Principal Recruiter and Talent Lead

Sana Biotechnology•Cambridge, MA

1d•$200,000 - $240,000•Onsite

About The Position

Sana Biotechnology is growing, and we are hiring new team members who believe in the potential of engineered cells as medicines, who are passionate about delivering the possible to patients, and who lead with the desire to work on novel ideas. As the Principal Recruiter and Talent Lead, you will report to the Head of People and work onsite in Cambridge, MA. You will be the lead recruiter in shaping the organization’s talent strategy, ensuring we attract, hire and retain people in critical roles. This role blends full cycle recruiting with opportunities to influence broader people programs including workforce planning, talent pipeline development and operational excellence across the employee lifecycle. If you’re interested in broadening your skills beyond recruiting, this is the role for you!

Requirements

7+ years of recruiting experience, ideally including within cell and gene therapy biotech.
Proven success managing full-cycle recruiting across varied functions and seniority levels.
Strong sourcing capability across platforms, networks, and creative channels.
Some experience supporting or leading people-focused strategic initiatives.
Excellent communication, stakeholder management, organization and relationship-building skills.
Ability to thrive in a small-team, high-collaboration environment with shifting priorities.
Commitment to inclusive, equitable hiring and people practices.
Ability to be onsite at least 3 days a week, with flexibility to meet the needs of the business.

Nice To Haves

Experience working in a fast-paced, hands-on and scrappy environment. You will work outside your scope!
Familiarity with HR systems (Greenhouse and BambooHR a plus).
Strong understanding of compensation fundamentals and offer structuring.
Comfort supporting confidential or sensitive organizational matters

Responsibilities

Lead full-cycle recruitment across scientific, technical, and corporate functions.
Partner closely with hiring managers to define role requirements, competencies, interview plans, and selection criteria.
Build and maintain strong talent pipelines using innovative sourcing strategies and market mapping.
Lead and deliver an exceptional candidate experience from first touch through onboarding, which includes hosting candidates during interview days where applicable.
Manage the relationship with Skills Alliance, which includes the contractor MSP and recruiting coordinator services
Manage the relocation program
Track and report recruiting metrics; translate insights into improved processes or strategies.
Ensure compliance with hiring policies, employment laws, and equitable, inclusive hiring practices.
Support workforce planning, including headcount forecasting, role architecture, and recruitment prioritization.
Collaborate with investor relations on employer branding efforts, including messaging, recruitment materials, and candidate communications.
Contribute to process improvement across the People Team (e.g., interview training, onboarding enhancements, systems optimization).
Provide insights on talent trends, compensation competitiveness, and labor market dynamics.
Participate in cross-functional projects related to culture, engagement, DEI, internal mobility, performance, and capability building.
As an onsite member of the People Team, partner with other colleagues to drive site wide initiatives that contribute to the overall culture. This includes participating in townhalls and site events.

Benefits

For benefit eligible employees, we cover a generous portion of the cost for employee health coverage, making high-quality care more accessible and affordable.
We offer ample time-off (various paid time off benefits, such as holidays, vacation, sick time, and parental leave), short- and long-term disability, employer paid basic life insurance, additional voluntary life insurance protection, financial wellness programs including financial planning resources, a 401(k) Plan with an immediately vested employer match, Tuition Reimbursement and Student Loan Repayment, Employee Stock Purchase Plan, commuter subsidy and a variety of wellness offerings to support each person individually.

Stand Out From the Crowd

Upload your resume and get instant feedback on how well it matches this job.

Upload and Match Resume