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Salary: USD 190,000 - 275,000 / annual
Dispatch is a clinical-stage biotech company developing novel cancer therapies using first-in-class viral vectors, universal targets, and novel cytokine biology. Founded on pioneering work from leading academic institutions (University of Pennsylvania, UCSF, Stanford, Memorial Sloan Kettering), the company is pursuing a universal treatment approach across solid tumors.
As Director of Talent Acquisition, you will lead the entire hiring function for this high-growth company, reporting to the Chief People & Culture Officer. You will own end-to-end recruiting from candidate attraction through offer acceptance, build and lead a small recruiting team (including part-time/contract resources), and establish relationships with external partners including search firms, immigration counsel, LinkedIn Recruiter, Greenhouse, and branding partners.
Key responsibilities include: designing and executing hiring strategy and processes; serving as trusted advisor to hiring managers across research, development, technical operations, and corporate functions; developing assessment tools, structured interview guides, and interviewer training; creating a positive candidate experience; identifying and adopting AI tools to enhance recruiting efficiency; proactively identifying talent for critical scientific, clinical, and technical roles; leading employer brand strategy; managing offers and compensation within established pay ranges; selecting and managing external recruiting partners; developing and managing the talent acquisition budget; owning the Greenhouse ATS and recruiting workflows; defining and reporting on hiring metrics; and building sourcing strategies that reach diverse talent pools while ensuring compliance with employment laws in Pennsylvania and California.
This is a hands-on leadership role where you will set strategy, build repeatable processes, and also carry your own searches, especially for senior and hard-to-fill positions.
**Requirements:**
- Bachelor's degree
- Minimum 10 years of recruiting experience with significant in-house talent acquisition experience in biotech, pharmaceutical, or life sciences companies
- Demonstrated success recruiting across scientific, clinical, technical operations, and corporate functions, including senior and executive-level searches
- Experience building or scaling a talent acquisition function in a startup or high-growth environment, including designing hiring processes, tools, and interviewer training
- Strong understanding of compensation (base, bonus, equity) with experience building and negotiating competitive offers
- Experience selecting and managing external partners such as search firms and recruiting technology vendors, and developing/managing a recruiting budget
- Hands-on experience with applicant tracking systems and LinkedIn Recruiter; comfort using data to measure and improve hiring outcomes
- Collaborative nature with credibility and influence to advise senior leaders and hiring managers
- Excellent organizational, problem-solving, and time management skills; ability to manage multiple searches and priorities simultaneously
- Positive attitude, dedicated work ethic, and flexible orientation for fast-paced, entrepreneurial environments
- Strong verbal and written communication skills with ability to tell compelling stories that resonate with candidates
- Demonstrated leadership skills including ability to communicate, coach, mentor, develop employees, and give/receive feedback with clarity and kindness
**Preferred experience:**
- Experience hiring for clinical-stage companies, including clinical development and clinical operations roles
- Experience recruiting for cell or gene therapy, immuno-oncology, or other novel therapeutic modalities
- Hands-on experience using AI tools to improve recruiting efficiency and quality (sourcing, candidate outreach, interview design, recruiting analytics)
- Experience recruiting across multiple sites, particularly Philadelphia and San Francisco Bay Area talent markets
- Experience leading employer brand initiatives with external creative or branding partners
- Experience managing employment-based immigration for candidates in partnership with outside counsel
- Experience with Greenhouse
