Job Description

About the Company

Unnatural Products (UNP) is a growing discovery-stage biotech company pioneering macrocyclic peptide drug discovery. Our goal is to unlock the full therapeutic potential of macrocycles by bringing small molecule-like behavior to molecules with high target affinity - unlocking undruggable targets and enabling oral delivery to targets traditionally only addressable with injectable modalities.

To support UNP’s next stage of growth, we are seeking a passionate and experienced HR leader to join our team. This person will play a pivotal role in scaling and nurturing our unique, high-performance culture, ensuring we attract, develop, and retain exceptional talent as we write the next chapter of our Company’s journey.

Based in Santa Cruz, CA, we are a passionate team of scientists and operators doing high-quality science in a beautiful setting—where innovation and work-life balance go hand in hand. Come shape the future of UNP with us!

The Role

As the Head of HR, you’ll lead the development and execution of our HR strategy and systems. Reporting to the CEO and acting as a key partner to the executive team, you will be responsible for building a high-integrity, inclusive, and performance-driven organization. You will own and shape the full employee lifecycle: from recruiting and onboarding, to performance management, professional development, and retention. This is a strategic and hands-on role, ideal for someone with experience building HR functions in early-stage companies, who can help mature existing structures to fit with the next phase of UNP, and who has a passion for building systems that directly support business growth. You will also be a key player in ensuring that we retain and develop our culture as we grow the organization.

What You’ll Do

• Build the People Function: Design and implement HR infrastructure, policies, systems (ATS, etc.), and practices as we grow the organization.
• Partner with Leadership: Serve as a strategic advisor to the CEO and executive team on organizational design, compensation, hiring plans, and cultural priorities.
• Drive Talent Acquisition & Recruiting: Build and refine a scalable hiring funnel in anticipation of growth; develop a thoughtful recruiting strategy to attract and hire talent across all functions.
• Support Organizational Growth: Help the team navigate scale, change, and complexity—building resilience, clarity, and alignment along the way.
• Lead Performance Management & Professional Development: Refine and develop a robust performance management framework and learning & development programs that align with our values and business goals.
• Shape Compensation & Equity Strategy: Establish competitive, equitable compensation practices; work with leadership on leveling, benchmarking, and pay transparency.
• Champion our Culture: Codify and nurture our culture as we grow. Lead initiatives around employee engagement, recognition, diversity, inclusion, and belonging.
• Own Compliance & Risk Management: Ensure we meet all employment law requirements and proactively manage People-related risks.

Essential Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field; advanced degree (e.g., MBA or MS in HR) preferred. Professional credentials such as SHRM-(S)CP are also preferred.
• 15+ years of HR leadership experience, including 3+ years in a senior, executive-facing role in the biotech industry.
• Proven experience leading People/HR in biotech, ideally through significant scale (e.g., 40 → 100+ people), including navigating pre-clinical through clinical-stage growth, IPOs, and/or periods of organizational restructuring.
• Deep understanding of the people and organizational challenges faced by life sciences companies, such as hiring for highly specialized roles in competitive markets, and aligning technical and business functions across R&D, clinical, and G&A teams.
• Demonstrated ability to build HR from the ground up: systems, processes, and a team.
• Proven ability to build performance and L&D programs that drive business goals, support growth, and keep teams aligned through change and scale.
• Track record of building compensation frameworks, partnering with the Board on Compensation Committees, and managing equity programs (ISOs, RSUs, PSUs, etc.).
• Proven ability to lead through high-growth, including transitions from early-stage, ad hoc HR operations to scalable, in-house systems and infrastructure.
• Proven success managing complex employee relations, backed by strong knowledge of California employment law and evolving HR best practices.
• A strong coach and excellent communicator
• High EQ & integrity

Optional additional experience:

• Experience with HR tech stack implementations (e.g., Greenhouse, Lattice, TriNet)
• Familiarity with multi-state operations, including the ability to navigate dynamic and evolving compliance landscapes across jurisdictions.
• Experience with DEI and community engagement programs.

Why Join Us?

You will have to have an opportunity to help shape the future of a company on the rise. As our first dedicated HR leader, you will have on-going and broad impact on the future of UNP, and the chance to build something truly lasting. We value integrity, transparency, curiosity, and a collaborative spirit. If you are passionate about people and biotech, and you know how to scale both, we’d love to talk.

The salary range for this role is $225,000-$300,000. Title and compensation will be competitive and commensurate with the candidate's career experience, qualifications, and the responsibilities of the position.

We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees and applicants and welcome individuals of all backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. All employment decisions are based on business needs, job requirements, and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, disability status, or any other status protected by law.

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