Associate Director, HR Business Partner - Corporate Functions

Initial Therapeutics, Inc.; Cambridge (MA); On-site; USD 143,000 - 257,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare

Well-being

Family planning

Job summary

Moderna is seeking an Associate Director, Human Resources Business Partner supporting Digital, Finance, and Legal to shape talent and capability strategies for functions critical to enabling our pipeline and growth.

The role blends strategic partnership with hands-on delivery in a fast-moving environment, requiring agility, curiosity, and a practical, roll-up-your-sleeves mindset.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in HR, Business Administration, or a related field.
• 8+ years progressive Human Resources experience.
• Experience supporting Digital, technology, Finance, Legal, or similarly complex functional organizations preferred.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a strategic HR advisor to leaders and managers across Digital, Finance, and Legal.
• Partner with leaders to assess talent landscape and translate insights into workforce strategies.
• Shape talent agenda and anticipate capability needs for business priorities.
• Coach leaders on organizational effectiveness, leadership capability, and development.
• Drive execution of core talent processes: performance, succession, engagement, development.
• Partner on workforce planning, organizational design, and strategic hiring.
• Develop deep understanding of client groups and adapt HR approaches accordingly.
• Lead HR initiatives related to organizational change and transformation.
• Advise on complex employee relations matters with appropriate resolution.

Skills

Strategic HR

Data-driven

Change mgmt

Stakeholder mgmt

Agile

Education

Bachelor’s degree in HR or related field

Job description

This is an exciting opportunity to join Moderna at a pivotal time as we continue to advance our pipeline and evolve the capabilities needed to support our next phase of growth. As the Associate Director, Human Resources Business Partner supporting Digital, Finance, and Legal, you will have a direct hand in shaping the talent and capability agenda for functions that are critical to enabling Moderna’s future.

This is an opportunity for someone who is energized by building while doing. The environment is fast-moving and priorities will evolve, requiring an HR partner who is agile, curious, resourceful, and willing to roll up their sleeves. You will have the opportunity to learn alongside the business, challenge conventional approaches, and help shape how talent, technology, and organizational capability come together to support Moderna’s mission and pipeline.

Here’s What You’ll Do

• Serve as a strategic HR advisor to leaders and managers across Digital, Finance, and Legal, developing a strong understanding of business priorities, critical work, and the talent and capabilities required to deliver them.
• Partner with leaders to assess the current talent and capability landscape, identify gaps against current and future business priorities, and translate insights into actionable workforce and talent strategies.
• Help shape the talent agenda, partnering with leaders to anticipate emerging capability and skill needs and ensure the organization has the talent required to support business and pipeline advancements.
• Coach leaders and managers on organizational effectiveness, leadership capability, employee development, performance, feedback, and team effectiveness.
• Drive execution of core talent processes, including performance management, succession planning, talent reviews, engagement, and development.
• Partner with HR colleagues and business leaders on workforce planning, organizational design, capability building, and strategic hiring, ensuring talent investments align with the highest-priority business needs.
• Develop a deep understanding of the unique talent and organizational needs of Digital, Finance, and Legal, adapting HR approaches to the priorities and operating environments of each client group.
• Lead or co-lead HR initiatives related to organizational change, scaling, transformation, policy, process improvement, and evolving business priorities.
• Advise on complex employee relations matters, ensuring appropriate resolution and alignment with internal policies and applicable regulations.
• Bring a practical, agile, and resourceful approach to problem-solving—comfortable working with imperfect information, adjusting quickly as priorities evolve, and finding effective solutions without unnecessary complexity.
• Balance strategic partnership with a willingness to roll up your sleeves and execute, recognizing that business needs may require moving quickly between enterprise-level thinking and hands-on delivery.
• Demonstrate curiosity and a strong learning mindset, quickly building knowledge of unfamiliar businesses, technologies, capabilities, and talent markets to become an effective partner to leaders.
• Monitor and assess HR processes and organizational trends, proactively identifying opportunities to improve effectiveness, simplify ways of working, and enhance the employee and leader experience.
• Support the design and implementation of programs that build inclusive, engaging, high-performing, and results-focused teams.
• Continuously explore and adopt digital tools, data, and emerging technologies, including AI, to improve HR insights, simplify work, and increase the value delivered to the business.
• Take on evolving priorities and responsibilities as business needs change, demonstrating flexibility and a willingness to contribute wherever HR partnership can have the greatest impact.
• Perform any other responsibilities or duties assigned by your manager to support team and business objectives.

Here’s What You’ll Bring to the Table

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field.
• A minimum of 8 years of progressive Human Resources experience.
• Equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered.
• Experience supporting Digital, technology, Finance, Legal, or similarly complex functional organizations strongly preferred.
• Experience working in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, or life sciences industry preferred, with an understanding of the pace, complexity, and evolving talent needs of a science- and innovation-driven organization.
• Demonstrated experience operating in complex, matrixed, fast-paced, and evolving environments.
• Strong business acumen with the ability to quickly understand business strategy, critical priorities, organizational capabilities, and their implications for talent.
• Experience translating business priorities into talent, capability, workforce, and organizational strategies.
• Ability to influence and advise senior stakeholders with credibility, pragmatism, and empathy.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to use data and organizational insights to identify issues and recommend practical solutions.
• High learning agility and intellectual curiosity, with the ability and willingness to quickly build expertise in new business areas, technologies, and ways of working.
• Comfort with ambiguity and changing priorities, with the judgment to determine when structure is needed and when speed, experimentation, and iteration are more valuable.
• A resourceful, hands-on mindset and willingness to operate outside traditional role boundaries when needed to solve problems and support the business.
• Effective communication and project management skills across varied audiences and functions.
• Experience navigating regulatory, technical, or compliance considerations in HR delivery.
• Demonstrated ability to handle sensitive matters with discretion, sound judgment, and professionalism.
• Full professional proficiency in English, both written and spoken.

Pay & Benefits

At Moderna, we believe that when you feel your best, you can do your best work. That’s why our benefits and well-being resources are designed to support you—at work, at home, and everywhere in between.

• Competitive healthcare, plus voluntary benefit programs to support your unique needs
• A holistic approach to well-being, with access to fitness, mindfulness, and mental health support
• Family planning benefits, including fertility, adoption, and surrogacy support
• Generous paid time off, including vacation, volunteer days, sabbatical, global recharge days, and a discretionary year-end shutdown
• Savings and investments to help you plan for the future
• Location-specific perks and extras

The salary range for this role is $142,500.00 - $256,500.00. This is the lowest to highest salary we in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting. An individual’s position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but not limited to, specific competencies, relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, performance, and business or organizational needs.The successful candidate may be eligible for an annual discretionary bonus, other incentive compensation, or equity award, subject to company plan eligibility criteria and individual performance.

About Moderna

Since our founding in 2010, we have aspired to build the leading mRNA technology platform, the infrastructure to reimagine how medicines are created and delivered, and a world-class team. We believe in giving our people a platform to change medicine and an opportunity to change the world.

By living our mission, values, and mindsets every day, our people are the driving force behind our scientific progress and our culture. Together, we are creating a culture of belonging and building an organization that cares deeply for our patients, our employees, the environment, and our communities.

We are proud to have been recognized as a Science Magazine Top Biopharma Employer, a Fast Company Best Workplace for Innovators, and a Great Place to Work in the U.S.

Our Working Model

As we build our company, we have always believed an in-person culture is critical to our success. Moderna champions the significant benefits of in-office collaboration by embracing a 70/30 work model. This 70% in-office structure helps to foster a culture rich in innovation, teamwork, and direct mentorship. Join us in shaping a world where every interaction is an opportunity to learn, contribute, and make a meaningful impact.

Moderna is a smoke-free, alcohol-free, and drug-free work environment.

Equal Opportunities

Moderna is committed to equal employment opportunity and non-discrimination for all employees and qualified applicants without regard to a person's race, color, sex, gender identity or expression, age, religion, national origin, ancestry or citizenship, ethnicity, disability, military or protected veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, marital or familial status, or any other personal characteristic protected under applicable law. Moderna is a place where everyone can grow.

Moderna is an E-Verify Employer in the United States. We consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements.

Accommodations

We’re focused on attracting, retaining, developing, and advancing our employees. By cultivating a workplace that values diverse experiences, backgrounds, and ideas, we create an environment where every employee can contribute their best.

Moderna is committed to offering reasonable accommodations to qualified job applicants with disabilities. Any applicant requiring an accommodation in connection with the hiring process and/or to perform the essential functions of the position for which the applicant has applied should contact the Accommodations team at [e-mail].