Acadia Pharmaceuticals Inc. · 9 hours ago
Director/Sr. Director, People Business Partner
Princeton, New Jersey, United States
Full-time
Hybrid
Director/Executive
$180K/yr - $215K/yr
10+ years expAcadia Pharmaceuticals is dedicated to creating innovative treatments for underserved neurological and rare disease communities. The Director/Sr. Director, People Business Partner will serve as a strategic advisor to senior leaders, focusing on human resources functions such as workforce planning, employee engagement, and organizational effectiveness in a fast-paced biotech environment.
BiotechnologyHealth CarePharmaceutical
Responsibilities
Establish and maintain strong, trusted relationships with executive leadership and employees across assigned business group(s); maintain regular presence to build credibility and connection
Serve as a primary people advisor to leaders, offering objective and balanced counsel on organizational effectiveness, leadership capability, culture, and people implications of business decisions
Partner with executives and their leadership teams to develop and execute workforce and talent strategies aligned with business objectives
Drive performance management processes, including goal setting, calibration, development planning, and promotion recommendations
Lead succession planning efforts to build bench strength for critical roles and retain high‑potential talent
Partner with Talent Acquisition to identify and close talent gaps through proactive hiring and internal mobility strategies
Consult with leaders to assess development needs and implement targeted training and leadership development plans
Partner with leaders to assess employee engagement data and design action plans that strengthen culture, inclusion, and retention
Coach leaders on effective people leadership practices, feedback, and communication
Provide guidance to leaders to proactively identify and resolve employee relations issues
Manage and resolve complex employee relations matters, conducting thorough and objective investigations as appropriate
Partner with Employee Relations leadership on escalated matters as needed
Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws across multiple geographies
Oversee annual performance and compensation planning for assigned client groups, ensuring alignment of pay with performance and business outcomes
Partner with Compensation on job leveling, market analysis, and participation in the design and management of company‑wide compensation programs
Provide consultation on offers, promotions, and pay decisions
Lead and support organizational change initiatives, including restructures, growth, and operating model shifts
Develop and implement effective change management and communication plans
Partner with HR Centers of Excellence (Performance Management, Compensation, Learning & Development, Onboarding, Organizational Effectiveness) to deliver integrated people solutions
Influence and align senior leaders across functions and geographies
Drive consistent, high‑quality HRBP practices while tailoring solutions to business needs
Qualification
Required
Bachelor's degree in a related field or equivalent combination of education and experience
Progressive HR Business Partner experience, preferably in Biotech or Pharma
Strong strategic thinking capability with demonstrated hands‑on execution
Deep working knowledge of federal, state, and local employment laws
Proven ability to coach and influence leaders at mid‑to‑senior levels
Excellent communication, presentation, consultative, and interpersonal skills
Experience with performance management, succession planning, and compensation planning
Ability to operate effectively in a fast‑paced, evolving environment
Experience working across multiple geographies
Strong conflict resolution, negotiation, and stakeholder alignment skills
Ability to travel up to 10% of the time, primarily domestic
Preferred
Experience leading large‑scale change initiatives
Familiarity with benefits program design and delivery
Experience in influencing enterprise‑wide HR programs and strategies
Benefits
Competitive base, bonus, new hire and ongoing equity packages
Medical, dental, and vision insurance
Employer-paid life, disability, business travel and EAP coverage
401(k) Plan with a fully vested company match 1:1 up to 5%
Employee Stock Purchase Plan with a 2-year purchase price lock-in
15+ vacation days
13 -15 paid holidays, including office closure between December 24th and January 1st
10 days of paid sick time
Paid parental leave benefit
Tuition assistance
Company
Acadia Pharmaceuticals Inc.
Acadia Pharmaceuticals develops and commercializes small molecule drugs for the treatment of central nervous system disorders.
501-1000 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Public CompanyTotal Funding
$811.73MKey Investors
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and StrokeOxford Bioscience PartnersNational Institute of Mental Health
2019-09-17Post Ipo Equity· $287.5M
2018-11-30Post Ipo Equity· $316.25M
2013-01-02Post Ipo Equity· $86.39M
Leadership Team
Catherine Adams
Chief Executive Officer
Steve Davis
President and CEO
Recent News
Company data provided by crunchbase