HR Director

Equillium•San Diego, CA

About The Position

Overview of Position: The Director, Human Resources provides strategic HR Business Partner leadership and support to the Equillium executive leadership team and employees and operates as a trusted strategic advisor to the Chief Operating Officer, Equillium. Additionally, partners with COO in developing business plans and executing strategic initiatives and drives organizational design and development, organization effectiveness, and workforce planning. Creates and executes the people and talent strategy for Equillium based on business strategy. Leads the effort towards creating a robust and diverse talent pipeline for key roles and guides the leadership in creating a high-performance organization.

Requirements

BS/BA degree in Business Administration, HR Management or related field required.
Minimum of 12-15 years professional experience in HR.
Experience working in mid/large global complex environments and matrixed organizations is preferred.
Experience working directly with executive level, including but not limited to Sr. Vice Presidents, CEO, Compensation Committee, etc. and presenting to executive management including Board of Directors.
Strong business acumen and strategic thinking required.
Demonstrated ability to communicate and build relationships at all levels a must.
Expertise in design and implementation of Benefits programs with strong knowledge of related regulations.
Expertise in performance management design and implementation.
Comprehensive knowledge of base compensation, bonus, variable pay, merit, equity, benefits programs.
Attention to detail
Excellent time management and organizational skills
Proven ability to manage multiple tasks and associated deadlines
Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills
Strong computer literacy, including Microsoft Office suite
Flexibility to adapt in a cross-functional and dynamic, “start-up” type environment
Travel Requirement- Domestic and/or international up to 10% of the time.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree (MBA/ Masters in HR or equivalent) is preferred.
Professional of Human Resources (PHR/SPHR) Certification desired.
Life Science industry experience a plus.

Responsibilities

Align with business, functional, and HR Strategy, provides strategic HR business partnering support for leaders, works with the respective functions and leaders to identify and resolve the corresponding business needs.
Supports client groups with organizational capability and capacity analyses and strategic workforce planning, organization design, associate engagement, organizational announcements.
Acts as the trusted advisor of leaders to support them in carrying out their business and functional plans.
Identifies and capitalizes on opportunities to drive &/or lead change. Facilitates change management initiatives within departments incorporating a methodology that includes: a business case for change, identification of primary stake holders, process mapping, communications planning, action/transition planning, visioning sessions, conflict resolution, team building, and after action review assessments.
Develops & conducts team development/team building strategies both proactively and when necessary to improve team performance.
Presents options to leaders on organizational structure, roles & responsibilities, staffing levels, matrix management, etc.
Demonstrates deep understanding of company market spaces including external talent trends, culture, reward systems, and organization models.
Identifies opportunities and guides leaders to fill competency gaps through talent acquisition and talent development.
Acts as the talent advisor, facilitator and champion to ensure strong succession pipelines for critical roles
Partners across Equillium to align top talent to highest priorities while ensuring inclusion and diversity outcomes
Participates on the interview team and effectively counsels hiring leaders/teams in selection process
Participates in/facilitates the Performance Management process
Coaches leaders with all aspects of the annual performance management and development process
Guides leaders to escalate issues of poor performance where required
Consults with clients to understand training and development needs across their functional groups, to identify trends, patterns, etc., and works with management to present recommendations as part of organizational training needs assessment.
Works with leadership team members during annual Compensation Planning time to ensure alignment of rewards to performance, and that rewards are used as organizational levers.
Provides consultation and benchmarking insights for job offers based on strategic need
Provides strategic HR advisory support for complex HR issues and activities
Looks for trends and root causes as opportunities to improve organizational/team and associate satisfaction.
Actively uses data and metrics to drive client engagement and drive accountability for outcomes both with client and the HR organization
Supports the COO with separation strategy & manages severance for group separations in partnership with, Legal, etc.
Champions a consistently fair and harassment-free work environment in compliance with all government regulations, including but not limited to: Employee Retirement Income Security act, FLSA, FMLA, ADA, COBRA, OSHA, Worker’s Compensation, and other applicable labor and/or tax laws and regulations.
Ensures timely completion of all related compliance and reporting requirements.
Provide coaching to employees & managers, offering feedback and advice on employee relations issues in a proactive and compassionate manner
Develops and manages relationships with external vendors and manages benefit negotiations.
Collaborates with leadership in preparation and distribution of communications to inform stakeholders of applicable policies.
Other responsibilities as assigned.