Director, Total Rewards and People Operations

Who is BlueRock?

BlueRock Therapeutics LP is a clinical stage cell therapy company harnessing the power of cell therapy to create a pipeline of new medicines for people suffering from neurological and ophthalmic diseases. Two of our novel investigational cell therapies, bemdaneprocel (BRT-DA01) for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease and OpCT-001 for the treatment of primary photoreceptor diseases are clinical stage programs. BlueRock was founded in 2016 as a joint venture of Versant Ventures and Leaps by Bayer and is a wholly-owned, independently operated subsidiary of Bayer AG. Our culture is defined by the courage to persist regardless of the challenge, the urgency to transform medicine and deliver hope, integrity guided by mission, and community-mindedness with the understanding that we are all part of something bigger than ourselves.

What Are We Doing?

Our foundational science harnesses the ability to create and then direct the differentiation of universal pluripotent stem cells into authentic, functional cells that can be used as allogeneic cellular therapies to treat a broad array of diseases. We can also further engineer these cells, enabling them to produce enzymes, antibodies, and other proteins for additional therapeutic benefit.

We are passionate about delivering on the promise of cellular and gene therapy, shaping the future of cellular medicine, and delivering new therapies to millions of patients with treatment options.

We are seeking individuals who are collaborative, thrive in a fun and dynamic culture, and are steadfast in the commitment to advance cutting-edge cellular therapies to impact patients’ lives.

Reporting directly to the Chief People Officer, the Director, Total Rewards and People Operations is both a strategic and analytical role, requiring a deep understanding of total rewards strategies, people operations, systems, and data analytics. A desire to be hands-on in both implementation and change management is a must, as is a collaborative and partnership-oriented spirit.

As a member of the People Leadership Team and the organization’s Leadership Forum, you’ll also be a representative of our team to the organization and an enterprise leader of BlueRock’s purpose-driven community. 

• Total Rewards Strategy:
• Develop, implement, and maintain a total rewards strategy aligned with the company's business goals, values, and culture.
• Partner with the Chief People Officer on approach to Compensation Committee, prepare board-ready material.
• Innovate and react quickly as business and market realities change, staying up to date on best practices and trends; ensure compliance with applicable legislation.
• Manage a team of 2-3 individual contributors

• Compensation Management:
• Oversee the design, execution, and management of the company's compensation programs, including base salary, bonuses, long-term incentives, and executive compensation.
• Lead the team through regular benchmarking cycles to analyze and assess market data, industry trends, and best practices to create market competitive reward packages.
• Implement and maintain performance-based pay strategies that reward high performance and drive employee engagement.
• Ensure equity and fairness in compensation practices while maintaining compliance with relevant regulations.
• Develop and implement additional pay policies and practices in line with the needs of a global and complex business.
• Collaborate with People and leadership teams to align performance management processes with compensation practices.

• Benefits Administration:
• Bring innovative practices and designs to our employee benefits programs through the lens of supporting all generational and life stage needs – including health and wellness benefits, retirement plans, and other benefit programs.
• Collaborate with benefits vendors to optimize offerings, control costs, and enhance employee satisfaction.

• Systems, Data, and Analytics:
• Oversee the evolution of Workday configuration with a focus on leveraging high quality data to provide insights to the People Leadership Team and across the business.
• Partner across the organization to understand system requirements; design scalable processes that meet the needs of the organization

• Immigration and Leave Management
• Manage employee leave programs, including FMLA, disability, and other statutory or company-provided leave types.
• Partnering with an Immigration Partner, oversee the immigration process, including visa sponsorships and work authorization in coordination with legal counsel.

• Compliance and Governance:
• Stay informed about relevant labor laws, regulations, and industry standards, ensuring all compensation and benefits programs comply with legal requirements.
• Work closely with legal and compliance teams to address any issues or concerns.

• Budgeting and Cost Management:
• Develop and manage the total rewards budget, ensuring cost-effective solutions that align with the company's financial objectives.
• Drive analytical rigor and deep analysis on effectiveness and competitiveness of existing programs; establish key metrics including return on investment, usage, and engagement,

• Payroll:
• Oversee payroll in an outsourced model

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Human Resources, or a related field required.
• Minimum of 10+ years of human resources experience with a focus and core competency in total rewards
• Strong business acumen with experience in the biotechnology industry
• Demonstrated ability to effectively develop and lead comprehensive total rewards programs that drives talent attraction
• High level of emotional intelligence, natural leadership aptitude, and strong partnership skills
• Demonstrated skill in building relationships at the senior level, influencing, and driving to consensus
• Strong project management and prioritization skills, with the ability to pivot quickly
• Deep data-orientation and desire to fuel business decisions by providing insights
• Expert in HR systems (Workday) and MS office tools with a focus on Excel and PowerPoint
• Deep knowledge of HR compliance, employment law, and regulatory requirements