Associate Director/Director, HR Operations

Gossamer Bio•San Diego, CA

2h•Remote

About The Position

The Associate Director/Director, HR Operations is a key member of the HR team, responsible for scaling and governing efficient, compliant, and employee-centric HR operational services across a growing life-sciences organization. This role ensures HR infrastructure, systems, and workforce processes—spanning employees, contingent workers, and global employment partners—are scalable, compliant, and aligned to a regulated, commercialization-ready environment. The Associate Director / Director balances hands-on execution with strategic oversight to organizational growth, evolving workforce models, and global expansion.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business, Life Sciences, or a related field; advanced degree or HR certification (SHRM-SCP, SPHR) preferred.
8–12+ years of progressive HR experience, including significant experience in HR Operations within a biotech, pharmaceutical, or life-sciences environment.
Demonstrated experience leading and developing teams, including direct management of employees and contractors.
Experience supporting regulated, high-growth organizations and commercialization-ready operations.
Working knowledge of contingent workforce management, immigration processes, and global employment models (PEO/EOR).
Hands-on experience with HR systems, workforce data governance, and reporting.
Proven ability to partner cross-functionally and operate effectively in fast-paced, evolving environments.

Responsibilities

Lead end-to-end HR operational processes across the employee lifecycle (offers, onboarding, offboarding, job changes, promotions, performance cycles, and data governance).
Provide strategic oversight of employee benefits administration, ensuring accurate enrollment, eligibility management, vendor coordination, and compliance with applicable regulations.
Oversee the preparation, review, and issuance of employment offer letters.
Own and govern background check and pre-employment screening processes for U.S. and global hires, including vendor oversight, process standardization, and compliance with local regulations.
Lead a fit-for-purpose HR operations model (in‑house, shared services, and/or vendor‑supported) that scales with commercialization and geographic growth.
Ensure process standardization across global and multi-state operations
Provide direct people leadership to HR Operations team members, including full-time employees and contractors, setting clear expectations, goals, and accountability.
Provide operational leadership and governance for an established contingent workforce program, including consultants, contractors, temporary staff, and vendor-provided resources.
Oversee standardized onboarding and offboarding processes for contingent workers, ensuring appropriate documentation, system access, training requirements, and security controls.
Partner with Talent Acquisition, Contracts, Finance, IT, and Hiring Managers to support proper worker classification, contract management, and risk mitigation.
Manage contracts with staffing agencies and workforce suppliers, including service quality, performance oversight, and issue resolution in partnership with Talent Acquisition.
Reporting on contingent workforce headcount, spend, tenure, compliance status, and overall workforce mix.
Serve as the HR operations point of contact for immigration and work authorization programs, partnering closely with external immigration counsel and internal teams.
Support visa and work authorization processes (e.g., H-1B, TN, O-1, L-1, E-3, and other country-specific visas and permits), ensuring accurate documentation and timely case coordination.
Advise Talent Acquisition Partners, HR Business Partners and leaders on immigration considerations related to hiring, role changes, and workforce planning.
Monitor changes in U.S. and global immigration and mobility regulations and policies, proactively assessing impact and recommending mitigation strategies when needed.
Provide operational oversight of employee mobility and relocation activities across both U.S. domestic and international (ex-U.S.) moves, in partnership with relocation vendors, immigration counsel, and internal stakeholders.
Own operational relationships with Global Workforce Partners (PEOs/EORs) supporting international employees.
Ensure consistent and compliant employee lifecycle management for PEO-employed staff, including onboarding, offboarding, employment changes, and documentation.
Oversee PTO tracking, leave administration, and local statutory benefits in partnership with PEO providers.
Coordinate country-specific employment updates, including changes to compensation practices, benefits, policies, and statutory requirements.
Ensure global workforce practices balance local compliance, internal consistency, and a positive employee experience across countries.
Maintain accurate workforce data and reporting aligned between internal HR systems and PEO records.
Serve as the functional owner for HR systems (e.g., HRIS, ATS, Benefits), ensuring configuration supports compliance, reporting accuracy, and scalability.
Lead system enhancements, integrations, and process improvements to enable automation and executive-ready reporting.
Deliver dashboards and insights on headcount, attrition, workforce mix, and compliance tracking