Executive Director, People & Culture Business Partner

The role

This person will serve as a strategic business partner to senior leaders and lead People & Culture initiatives at the South San Francisco site. They will shape workforce strategies, lead workforce planning, and drive employee engagement and leadership development.

What you will do

• Serve as the People & Culture site lead for the South San Francisco location.
• Act as a strategic business partner to senior leaders across multiple functions.
• Provide guidance on organizational design, talent strategy, and change management.
• Lead workforce planning efforts including headcount forecasting and succession planning.
• Drive initiatives for employee engagement, performance management, and leadership development.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to execute People & Culture programs and policies.
• Champion Kardigan's values and culture.
• Provide coaching and counsel to leaders and managers on team dynamics, employee relations, performance, and development.
• Partner with People & Culture centers of excellence.

Required qualifications

• Bachelor's degree
• Minimum of 15+ years of progressive HR experience
• At least 5 years in a strategic business partner role supporting senior leadership
• Proven experience in workforce planning, employee relations, and organizational development
• Demonstrated experience as a strategic talent advisor to executive and senior leaders across scientific functions
• Proven success partnering with executive leaders to scale site-based operations and functional organizations
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills
• Demonstrated ability to thrive in a fast-paced, start-up environment
• Passion for building inclusive, mission-driven cultures

Nice to have

• Advanced degree in Human Resources, Organizational Development, or related field
• Experience in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, or broader life sciences industry

About the company

Kardigan is a heart health company working to make cardiovascular disease preventable, curable and no longer the leading cause of death in the world. It is Kardigan's mission to develop multiple targeted treatments in parallel.