Associate Director, Human Resources

About Raven:
We are Raven, RA Capital’s healthcare incubator. From discovery to delivery, whether we incubate, accelerate or rejuvenate, Raven’s goal is to turn scientific breakthroughs into transformative therapies and get them quickly, safely and efficiently to the patients that need them most. Raven’s experienced scientists, operators, and healthcare innovators have deep sector expertise across therapeutics, diagnostics, devices and services. They have brought hundreds of therapeutics into development, managed hospital systems, optimized clinical trials and navigated payor and regulatory systems to deliver patient impact - and they are ready to work with you.

About RA Capital:
Founded in 2004, RA Capital Management is a multi-stage investment manager dedicated to evidence-based investing in public and private healthcare, life sciences, and planetary health companies. RA Capital creates and funds innovative companies, from private seed rounds to public follow-on financings, allowing management teams to drive value creation from inception through commercialization and beyond. RA Capital's knowledge engine is guided by our Tech Atlas internal research division, and Raven, RA Capital’s company building team, offers entrepreneurs and innovators a collaborative and comprehensive platform to explore the novel and the re-imagined. RA Capital has more than 150 employees and over $10 billion in assets under management.

Position Overview
Reporting to the VP of HR and Operations, The Associate Director, Human Resources will support a range of HR activities within our early-stage incorporated companies as they build scientific and operational teams and support our incubator. This is a hands-on role requiring experience in putting in place HR infrastructure in biotech startup environments. Working closely with the VP of HR and Operations, and members of RA Capital’s HR team this role will create and / or improve infrastructure, develop appropriate materials and toolkits, advise on performance management processes, assist with compensation reviews and help develop positive culture.

Key Responsibilities
HR Compliance & Regulatory Alignment

• Conduct annual review of federal, state, and local employment laws, with particular attention to biotech environments and share when appropriate
• Develop and maintain compliant HR policies aligned with life sciences best practices.
• Advise Newcos on how to maintain documentation and employee records consistent with audit and regulatory expectations
• Support newly incorporated companies with HR compliance guidance as needed

Training & Development

• Develop onboarding programs tailored to scientific, technical, and operational staff.
• Implement training initiatives including compliance (e.g., workplace safety, harassment prevention, leadership development, and manager effectiveness)

Performance Management

• Design and manage performance review processes suitable for both incubator staff and early-stage biotech teams
• Develop goal-setting frameworks aligned with scientific milestones, operational deliverables, and funding objectives
• Train managers on providing effective feedback in high-performance scientific environments
• Support performance improvement planning and talent optimization strategies

HR Infrastructure & Template Development

• Update and maintain toolkit of HR templates and a calendar of HR activities to share with Newcos
• Develop and standardize HR templates including offer letters, employment agreements, performance review forms, confidentiality agreements, and policy documents
• Build scalable HR systems and processes that support growing biotech startups
• Ensure documentation consistency across incubator entities and portfolio companies.
• Improve HR workflows to enhance operational efficiency and reduce risk

Compensation & Workforce Planning

• Partner with Vice President to design competitive compensation structures for scientific, technical, and operational roles
• Conduct market benchmarking within the biotech and life sciences sectors
• Support equity compensation administration in collaboration with finance and legal teams
• Lead annual merit review and bonus processes for Newcos

Startup Payroll and Benefits

• Conduct annual research on payroll, benefit and PEO options for toolkit of options to share with Newcos
• Present payroll and benefit options, help Newcos make decisions and assist with initial outreach to set up contracts and start up activities

Employee Relations & Culture

• Serve as a trusted resource for employee relations matters, conflict resolution, and investigations
• Assist with disciplinary actions and terminations in a compliant and respectful manner

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field. 7–10 years of HR experience, ideally within biotech, life sciences, or biotech venture firm
• Strong knowledge of employment law and compliance requirements
• Experience supporting early-stage or high-growth organizations preferred
• Familiarity with equity compensation and venture-backed environments is a plus
• Demonstrated ability to build HR infrastructure from the ground up
• Strong judgment, discretion, and ability to manage confidential information
• HR certification (SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, SPHR) preferred