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Salary: USD 140,000 - 225,000 / annual
Dispatch is a biotech company founded on pioneering work from leading cancer research institutions (University of Pennsylvania, UCSF, Stanford, Memorial Sloan Kettering) focused on developing universal cancer treatments leveraging novel viral vectors and cytokine biology.
You will join as Manager/Associate Director of People & Culture Operations, reporting to the Chief People & Culture Officer. This is a founding member role on a small People & Culture team, owning the operational backbone of the function with particular depth in benefits, compensation, and HR systems.
You will design and run programs, processes, and systems that shape every stage of the employee experience across both Philadelphia and San Francisco offices. Key responsibilities include:
**Benefits & Compensation:** Own design and administration of health, welfare, retirement, leave, and wellbeing programs; manage annual renewals, open enrollment, broker/carrier relationships, market benchmarking, and compliance (ERISA, ACA, COBRA, Form 5500, nondiscrimination testing). Maintain compensation infrastructure including job architecture, salary ranges, market benchmarking, and equity guidelines in partnership with Finance and Legal.
**Performance & Salary Planning:** Lead annual performance and compensation cycles end-to-end, including process execution, merit/bonus modeling, equity refresh recommendations, manager training, and employee communications.
**HR Systems & Data:** Own core People & Culture technology stack (HRIS, payroll, benefits administration, performance, learning tools) as hands-on administrator—leading selection, implementation, integrations, data integrity, and reporting.
**Employee Lifecycle:** Take handoff from Talent Acquisition at offer acceptance; own new hire paperwork, preboarding, onboarding, and first 90 days, coordinating across both sites.
**Compliance & Immigration:** Ensure multi-state compliance (Pennsylvania, California, and beyond) for employment law, leave, I-9, notices, and recordkeeping. Manage visa and permanent residency processes for current employees in partnership with outside immigration counsel.
**Operations & Communications:** Build scalable self-service resources for employee questions on benefits, pay, leave, and policies. Develop clear communications about People & Culture programs. Support employer brand efforts with content and insights.
**AI & Automation:** Use AI tools to automate routine workflows, improve employee self-service, draft communications, and speed up analysis and reporting.
This is a hands-on role spanning strategy and execution. One day you may design the annual salary planning cycle; the next, answer a benefits question or fix a system workflow. You'll work with leaders and employees across every function, collaborate with Finance and Legal, and manage relationships with external partners (benefits brokers, carriers, payroll vendors, HR technology providers, compensation survey providers, immigration counsel).
**Requirements:**
- Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business, or related field, or equivalent practical experience
- 5+ years of progressive HR experience, including at least 3 years in a high-growth company environment
- Demonstrated depth and hands-on ownership in benefits and compensation: leading benefits renewals and open enrollment, building salary ranges and market benchmarking, running annual compensation cycles
- Hands-on HRIS administration experience, including implementing or optimizing HR systems and integrations with payroll and benefits
- Strong analytical and data skills, including advanced Excel proficiency (pivot tables, etc.) and comfort building compensation and benefits cost models
- Working knowledge of U.S. employment law and benefits compliance, including multi-state requirements
- Track record of building People & Culture processes and programs from the ground up; comfort moving fluidly between strategic and tactical work
- Collaborative nature, geared toward cross-functional teamwork
- Excellent organizational, problem-solving, and time management skills with strong attention to detail and discretion with confidential information
- Positive attitude, dedicated work ethic, and flexible orientation for fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment
- Strong verbal and written communication skills, ability to explain complex topics like benefits and compensation clearly and with care
- Comfort giving and receiving feedback with focus on continuous improvement
**Preferred Experience:**
- Experience in biotech or life sciences, including equity compensation at a venture-backed company and use of life sciences compensation surveys
- Experience supporting employees in Pennsylvania and California, or another multi-state, multi-site workforce
- Hands-on experience using AI tools to streamline HR operations (workflow automation, employee self-service, communications, people analytics) with strong data protection awareness
- Experience managing employment-based immigration for employees (visa extensions, permanent residency) in partnership with outside counsel
- Experience with Rippling
- Professional certification such as CCP, CBP, CEBS, SHRM-CP/SCP, or PHR/SPHR
