Job Description
Overview
At Vertex, the People Advisor delivers high-impact, manager-facing HR advisory support that helps leaders make effective people decisions, strengthen organizational health, and create a consistently positive employee experience. This role supports the Corporate Functions portfolio and will partner closely with managers through everyday people decisions, moments of change, and critical workforce cycles.
Operating within Vertex’s HR service-based model, the People Advisor focuses on proactive coaching, early intervention, talent planning, program enablement, and people insights while partnering with People Experience, Employee Relations, HR Business Partners, HR Operations, and Centers of Excellence to route transactional, programmatic, or formal investigative work to the teams best positioned to deliver it.
Key Duties and Responsibilities:Manager Coaching, Advisory & Early Intervention
Coach managers through day-to-day people challenges, performance concerns, conduct matters, and team effectiveness opportunities
Advise on policy interpretation and practical application, helping managers make consistent, values-aligned decisions
Support early intervention in difficult or sensitive employee situations by helping assess risk, clarify options, and prepare for appropriate next steps
Engage Employee Relations when formal action, independent fact-finding, or investigation support is required
Employee & Employment Life-Cycle Services
Advise managers through complex employment moments, including workforce cycles, compensation cycles, performance, role changes, and promotion decisions
Support leave of absence and return-to-work planning by helping managers navigate timelines, decision points, and stakeholder coordination
Guide accommodation and workplace adjustment processes in partnership with the appropriate HR, Benefits, Employee Relations, and legal stakeholders
Support sensitive employment transitions, including involuntary separations, reductions in force, and other complex exits
Talent Strategy Activation & Enablement
Support rollout, adoption, and consistent execution of enterprise talent programs, workforce cycles, and manager-facing HR initiatives
Enable managers with clear guidance, practical tools, and timely communications that help translate programs into day-to-day action
Reinforce consistent application of standard processes and ways of working across functions and teams
Partner with Centers of Excellence and HR teams to standardize processes, support change adoption, and ensure scalable, business-relevant delivery
Talent Planning & Consulting
Advise managers on organization hygiene, role clarity, workforce planning, and headcount-related initiatives
Assess people implications of business and operating model changes across Corporate Functions and provide practical recommendations
Translate business needs into talent actions that balance near-term execution with longer-term workforce goals
Support restructures, role changes, work shifts, and related stakeholder coordination across HR teams as needed
People Intelligence & Organizational Health
Analyze workforce trends and patterns to help leaders understand what is changing, why it is happening, and where action may be needed
Monitor organizational health indicators, manager capability signals, and emerging workforce risks across the Corporate Functions portfolio
Conduct targeted diagnostics, highlight themes and opportunities, and guide managers toward appropriate actions rather than simply providing reports
Demonstrated ability to coach and influence managers through complex people decisions, early interventions, and sensitive employment situations
Strong knowledge of HR policies, employment practices, and service-based HR operating models, with the ability to apply guidance consistently and practically across geographies
Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret workforce trends, identify organizational health themes, and translate insights into action
Ability to manage multiple priorities, navigate ambiguity, assess risk, and exercise sound judgment in a fast-paced, matrixed environment
Strong consulting, communication, stakeholder management, and change enablement skills across business and HR partners
Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and experience
4+ years of experience in HR advisory, HR business partnering, employee relations, HR operations, or a related HR role
Experience supporting manager-facing advisory work across performance, employment lifecycle, workforce planning, organizational health, or talent program execution preferred
Experience partnering with HR Business Partners, Employee Relations, People Experience, HR Operations, Legal, and Centers of Excellence preferred
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Pay Range:
$112,700 - $169,100Disclosure Statement:
The range provided is based on what we believe is a reasonable estimate for the base salary pay range for this job at the time of posting. This role is eligible for an annual bonus and annual equity awards. Some roles may also be eligible for overtime pay, in accordance with federal and state requirements. Actual base salary pay will be based on a number of factors, including skills, competencies, experience, and other job-related factors permitted by law.
At Vertex, our Total Rewards offerings also include inclusive market-leading benefits to meet our employees wherever they are in their career, financial, family and wellbeing journey while providing flexibility and resources to support their growth and aspirations. From medical, dental and vision benefits to generous paid time off (including a week-long company shutdown in the Summer and the Winter), educational assistance programs including student loan repayment, a generous commuting subsidy, matching charitable donations, 401(k) and so much more.
Flex Designation:
Hybrid-Eligible Or On-Site EligibleFlex Eligibility Status:
In this Hybrid-Eligible role, you can choose to be designated as:
1. Hybrid: work remotely up to two days per week; or select
2. On-Site: work five days per week on-site with ad hoc flexibility.
Note: The Flex status for this position is subject to Vertex’s Policy on Flex @ Vertex Program and may be changed at any time.
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Company Information
Vertex is a global biotechnology company that invests in scientific innovation.
Vertex 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, ethnicity, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, marital status, or any characteristic protected under applicable law. Vertex is an E-Verify Employer in the United States. Vertex will make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with known disabilities, in accordance with applicable law.
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 make a request to the recruiter or hiring manager, or contact Talent Acquisition at [email protected]
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and experience
- 4+ years of experience in HR advisory, HR business partnering, employee relations, HR operations, or related HR role
- Demonstrated ability to coach and influence managers through complex people decisions, early interventions, and sensitive employment situations
- Strong knowledge of HR policies, employment practices, and service-based HR operating models
- Strong analytical skills with ability to interpret workforce trends and translate insights into action
- Ability to manage multiple priorities, navigate ambiguity, assess risk, and exercise sound judgment
- Strong consulting, communication, stakeholder management, and change enablement skills
- Experience supporting manager-facing advisory work across performance, employment lifecycle, workforce planning, organizational health, or talent program execution
- Experience partnering with HR Business Partners, Employee Relations, People Experience, HR Operations, Legal, and Centers of Excellence
Vertex Pharmaceuticals Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Vertex Pharmaceuticals and has not been reviewed or approved by Vertex Pharmaceuticals.
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Parental & Family Support — Policies provide 12 weeks of 100% paid bonding leave for all U.S. parents with additional fully paid time for birth parents. Family-forming supports include adoption and surrogacy assistance, fertility options like IVF and egg cryopreservation, breast‑milk shipping, subsidized childcare, backup care, and a DCFSA match.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Time off includes roughly four weeks of vacation, 13 holidays, sick time, and two companywide shutdowns (summer and year‑end). Some roles also include flexible or unlimited time off and paid volunteer time.
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Retirement Support — Programs include a 401(k) plan with employer contributions and an employee stock purchase plan. Filings describe employer contributions occurring in company stock, supporting long‑term ownership.
Vertex Pharmaceuticals Insights
What We Do
Vertex is a global biotechnology company that invests in scientific innovation to create transformative medicines for people with serious and life-threatening diseases. We discovered and developed the first medicines to treat the underlying cause of cystic fibrosis (CF), a rare, life-threatening genetic disease. In addition to clinical development programs in CF, Vertex has more than a dozen ongoing research programs focused on the underlying mechanisms of other serious diseases. Founded in 1989 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, our corporate headquarters is now located in Boston’s Innovation District, and our international headquarters is in London, United Kingdom. We currently employ approximately 3,500 people in the United States, Europe, Canada, Australia and Latin America with nearly two-thirds of our staff dedicated to research and development. Vertex is consistently recognized as one of the industry’s top places to work by Science Magazine, The Boston Globe, Boston Business Journal and the San Diego Business Journal. Our research and medicines have also received esteemed recognitions, including the Robert J. Beall Therapeutics Development Award, the French Prix Galien and the British Pharmacological Society awards.






