Associate Director, HR Business Partner

Job Description

Company Description

Bicycle Therapeutics is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company developing a novel class of medicines, referred to as Bicycle® molecules, for diseases that are underserved by existing therapeutics. Bicycle molecules are fully synthetic short peptides constrained with small molecule scaffolds to form two loops that stabilize their structural geometry. This constraint facilitates target binding with high affinity and selectivity, making Bicycle molecules attractive candidates for drug development. The company is evaluating zelenectide pevedotin (formerly BT8009), a Bicycle® Toxin Conjugate (BTC®) targeting Nectin-4, a well-validated tumor antigen; BT5528, a BTC molecule targeting EphA2, a historically undruggable target; and BT7480, a Bicycle Tumor-Targeted Immune Cell Agonist® (Bicycle TICA®) targeting Nectin-4 and agonizing CD137, in company-sponsored clinical trials. Additionally, the company is developing Bicycle® Radio Conjugates (BRC™) for radiopharmaceutical use and, through various partnerships, is exploring the use of Bicycle® technology to develop therapies for diseases beyond oncology.

Bicycle Therapeutics is headquartered in Cambridge, UK, with many key functions and members of its leadership team located in Cambridge, MA USA

Culture is key and all Bicycle employees actively embrace and role model our company values: 

• We are Adventurous. We believe it’s the way to deliver extraordinary results for our patients.
• We are Dedicated to our Mission. You can’t change the world if you don’t have determination. 
• We are One Team. We only succeed when we work together.

Job Description

The core purpose of the role is to drive performance and build engagement across the organization, enabling the company to achieve our corporate goals whilst making Bicycle a great place to work. This is an exciting opportunity to be part of shaping Bicycle as it advances on its path to commercialization, partnering with functions that are key to commercialization success, and bolstering our HR team presence in the US. 

Alongside predominantly being a global function-aligned HR Business Partner role, the role will also be responsible for supporting location-specific matters, and leading and contributing to organization-wide people initiatives/projects. The role also contributes to the overall strategic direction and operational delivery of the HR function by being part of the HR Management team. 

The role-holder will be able to apply thought leadership across the broad people and culture perspective, and be progressive in their thinking. They should think business first and apply a people lens to it, be curious, be able to flex between high level and operational, and have a strong appetite to effect change.

This is a hybrid role, to be on-site 3 days a week. 

Key Responsibilities 

• Partner with senior functional leaders (Executive Team and Leadership Team) and people managers to identify and drive business priorities within relevant functions, including change management, team effectiveness, organizational design, engagement and culture, learning and development, talent and succession, equality, diversity and inclusion, and employee relations. 
• Partner with HR colleagues to input into the design, and deliver into the business, key people activities such as performance, talent acquisition, talent and succession, compensation and benefits. 
• Using strategic and operational HR expertise, data, industry insights and leadership thinking, advise, coach and challenge business leaders on key people topics. 
• Build influence and develop strong relationships, acting as a trusted confidante
• Apply critical thinking to develop business focused innovative and integrated HR practices . 
• Contribute to location-specific compliance and proactively enrich workplace culture 
• Align the suitable structure, cultural context, and practices to drive employee performance and build business engagement
• Plan and manage key periods or instances of organizational change. 
• Identify opportunities for organizational improvement. 

Qualifications

Key Skills & Competencies:

Essential:

• Experience of delivering a progressive business focused HR agenda, where HR is a key enabler and strategic partner to the business 
• Strong consulting and coaching skills; ability to influence senior stakeholders and form trusting relationships 
• Conviction and confidence to challenge, paired with the insight and skill to ensure the message is well-received
• Strong business acumen, in particular understanding the business context and linking with HR strategy 
• Curious and agile, have the ability to design and deliver people and change initiatives 
• Ability to navigate complex people challenges and provide practical solutions 
• Strong working knowledge of employment legislation 
• Willingness to provide thought leadership across full spectrum of HR remit; strong working knowledge of multiple HR disciplines 
• Growth mindset and pragmatism 
• High emotional intelligence, cultural sensitivity and inclusive thinker; ability to mediate different points of view 
• Strong self-leadership skills 
• Drive to succeed as part of Bicycle’s high ambitions
• Strong communicator 
• Project management skills 

Desirable:

• Biotech/pharmaceuticals/life sciences industry knowledge 
• Experience of HR within a commercial or sales environment 
• Awareness of cross-state employment legislation 
• International HR practice experience 
• Leaning towards reward 
• Strong facilitation skills 
• Experience of visa and work authorization

Additional Information

What’s in it for you?

• Flexible working environment
• Competitive reward including annual company bonus
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance for eligible employees and their families with 100% of the premiums covered by the Company
• Health and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts
• 401(k) plan with a 4% Company match and immediate vesting
• Eligibility to accrue up to 23 paid time off days per full year worked, plus the option to buy up to 5 additional days
• Employee assistance program
• Employee recognition schemes
• 10 Company holidays
• Competitive Family Leave Policy
• Eligibility for an option grant to subscribe to shares in Bicycle Therapeutics plc

Bicycle Therapeutics is committed to building a diverse workforce that is representative of the communities we serve. We recognize that diverse and inclusive teams build a stronger and more innovative company. Therefore, all qualified applicants will be considered for employment, and we do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, colour, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability status, marital status, or veteran status.