About Us
Position Title: Executive Director, People & Culture Business Partner
Department: People & Culture
Reports To: Chief People Officer
Location: South San Francisco, CA – On-site 4 days per week (Mon to Thurs)
Job Overview
Kardigan is seeking an experienced and strategic Executive Director, People & Culture Business Partner to serve as a trusted advisor to senior leaders across multiple functions and lead People & Culture initiatives at our South San Francisco, CA site. This role will be instrumental in shaping and executing workforce strategies that align with Kardigan’s mission and values, fostering a high-performance, inclusive, and purpose-driven culture.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
- Serve as the People & Culture site lead for Kardigan’s South San Francisco location, ensuring alignment with company-wide People & Culture strategies and values.
- Act as a strategic business partner to senior leaders across Research, Translational, New Targets, Discovery Research, and other functions, providing guidance on organizational design, talent strategy, and change management.
- Lead workforce planning efforts, including headcount forecasting, succession planning, and organizational effectiveness initiatives.
- Drive initiatives that support employee engagement, performance management, and leadership development.
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure seamless execution of People & Culture programs and policies.
- Champion Kardigan’s values and culture, fostering an environment of authenticity, collaboration, and continuous learning.
- Provide coaching and counsel to leaders and managers on team dynamics, employee relations, performance, and development.
- Partner with People & Culture centers of excellence including Talent Acquisition, Total Rewards, and Learning & Development to support Kardigan’s growth and employee experience.
Qualifications and Preferred Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree in Human Resources, Organizational Development, or related field preferred.
- Minimum of 15+ years of progressive HR experience, with at least 5 years in a strategic business partner role supporting senior leadership. Experience in Biotech/Pharma highly desirable.
- 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, including Research, Translational Sciences, New Targets, and Discovery Research.
- Proven success partnering with executive leaders to scale both site-based operations and functional organizations during periods of rapid growth and organizational evolution.
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to influence and build trust across all levels of the organization.
- Demonstrated ability to thrive in a fast-paced, start-up environment.
- Passion for building inclusive, mission-driven cultures that prioritize patients and people.
Exact Compensation may vary based on skills, experience and location.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree
- Advanced degree in Human Resources, Organizational Development, or related field
- 15+ years of progressive HR experience
- At least 5 years in a strategic business partner role supporting senior leadership
- Experience in Biotech/Pharma
- Proven experience in workforce planning, employee relations, and organizational development
- Demonstrated experience advising executive and senior leaders across scientific functions (Research, Translational, Discovery)
- Proven success partnering with executive leaders to scale site-based and functional organizations during rapid growth
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills with ability to influence and build trust
- Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, start-up environment
- Passion for building inclusive, mission-driven cultures
- On-site presence in South San Francisco 4 days per week (Mon–Thu)
What We Do
Kardigan is a patient-driven heart health company that is modernizing cardiovascular drug development to deliver medicines that move patients beyond symptom management to functional cures. By matching critical disease drivers with treatment responders identified in clinical trials, Kardigan is developing a portfolio of medicines that modify the underlying cardiovascular disease pathophysiology to get patients closer to the cures they deserve. For more information about Kardigan, please visit kardigan.bio. If you are interested in joining our passionate and driven team with deep cardiovascular, biotechnology and operational expertise, please visit kardigan.bio or the careers tab of this page.
