Senior Director, Talent Acquisition

Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals is a commercial‑stage biopharmaceutical company developing and commercializing novel therapies for diseases with unmet need, with a focus on cardiovascular indications. With deep expertise in immunology and inflammation, Kiniksa is advancing a growing portfolio of approved and investigational medicines, anchored by its lead product, ARCALYST®, the first and only FDA‑approved therapy for recurrent pericarditis. Grounded in rigorous science and bold innovation, the company fosters a highly collaborative, patient‑first culture led by accomplished life sciences leaders. At Kiniksa, talented individuals are trusted and empowered to make a real impact—shaping the future of medicine while improving the lives of patients who need it most.

The Senior Director, Talent Acquisition is responsible for helping develop, implement, and continuously improve processes that attract top-tier talent, build strong and diverse talent pipelines, and support Kiniksa’s continued growth. Reporting to the VP of HR, this position oversees all aspects of talent acquisition partners closely with leadership to align hiring initiatives with workforce plans, organizational priorities, and business goals. This role will balance strategy and execution, bringing a strong candidate experience mindset to every stage of the recruitment lifecycle. Additionally, this position will oversee, coach, and develop the talent acquisition team while helping scale recruiting capabilities across the organization.

This role is based in our Lexington, MA office and requires employees to be onsite five days per week.

Responsibilities (including, but not limited to):

• Help develop, implement, and evolve a comprehensive, scalable talent acquisition strategy aligned with Kiniksa’s mission, growth objectives, and near- and long-term workforce plans
• Serve as a trusted advisor to senior leaders, HR Business Partners, and hiring managers by translating business priorities into effective recruiting strategies, hiring plans, and market-informed recommendations
• Oversee and continuously improve the full recruitment lifecycle, from intake and sourcing through screening, interviewing, offer management, closing, and onboarding
• Drive a high-quality candidate and hiring manager experience that reflects Kiniksa’s values and commitment to timely and transparent communication
• Build proactive pipelines for critical and hard-to-fill roles, including leadership, commercial, scientific, clinical, technical, and corporate functions, using targeted sourcing, referrals, market mapping, events, and external partnerships
• Partner closely with functional leaders, HR Business Partners, and hiring managers to understand current and future talent needs and deliver outstanding candidates who meet both capability and culture expectations
• Partner closely with the broader HR team, including HR Business Partners, HR Operations, and Total Rewards, to ensure recruiting, offer, onboarding, compensation, and talent processes are coordinated and effective
• Oversee a structured, consistent interview and assessment process, including interview plans, candidate debriefs, and selection processes that support quality hiring decisions
• Use recruiting analytics, dashboards, and key performance indicators to monitor pipeline health, time to fill, quality of slate, offer acceptance, source effectiveness, process bottlenecks, and overall recruiting effectiveness
• Identify opportunities to improve recruiting systems, tools, workflows, vendor partnerships, and processes to increase efficiency, scalability, consistency, and compliance
• Partner with HR and business leaders on employer brand initiatives, talent market insights, recruitment messaging, and external outreach that help position Kiniksa as an employer of choice
• Develop and lead the talent acquisition team by setting priorities, clarifying roles and expectations, providing coaching and feedback, building capabilities, and fostering a collaborative, high-performance team environment
• Remain hands-on in leading candidate searches, particularly for critical and senior-level roles, ensuring high-quality execution
• Stay current on recruiting trends, talent market dynamics, competitive intelligence, and best practices in life sciences talent acquisition
• Other duties as assigned

Standout Skills for Impact:

• Proven ability to design and scale enterprise-wide global recruiting strategies aligned with workforce planning, business growth, and organizational priorities in a high-growth commercial stage life sciences environment
• Trusted advisor to senior leadership, translating business needs into data-driven hiring strategies while driving alignment, managing competing priorities, and delivering market-informed insights
• Expertise in optimizing end-to-end recruitment processes, building diverse talent pipelines, and delivering a best-in-class candidate and hiring manager experience
• Strong people leader with a track record of coaching high-performing TA teams, leveraging analytics and recruiting technologies to improve efficiency, quality of hire, and organizational scalability

Qualifications and Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in human resources, business administration, life sciences, or a related field
• 12+ years of progressive talent acquisition experience, preferably with 2+ years of experience as the leader of the TA function within the biotech or pharmaceutical industry
• Full-cycle recruitment experience with a passion for recruiting and establishing high standards for attracting top talent; experience supporting a commercial environment is required
• Critical thinker with a demonstrated ability to collaborate with executive leadership and hiring teams, make thoughtful recommendations, challenge constructively, and drive alignment
• Demonstrated experience developing fit-for-purpose processes, analytics, and platforms that help streamline workflows, improve time to hire, enhance quality of hire, and ensure a diverse slate of high-quality talent
• Strong people leadership skills with experience coaching, developing and motivating recruiting professionals in a fast-paced environment
• Excellent communicator and influencer with the ability to flex style, build trust, manage competing priorities, and drive solutions across all levels of the organization
• Strong judgment, discretion, and professionalism when managing confidential searches, sensitive organizational information, and senior stakeholder relationships
• Self-starter able to drive work forward within a fast-paced, dynamic, and high-growth environment with a track record of execution and a startup mindset: adaptable, proactive, resourceful, and ready to roll up your sleeves

Kiniksa is an Equal Opportunity employer and will consider you without regard to your race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, transgender status, age, genetics, national origin, protected veteran status, or disability status, or any other legally protected category. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation. 

Kiniksa does not accept unsolicited resumes from staffing agencies or search firms. Any resumes submitted without a signed agreement will be considered property of Kiniksa, and no fees will be paid.