Head of People (SVP or CPO)

The Opportunity

The unprecedented convergence of multi-modal data and AI has the potential to revolutionize drug discovery. insitro is harnessing this moment to redefine how medicines are developed for complex diseases. Our AI/ML-enabled platforms generate and integrate data to rapidly discover novel biological insights to redefine complex diseases and identify new targets and drugs. Our success in this aspirational journey relies on our ability to attract, retain, and develop accomplished individuals across a spectrum of high-demand disciplines, and to build a collaborative, high-performance culture that synthesizes those disciplines into a whole which is greater than the sum of its parts.

We are searching for an incredible Head of People (SVP or CPO) to lead our People function, to set and execute on a People strategy that is aligned with broader company strategy. As the Head of People, you will report to the CEO, and be a member of the executive team. You'll lead and execute our People strategy, leveraging data-driven insights to develop and implement programs across the entire employee lifecycle.. In this key role, you will help guide and build the organization as we progress our first programs into the clinic and deliver on our mission of bringing better drugs faster to patients who can benefit most, through machine learning and data at scale.

The role is based in South San Francisco and is required on site most days, with flexibility to work remotely up to 2 days a week.

 

Responsibilities

• Strategic People Leadership:
  • Leverage your strategic acumen to create and execute best practice People initiatives that are customized to organizational needs and drive business value
  • Provide motivating leadership and management to the People team, as well as inspirational People & Culture leadership to the entire organization
  • Serve as a trusted advisor and HR business partner to the CEO and executive team to ensure the people and organization strategy supports business needs
• Organizational & Talent Development:
  • Lead organizational development initiatives to enhance effectiveness and productivity and enable the organization to respond and adapt to changes
  • Architect and execute strategies to effectively recruit, onboard, develop, retain, and reward top quality talent at all levels
  • Create and facilitate effective learning & development programs that span both broad leadership competencies and specific technical skills
• Culture, Engagement & Total Rewards:
  • Be a champion of insitro's collaborative, transparent, inclusive culture and employee experience
  • Manage effective performance, compensation and promotion reviews, including cash and equity compensation
• People Operations & Employee Relations:
  • Manage an HRBP function that effectively coaches / mentors team members, resolves employee relations issues, and develops proactive and constructive solutions
  • Continue to develop our People Operations infrastructure, systems, and programs, with a focus on the adoption of new and innovative technologies and practices
  • You will be joining a biotech startup that has long-term stability due to significant funding, providing many opportunities for significant impact. You will work closely with a very accomplished team, learn a broad range of skills, and help shape insitro's culture, strategic direction, and outcomes. Join us, and help make a difference to patients

 

About You

• Work Experience:
  • 15+ years of progressive experience
  • Demonstrated expertise across core People areas: talent acquisition, organizational effectiveness, employee engagement, and performance management
  • Proven track record in senior People leadership roles
  • Prior experience in biotech/Life Sciences is required; experience in a company with a significant tech or computational component is a strong advantage
• Technical Skills:
  • Strategic People leader with solid business acumen
  • Operationally strong, possessing exceptional project management skills and the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously in a fast-paced environment
  • Expertise in organizational development, adept at guiding effective organizational structure, programs, and initiatives
  • Excellent verbal and written communication and interaction skills
• Personal Attributes:
  • Growth mindset, eager to learn new things and leverage innovative approaches,including AI
  • Deeply collaborative, with a proven ability to cultivate a high-performance culture across diverse disciplines
  • Able to balance business priorities with empathy and support for individual team members
  • Skilled at leading change within a growing organization
  • Passion for making a meaningful difference in the world

 

Compensation & Benefits at insitro

Our target starting salary for successful US-based applicants for this role is $325,000 - $380,000. To determine starting pay, we consider multiple job-related factors including a candidate's skills, education and experience, market demand, business needs, and internal parity. We may also adjust this range in the future based on market data.

This role is eligible for participation in our Annual Performance Bonus Plan (based on company targets by role level and annual company performance) and our Equity Incentive Plan, subject to the terms of those plans and associated policies.

 

In addition, insitro also provides our employees:

• 401(k) plan with employer matching for contributions
• Excellent medical, dental, and vision coverage as well as mental health and well-being support
• Open, flexible vacation policy
• Paid parental leave of at least 16 weeks to support parents who give birth, and 10 weeks for a new parent (inclusive of birth, adoption, fostering, etc)
• Quarterly budget for books and online courses for self-development
• Support to attend professional conferences that are meaningful to your career growth and role's responsibilities
• New hire stipend for home office setup
• Monthly cell phone & internet stipend
• Access to free onsite baristas and cafe with daily lunch and breakfast for employees who are either onsite or hybrid
• Access to free onsite fitness center for employees who are either onsite or hybrid
• Access to a free commuter bus and ferry network that provides transport to and from our South San Francisco HQ from locations all around the Bay Area

 

insitro is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status.

We believe diversity, equity, and inclusion need to be at the foundation of our culture. We work hard to bring together diverse teams–grounded in a wide range of expertise and life experiences–and work even harder to ensure those teams thrive in inclusive, growth-oriented environments supported by equitable company and team practices. All candidates can expect equitable treatment, respect, and fairness throughout the interview process.

#LI-Hybrid

Please be aware of recruitment scams: we never request payments, all recruitment communications are from @insitro.com, and if in doubt, contact us at info@insitro.com.

About insitro   insitro is a drug discovery and development company using machine learning (ML) and data at scale to decode biology for transformative medicines. At the core of insitro’s approach is the convergence of in-house generated multi-modal cellular data and high-content phenotypic human cohort data. We rely on these data to develop ML-driven, predictive disease models that uncover underlying biologic state and elucidate critical drivers of disease. These powerful models rely on extensive biological and computational infrastructure and allow insitro to advance novel targets and patient biomarkers, design therapeutics and inform clinical strategy. insitro is advancing a wholly owned and partnered pipeline of insights and therapeutics in neuroscience and metabolism. Since launching in 2018, insitro has raised over $700 million from top tech, biotech and crossover investors, and from collaborations with pharmaceutical partners. For more information on insitro, please visit www.insitro.com.