Senior Director, HR Business Partner – Commercial

Reporting to the Chief Administrative Officer as a member of the People leadership team, this role leads people partnership across the Commercial organization, including Sales, Marketing, Market Access, Commercial Operations, and related launch functions.

Executive Partnership to Commercial Leadership

• Serve as the primary people partner and trusted advisor to the Head of Commercial on organizational strategy, leadership effectiveness, talent, and culture
• Translate commercial strategy and launch plans into an integrated people strategy covering organization design, workforce planning, talent acquisition priorities, capability building, and leadership development
• Coach senior commercial leaders on leading through rapid growth, building high-performing teams, and integrating into Relay's culture and ways of working
• Advise on complex and sensitive leadership matters, employee relations, and executive-level decisions with sound judgment, discretion, and a strong understanding of risk
• Partner with People leadership to align the Commercial people strategy with enterprise priorities and with partner functions such as Clinical Development and Medical Affairs

Commercial Organization Build & Launch Readiness

• Lead the people workstream of Relay's commercial build, including organization design, phased hiring plans, sequencing of leadership hires, and field force sizing and deployment in partnership with Commercial Operations and Finance
• Partner with Talent Acquisition to execute high-volume, time-sensitive hiring waves — senior commercial leaders, field sales and key account teams, and market access roles
• Partner with Total Rewards to design market-competitive compensation structures, sales incentive compensation plans, and job architecture for commercial and field-based roles
• Design onboarding and integration experiences for commercial hires and new leaders, including field-based and remote employees
• Partner with Legal, Compliance, and People Operations to establish the policies, training, and infrastructure needed to support a multi-state, field-based workforce

Organizational Effectiveness & Talent Strategy

• Build commercial leadership capability through talent reviews, succession planning, and development planning for critical roles
• Establish clear manager expectations and performance practices suited to a commercial environment, including goal setting tied to launch milestones and field performance
• Use people analytics, engagement data, and organizational insights to monitor the health of a fast-growing organization and recommend timely actions
• Anticipate capability needs across the commercial lifecycle — from pre-launch through launch and growth — and shape workforce plans accordingly

Enterprise People Strategy & Leadership

• Contribute to Relay's enterprise people strategy and operating model as a member of the People leadership team as the company transitions to commercialization
• Shape scalable people programs — performance management, talent reviews and succession, engagement and pulse surveys, and leadership development
• Partner with colleagues on the People, Finance, IT, and Operations teams as part of a seamless business partner model
• Bring an external perspective on commercial HR best practices and help build People team capability as the company scales

Change Management & Culture

• Lead change strategies that help the broader organization understand and embrace Relay's evolution into a commercial company
• Bridge cultures between long-tenured scientific and development teams and newly hired commercial talent, fostering collaboration across functions
• Serve as a culture ambassador, reinforcing Relay's values and building an inclusive, high-performing environment as the company grows

Critical Competencies

• Business-Focused: Speaks the language of the commercial business — launch planning, field performance, market access — and responds as needs change and the organization scales rapidly
• Strategic Thinker: Big-picture thinker who anticipates future trends and consequences and builds people plans ahead of the business
• Gets it Done: Take-charge leader who is resourceful, driven, and motivated to achieve in a fast-paced, dynamic, rapidly growing biotech environment
• Connector of People: Communicates clearly, builds rapport quickly, and establishes trust, respect, and confidence with executives and frontline employees alike