Director/Senior Director, Human Resources, Commercial

Xenon Pharmaceuticals Inc.; Needham (MA); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 250,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Medical, dental, vision benefits

Retirement plan with company match

Tuition assistance program

Paid time off

Job summary

Xenon Pharmaceuticals Inc. is seeking a Director/Senior Director, Human Resources, Commercial, to partner with the SVP of Sales & Marketing.

This role will translate commercial priorities into people and talent strategies, build and evolve the Sales organization, and guide organizational design and readiness for commercialization. The successful candidate will leverage HRBP experience, influence senior leaders, and drive execution in a fast-paced biopharma environment, reporting to the VP of HR,

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree and/or HR certification preferred.
• 10+ years of progressive HR Business Partner or HR leadership experience in biotech/pharma.
• Experience supporting Commercial organizations through product launches.
• Experience guiding organizations through rapid growth and change.
• Experience in small- to mid-sized biotech/pharma companies is required.
• Strong business acumen and executive-facing communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic HR partnership to Commercial leadership across Sales and Marketing.
• Lead sales hiring strategy and build an ~100+ person Sales organization.
• Advise on organizational design, workforce planning, and talent strategies.
• Support leadership on engagement, performance management, and succession planning.
• Act as liaison between Launch Readiness team and HR to align priorities.

Skills

Strategic HR partner

Influencing & executive presence

Coaching & development

Change management

Cross-functional collaboration

Data-driven decision making

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Advanced degree preferred

Job description

Who We Are:

Xenon Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:XENE) is a neuroscience-focused biopharmaceutical company dedicated to drug discovery, clinical development, and commercialization of life-changing therapeutics for patients in need. We are looking for great people who thrive in a respectful, collaborative, inclusive, and productive culture to join the Xenon team.

What We Do:

We are advancing an exciting product pipeline to address indications with high unmet medical need, including epilepsy, depression and pain. Our Phase 3 azetukalner program represents the most advanced, clinically validated potassium channel modulator in late-stage clinical development for multiple indications. In March 2026, we announced positive topline data from our Phase 3 X-TOLE2 study of azetukalner in focal onset seizures (FOS), and we anticipate submitting a New Drug Application to the Food and Drug Administration in the third quarter of 2026. Our Phase 3 epilepsy program also includes a second FOS study, X-TOLE3, which would support regulatory submissions outside the U.S., and the X-ACKT study in primary generalized tonic-clonic seizures, which would support regulatory submissions for an additional epilepsy indication. We also have multiple Phase 3 azetukalner clinical trials underway in major depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar depression (BPD), based on topline data from our Phase 2 X-NOVA clinical trial. In addition, we are proud of our strong heritage in human genetics, deep understanding of ion channel biology, and expertise in novel chemistries to enable potent, selective ion channel targeting. We continue to advance an early-stage pipeline of novel therapeutic candidates, including Phase 1 studies for XEN1701 and XEN1720 (targeting Nav1.7) and XEN1120 (targeting Kv7), which are being developed for pain. Backed by a strong balance sheet to support our growth plans, we continue to build a fully integrated, premier neuroscience company with strong discovery, clinical development, corporate, and commercial operations.

About the Role:

The Director/Senior Director, Human Resources, Commercial, serves as the primary HR Business Partner to the SVP, Sales & Marketing and the Sales & Marketing Leadership Team. This role is responsible for translating Commercial business priorities into people, talent, organizational, and workforce strategies that support commercialization objectives and long-term business growth.

As a key member of the Commercial HR team, this role leads the continued build-out and evolution of Xenon's Sales and Marketing organizations. The role advises leaders on organizational structure, workforce planning, leadership capability, talent strategies, and organizational readiness while ensuring the organization has the capabilities, talent, and workforce plans required to support successful commercialization.

This critical role also serves as the HR Lead for Xenon's Launch Readiness Core Team, representing HR in cross-functional launch planning activities and ensuring alignment between Commercial priorities and HR deliverables. This role acts as the primary connection between the Launch Readiness Core Team and the broader HR organization, ensuring HR activities are executed in support of commercialization readiness while providing organizational insights, workforce considerations, and people-related recommendations to support decision-making.

The successful candidate will bring strong business acumen, HR Business Partner experience, and a demonstrated ability to influence leaders, lead complex initiatives, and drive execution in a fast-paced and evolving environment.

This position reports to the Vice President, Human Resources, Commercial, and will be based out of Boston, MA, USA in our Needham office. We will consider remote locations for exceptional candidates. The level of the position will be commensurate with the candidate’s education and industry experience. Hybrid positions require a minimum of two onsite days per week.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Provide strategic HR partnership and expert counsel to Commercial leadership across Sales and Marketing
• Execute the sales hiring strategy to build out approximately 100+ person Sales organization and ensure seamless onboarding and retention of sales team in partnership with Commercial Operations and Field Strategy and Enablement
• Provide HR leadership on salesforce sizing, IC strategy and plans, field benefits and other field infrastructure needs in partnership with Total Rewards leader
• Partner with leaders to translate business priorities into people strategies, organizational design, workforce planning, and talent management initiatives
• Support and advise leaders on organizational effectiveness, employee engagement, coaching, performance management, and succession planning
• Act as a trusted advisor to leadership during periods of rapid growth, organizational change, and commercialization readiness activities
• Lead and support commercial scaling initiatives, including organizational structure development, capability building, and talent planning
• Act as the primary liaison between the Launch Readiness Core Team and the HR organization, ensuring Functional HR Business Partners and HR Program Areas remain informed, aligned, and prepared to support launch-related priorities
• Lead the coordination of launch-related activities across HR Program Areas, including Talent Acquisition, Total Rewards, HR Operations, Learning & Development, Compliance, and Legal, ensuring alignment with Commercial priorities and launch timelines
• Partner cross-functionally with Talent Acquisition, Total Rewards, Legal, Compliance, and broader HR teams to ensure alignment and execution of people initiatives
• Enable the implementation of new and evolving business systems, processes, and infrastructure to support organizational growth and operational excellence
• Utilize strong business acumen and data-driven insights to identify organizational trends, risks, and opportunities
• Act as a champion for Xenon’s culture and values while fostering a collaborative, inclusive, and high-performing environment
• Ensure HR policies, practices, and programs are consistently applied and aligned with business objectives
• Develop and propose short- and long-term objectives for the function in accordance with overall Company strategies and plans
• Plan and manage budget proposals and approved budgets in accordance with the Company’s strategic and operating plans and Finance policies
• Recruit, lead, direct, develop, coach and evaluate direct reports, if any, in accordance with the Company’s Human Resource policies and practices
• Act in accordance with Company policies, including, for example, the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics and ensure policies are understood and followed by direct reports, if any
• Some international travel may be required
• Other duties as assigned

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree and/or HR certification preferred
• 10+ years of progressive HR Business Partner and/or HR leadership experience within biotechnology, pharmaceutical, or life sciences organizations
• Prior experience supporting Commercial organizations through a product launch, including Sales and Marketing teams, required
• Experience supporting organizations through periods of rapid growth and organizational evolution
• Several years of experience within small and/or mid-sized biotechnology or pharmaceutical companies required
• Strong business acumen with the ability to assess organizational implications and cross-functional interdependencies
• Excellent influencing, coaching, collaboration, and relationship-building skills
• Strong employee relations and organizational development capabilities
• Proven ability to operate effectively in fast-paced, evolving environments with ambiguity and change
• High level of professionalism, sound judgment, and executive presence
• Excellent verbal, written, and presentation skills

Our Total Rewards program includes base salary, target bonus, and stock options, as well as a full range of benefits including medical, dental, vision, short‑and‑long‑term disability, accidental death & dismemberment, and life insurance programs, Employee Assistance Program, travel insurance, and retirement savings programs with company matching contributions.

Xenon encourages time to rest and re‑charge through vacation, personal days, sick days, and an end‑of‑year company shutdown. Xenon highly values employee development and has an expanding Training, Learning & Development program, including a Tuition Assistance program for advanced degrees.