Associate Director, People Operations - Obsidian Therapeutics

Associate Director, People Operations

Cambridge, MA

About Us…

Obsidian Therapeutics is expanding the reach of TIL therapy.  We are pioneering engineered tumor infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapies to deliver transformative outcomes for patients suffering from solid tumor malignancies. Obsidian’s programs apply our cytoDRiVE® platform technology to express regulated therapeutic proteins to enhance anti-tumor activity. We’re currently investigating our lead program OBX-115 and enrolling patients in an ongoing clinical trial in advanced or metastatic melanoma.

We’re proud of our diverse talented team and committed to cultivating an environment where each person feels a strong sense of belonging and is supported to continuously learn and contribute their best work. Our research team is based in the heart of Cambridge, MA, and our Technical Development, Manufacturing & Quality team is based in our facility in Bedford, MA. Obsidianites enjoy a highly collaborative culture, competitive salary and benefits, and potential for ownership through stock options.

On April 3, 2024, we announced closure of a significantly oversubscribed $160.5 million Series C financing with a top-tier syndicate of life science investors led by new investor, Wellington Management. Proceeds from the financing will advance Obsidian’s lead program in its ongoing trials. We’re focused on enrolling patients and reaching key clinical and regulatory milestones, as well as manufacturing scale-up ahead of pivotal trial readiness.

Our Opportunity

We’re looking for a versatile hands-on people operations professional to contribute to expanding Obsidian’s people operations capabilities.  In this role, you will be responsible for managing people programs including onboarding, performance, and engagement feedback; compensation and benefits administration; HR systems, processes, recordkeeping, and reporting. You will work collaboratively with cross-functional teams, including talent acquisition, IT, payroll, and finance to ensure cohesion across different operational areas.  The ideal candidate brings a business partner orientation and “fit for purpose” approach, is agile and knowledgeable across various HR systems, programs, and processes, and cognizant of future focused best practices in the biotech space. Reporting to the Chief People Officer, you’ll be a vital part of a highly collaborative team working to achieve Obsidian’s vision by translating innovative science into medical breakthroughs for patients, starting with our lead program OBX-115. This is a hybrid position, requiring at least 3 days/week on-site split between our Bedford and Cambridge locations.

This is a unique opportunity to be a contributor in a well-funded clinical company with blue chip investors, field-leading advisors, best-in-class partners, and an experienced team. You'll help us build a dynamic, innovative, passionate, collaborative, and successful organization focused on delivering transformative therapies in areas of greatest clinical need.

You will...

• Collaborate with the Chief People Officer on compensation strategy and manage the compensation planning process including survey input and analysis, managing salary band architecture, planning cycle communication and management, development of reports for the Compensation Committee.
• Administer benefits programs including input on strategy and offerings, management of annual renewal process, oversight of enrollment, management of leave programs, and resolve employee inquiries and issues. Develop employee benefits communications and promotions.
• Serve as subject matter expert and administrator for all HR systems (currently: Lattice, Pave, Greenhouse). Partner with IT and Finance teams to optimize systems and processes to enable efficient and accurate flow of data between teams and systems.
• Ensure compliance with all regulations, policies, procedures, and guidelines that impact or govern the Human Resources function.
• Develop and manage people analytics to provide performance metrics and insights to support learning, planning, and decisions.
• Support a range of employee programs and activities including employee onboarding/offboarding and employee engagement feedback.
• Oversee the annual performance process including planning, communication, and system administrative activities (Lattice).
• Manage immigration related activities including visa transfers, green card applications, and other necessary activities to remain in compliance with Federal regulations.
• Support development and maintenance of HR policies including dissemination and training.
• Maintain employee records and requests in compliance with regulations.
• Evaluate and update HR related content on the organization’s intranet and maintain consistent corporate profiles on various employment branding/recruitment sites.

You Bring...

Core Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and 7+ years of relevant experience with an emphasis in People Operations categories (HR systems and program design and administration, benefits, compensation, recordkeeping, reporting) and an interest/aptitude for other HR generalist categories.
• Exceptional communication skills – oral and written, and high emotional intelligence.
• A systems thinking aptitude – demonstrated experience designing processes and systems that are fit for purpose, repeatable, and scalable with consideration of various stakeholders and interdependencies.
• A track record of critical thinking – you’ve been trusted with ownership of increasingly consequential and complex responsibilities and decisions.
• A solid foundation in HR best practices of high performing companies, and foundational employment laws.
• Good grounding in people analytics and an aptitude with spreadsheets, attention to detail, and analytical skills.
• Foundational knowledge of employment laws and compliance.
• A growth mindset.
• Strong organizational and record keeping skills, including an ability to manage multiple projects and responsibilities in parallel. 
• A highly collaborative working style. You build trusting relationships, invite and share ideas and feedback, productively challenge your own and others’ assumptions to generate new ideas and facilitate better outcomes.
• Flexibility; a willingness and ability to adapt to changes in priorities in a fast-paced, rapidly developing environment to advance our mission.
• Self-motivation and a proven ability to work with general direction, exercise good judgement, and seek the information and support you need to meet objectives and timelines.

Bonus Qualifications

• Experience in emerging growth biotech companies is strongly preferred.
• Experience with Greenhouse, Lattice, Pave, ADP, and SharePoint is highly preferred.
• HR related Certifications are a plus.

Job level will be based on overall experience and capabilities.

Obsidian is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, cultivating a welcoming and diverse environment. All applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, veteran status or any other applicable legally protected characteristics.