, sound judgment, and a desire to continuously improve how we work. You'll have meaningful ownership of core processes while helping us build a more efficient, scalable, and AI-enabled People function.

Responsibilities

• Own day-to-day People Operations across the employee lifecycle, including onboarding, employee changes, leaves of absence, internal transfers, partnering with payroll and offboarding.
• Manage benefits administration, including employee enrollment, eligibility, life events, open enrollment, employee questions, leaves of absence, and acting as the main point of contact for ongoing partnership with our benefits broker and vendors.
• Handle People compliance, including required reporting, employee records, policies, handbook updates, mandatory trainings, and applicable federal and state employment requirements.
• Project manage our performance, promotion, and compensation review cycles, partnering closely with the broader People Team to ensure accurate, timely, and consistent execution.
• Support compensation and equity administration, including market benchmarking, employee changes, grant coordination, and maintaining accurate compensation data.
• Own the accuracy and integrity of employee data across our People systems, including ADP, Lattice, and other platforms, and support reporting and analytics that inform business decisions.
• Serve as a trusted resource for employees and managers, responding to questions, resolving issues, and maintaining clear, accessible employee-facing documentation.
• Partner closely with Finance, Payroll, Legal, and Talent Operations to ensure processes are coordinated and responsibilities are clear.
• Identify opportunities to simplify and automate People processes, leveraging AI and technology to reduce manual work, improve accuracy, and create a better employee experience.

About You 

• 5+ years of experience working on a People team in an operational role, ideally in a fast-paced, growing company.
• Hands-on experience owning employee benefits administration, HR compliance, and core people processes (onboarding, offboarding, open enrollment, leaves of absence, etc.).
• Experience managing HR systems and employee data, with a strong understanding of data accuracy, reporting, and process integrity. ADP experience is strongly preferred. 
• Working knowledge of U.S. employment laws and compliance requirements, with the judgment to recognize when additional expertise is needed.
• Strong operational and project management skills, with a track record of independently managing multiple priorities and delivering accurate, high-quality work.
• Demonstrated ability to identify inefficiencies, simplify processes, and improve how a People function operates.
• Curiosity and fluency with AI and technology, with examples of using tools to automate work, improve accuracy, or increase efficiency.
• Ability to build trust quickly with employees, managers, and cross-functional partners, exercising discretion and sound judgment in sensitive situations.
• Strong alignment with how we work: high ownership, a bias for action, attention to detail, and a focus on business impact.

Total Compensation Range: $122,000 - $155,000

Compensation Individual compensation is determined by several factors, including role scope, geographic location, and skills & experience. Your offer will reflect where you fall within the range based on these considerations. In addition to base salary, we offer equity, comprehensive benefits, and generous perks. If the posted range doesn't match your expectations, we still encourage you to apply!

Where We Hire Formation Bio is prioritizing hiring in key hubs, primarily the New York City and Boston metro areas, with a hybrid model requiring 3 days per week in office. Applicants from the Research Triangle (NC) and San Francisco Bay Area may also be considered. Please apply only if you reside in these locations or are willing to relocate.

Equal Opportunity Formation Bio is committed to building a diverse and inclusive team. We are an equal opportunity employer and welcome candidates from all backgrounds. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and related medical conditions), gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.

We've seen a rise in recruiting impersonation scams across the industry, where fake profiles pose as recruiters aiming to trick candidates into sharing personal and financial information through illegitimate interviews and job offers. All legitimate recruiting communications from Formation Bio will come from a @formation.bio email address. If you receive outreach from someone claiming to work at Formation Bio through any other domain or channel, please disregard it and do not share any personal information.