At Kailera, we are bold, authentic and committed to our mission of developing therapies that give people the power to transform their lives and elevate their overall health. Rooted in an entrepreneurial spirit and a team-oriented culture, we are working together to advance Kailera’s mission to advance novel therapies for obesity and related conditions.
We are passionate about creating an inclusive workplace that promotes collaboration, integrity, and excellence. As we expand, we seek the most talented individuals with diverse backgrounds, cultures, perspectives, and experiences to join our team.
What You’ll Do:
The Senior Director, People Partner serves as a strategic advisor to senior leaders, enabling business success through talent, leadership, organizational effectiveness, culture, and employee relations strategies. Reporting to the VP, People & Culture, this role drives workforce planning, organizational design, leadership development, employee experience, and change initiatives that strengthen organizational performance and support long-term growth. This role contributes to enterprise-wide people strategies and organizational decisions that enable business growth and scalability.
Partnering closely with executive leaders, the Senior Director translates business priorities into practical people strategies that develop talent, build high-performing teams, and establish effective ways of working. The role fosters employee engagement through communications, initiatives, and experiences that reinforce Kailera's values and culture.
This role will primarily partner with the Medical and Commercial organizations, while also serving as a versatile People Partner with the capability to support a broad range of functions, initiatives, and cross-functional business needs as the organization continues to grow and evolve. The role is expected to influence leaders across the organization, contribute to enterprise-wide people priorities, and help build the people infrastructure required to scale the business.
Required location: Waltham, MA (hub-based, onsite 3-4 days per week)
Responsibilities:
Partner with senior leaders to develop and activate people strategies aligned with business priorities and growth objectives
Provide strategic guidance on organizational design, workforce planning, succession planning, and organizational effectiveness
Identify and address organizational risks, capability gaps, and talent needs
Lead talent reviews, succession planning, performance management, and high-potential development initiatives
Coach and develop leaders to build organizational capability and strengthen leadership effectiveness
Design and implement leadership development programs that strengthen management capability and build the future leadership pipeline
Ensure talent decisions support an inclusive, high-performing culture
Lead organizational design and workforce planning initiatives that build organizational capability and support business growth
Guide leaders through growth, organizational change, and business transformation
Design and implement scalable people practices, leadership frameworks, and organizational structures that support a high-growth organization
Foster a culture of engagement, accountability, and collaboration by shaping cultural norms and effective ways of working
Advise leaders on employee engagement, retention, team effectiveness, and employee relations matters
Leverage employee feedback and organizational insights to continuously improve the employee experience
Utilize workforce analytics and organizational metrics to inform decisions, measure effectiveness, and ensure compliance with people practices and employment regulations
Required Qualifications:
12+ years of progressive Human Resources experience, including significant HR Business Partner or People Partner leadership experience
Experience supporting executive-level leaders in a fast-paced, high-growth, or complex environment
Demonstrated ability to influence…