Associate Director, Human Resources Business Partner

Agios Pharmaceuticals; Cambridge (MA); Hybrid; USD 154,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Premium benefits package

Competitive compensation

Deliberate development

Job summary

Agios Pharmaceuticals is seeking an Associate Director, Human Resources Business Partner to provide end‑to‑end HR partnership to our R&D organization and contribute to enterprise people priorities.

This highly visible role will support executives, senior leaders, and individual contributors with a practical, trusted partnership focused on organizational effectiveness and global talent development at our Cambridge headquarters.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of progressive HR experience in a complex org.
• Proven ability to influence across all levels, from ICs to executives.
• Strong business acumen translating priorities into people solutions.
• Experience advising on organization design, workforce planning, development, performance, change and employee relations.

Responsibilities

• Serve as primary HRBP for R&D, advising executives and leaders.
• Lead organizational design and workforce planning with leaders.
• Develop talent, succession and leadership capabilities with executives.
• Coach leaders on performance, reviews, and employee relations.
• Deliver enterprise HR programs with business context and clarity.
• Use data to surface trends and drive people strategy.
• Contribute to company-wide people and culture priorities.

Skills

HR leadership

trust-building

business acumen

org design

employee relations

communication

coaching

strategy-execution

Education

Bachelor's in HR or related

Job description

Who we are:

At Agios, we are fueled by connections to transform rare diseases. We foster an inclusive, collaborative culture – one that sparks bold thinking and strengthens our connections with each other and with the rare disease communities we serve. We embrace diverse backgrounds with respect, active listening, and a commitment to inclusion – because our differences shape how we hire, collaborate, and innovate. Our team’s proven track record of executional excellence, combined with our depth of expertise and dedication, enables us to develop innovative medicines that reflect the priorities of rare disease communities. Our commitment is more than scientific – it’s deeply personal, grounded in the meaningful connections we have built. To learn more, visit www.agios.com and follow Agios on LinkedIn and X

Who we are:

At Agios, we are fueled by connections to transform rare diseases. We foster an inclusive, collaborative culture – one that sparks bold thinking and strengthens our connections with each other and with the rare disease communities we serve. We embrace diverse backgrounds with respect, active listening, and a commitment to inclusion – because our differences shape how we hire, collaborate, and innovate. Our team’s proven track record of executional excellence, combined with our depth of expertise and dedication, enables us to develop innovative medicines that reflect the priorities of rare disease communities. Our commitment is more than scientific – it’s deeply personal, grounded in the meaningful connections we have built. To learn more, visit www.agios.com and follow Agios on LinkedIn and X

The impact you will make:

Agios is seeking an Associate Director, Human Resources Business Partner to provide end‑to‑end HR partnership to our R&D organization and contribute to enterprise people and culture priorities. This highly visible role will be a trusted, practical partner across every level of the organization—adapting their approach to support executives, senior and mid‑career leaders, early people leaders, and individual contributors with a wide range of experience. The Associate Director will combine strong business judgment, deep HR expertise, and a genuine commitment to our mission to help leaders and teams navigate change, strengthen organizational effectiveness, develop talent, and create an environment where people can bring their whole selves and do their best work.

What you will do:

TRUSTED HR PARTNERSHIP: Serve as the primary HR Business Partner for the R&D organization, building trusted relationships across all levels. Flex your style and support to meet the needs of executives, experienced and emerging people leaders, and individual contributors. Understand business priorities, anticipate people and organizational needs, and translate them into practical actions that support strong performance and the employee experience.

ORGANIZATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS AND CHANGE: Partner with leaders to shape organization design, workforce plans, team structures, and ways of working that advance business priorities. Lead the people side of change with clear plans, thoughtful communication, and practical support that help teams adapt and remain effective.

TALENT AND LEADERSHIP: Partner with leaders and HR colleagues to assess talent, strengthen succession and development plans, build leadership capability, and support thoughtful career growth. Facilitate management effectiveness and other HR‑ and Culture‑sponsored learning and development sessions, adapting content and delivery as our philosophies and organizational needs evolve. In partnership with Talent Acquisition, shape proactive workforce and hiring strategies that bring the capabilities needed today and in the future.

PERFORMANCE, COACHING, AND EMPLOYEE RELATIONS: Coach leaders at every stage of their people‑management experience, helping them set clear expectations, give meaningful feedback, make sound decisions, and address performance or team challenges early. Advise on complex and sensitive employee matters with empathy, consistency, confidentiality, and good judgment.

CORE PEOPLE PROGRAMS: Partner with HR colleagues and business leaders to deliver effective talent, performance, compensation, recognition, engagement, and workforce planning processes. Bring business context and employee insight to enterprise programs and help ensure they are applied clearly, consistently, and thoughtfully.

INSIGHTS AND EXECUTION: Use data, organizational insight, and close partnership with the business to identify trends, surface risks and opportunities, and recommend practical solutions. Follow through from strategy to implementation, measuring impact and adjusting as needs evolve.

PEOPLE AND CULTURE STRATEGY: Contribute to company‑wide people and culture priorities, bringing forward perspectives from across the organization and helping turn those priorities into a consistent, meaningful employee experience.

What you Bring:

• 8+ years of progressive HR experience, including substantive HR Business Partner responsibility in a complex, fast‑moving organization.
• A track record of building trust and influencing effectively across all organizational levels, from individual contributors and first‑time managers to senior executives.
• Strong business acumen and the ability to translate business priorities into practical people and organizational solutions.
• Experience advising on organization design, workforce planning, talent development, performance management, change, and complex employee relations matters.
• Sound judgment, discretion, and comfort operating independently while collaborating closely with HR colleagues and cross‑functional partners.
• Clear, adaptable communication, strong facilitation and presentation skills, and a coaching approach that engages varied audiences and meets leaders and employees where they are.
• The ability to move between strategy and execution, manage competing priorities, and follow through in a dynamic environment.
• Experience in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, or another science‑driven industry is strongly preferred; experience supporting R&D or technical organizations is a plus.
• Experience in both larger and smaller organizations is helpful.

Work Location:

Location Specific – Hybrid: This role requires some work onsite at our Cambridge Headquarters as needed. Hybrid schedules vary but are generally less than 3 days per week onsite. Regular conversations with manager are encouraged to ensure alignment on in‑person presence/expectations. Employees in this role are expected to live within a commutable distance to the office and some travel may be required commensurate to the above job description and/or to attend team meetings and other company events.

What we will give you:

• Deliberate Development. Your professional growth as one of our top priorities.
• Flexibility. We’re all about individual needs. We embrace different perspectives, work styles, health and wellness approaches, care of families and productivity. When you’re at your best, we’re at our best.
• Premium benefits package. We invest in the health, wellbeing, and security of our people with a premium benefits package that is well‑rounded and flexible to help meet the varied personal and professional needs of every member of our team. For more detail on the benefits we offer at Agios, visit the Inside Agios section of our website.
• Competitive and equitable performance‑based compensation. This includes base salary and both short‑ and long‑term incentives that are connected to our business strategy and vary based on individual and company performance.
• The current base salary range for this position is expected to be between $153,541 - $230,312 annualized; final salary will be determined based on various factors including, but not limited to, years of relevant experience, job knowledge, skills and proficiency, degree/education, and internal comparators.
• Psychological safety. We support an environment of fearlessness. We want you to share your ideas, speak candidly and take data‑informed risks to help push the boundaries.
• Commitment to diversity. We strive to foster a welcoming workplace where everyone can thrive. We’re continuously looking to improve the inclusivity of our workforce.
• Commitment to community. We’re an active participant in the communities that surround us – the communities where we live, and the community of people and their loved ones in need of better treatment options for conditions that are often overlooked.

Interested in learning more about what makes our culture unique? Visit the Inside Agios section of our website.