Executive Director, Talent Management and HR Strategy

Opportunity awaits those up to the challenge of developing transformative therapies across a broad range of debilitating diseases.

Summary:

Roles and Responsibilities:

Apellis is seeking an experienced and enterprise-minded Executive Director, Talent Management & HR Strategy to serve as the architect of the company's integrated people strategy. This role partners directly with the Chief People Officer to design, evolve, and operationalize Apellis' strategic Talent Management philosophy, frameworks, and practices-ensuring sustained leadership strength, execution excellence, and organizational performance.

This leader is responsible for enterprise Talent Management, including performance management, succession planning, high-potential strategy, and the design and delivery of Director+ and SLT leadership development programs. In addition, this role will drive enterprise HR strategy, workforce planning frameworks, and talent governance. The ED will partner with HR Business Partners and Centers of Excellence (COEs) to bring to life a unified HR operating model that drives execution, prioritization, and cultural alignment.

This leader also partners on enterprise onboarding experience strategy to ensure consistent outcomes and alignment to Apellis' talent philosophy, while not owning ownership of onboarding design or delivery independently.

As a member of the HR Leadership Team, this role must:

• Operate with an enterprise-first mindset, prioritizing what is best for the business and HR as a whole-not only their specialization.
• Build a symbiotic partnership with HR Business Partners, ensuring COE strategies are informed by the "voice of the business" and fully executable.
• Equip HRBPs with tools, frameworks, and governance that enable consistent and scalable execution.
• Demonstrate transparency, follow-through, and proactive communication to ensure alignment and trust across HR.

Roles and Responsibilities, Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Lead the creation and implementation of the enterprise HR and Talent Management strategy, aligned to business growth and workforce needs.
• Design and operationalize Apellis' Talent philosophy, including performance management, succession, and talent assessment frameworks.
• Own enterprise leadership development strategy and programs for Directors, Executive Directors, and the Senior Leadership Team, ensuring clear capability building tied to business priorities.
• Establish and govern talent processes that build clarity, transparency, and accountability across HR Business Partners and COEs.
• Partner with HR Business Partners to identify and develop critical capabilities and leadership strengths across business functions, using insights and data to guide decisions.
• Develop and maintain tools, templates, and guidance that enable HRBPs to drive strategic execution-not one-off solutions.
• Partner with HR Business Partners and People Experience to shape the enterprise onboarding experience strategy, ensuring clarity of purpose and leadership expectations.
• Lead Talent Management reporting and insights to drive workforce decisions, promotion governance, and succession depth conversations with Executive Leadership.
• Evaluate and manage strategic external partners and leadership development vendors.
• Serve as a culture advocate, reinforcing leadership accountability, performance expectations, and engagement standards across functions.

Required Education

• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree strongly preferred (HR, Organizational Psychology, Business, Leadership Development or related field).

Required Experience

• 15+ years progressive Talent Management and/or HR leadership experience.
• Experience leading Talent, Succession, Leadership Development, or HR Strategy functions in biotech, pharmaceuticals, life sciences, or a highly regulated science-driven organization.
• Demonstrated experience designing and deploying enterprise talent frameworks, governance structures, and leadership programs for Director-level and above.
• Proven ability to influence and partner with executive teams, translate business needs into strategy, and lead through data-driven insights.
• Strong business acumen, with the ability to drive actionable alignment between HR strategy and business priorities.

Skills & Competencies

• Strategic enterprise leader and systems thinker
• Proven architect of Talent and Leadership frameworks
• Exceptional communication, influence, and facilitation
• Assessment and succession planning expertise
• Leadership development design and vendor management
• Data-driven decision-making and governance discipline
• Drives culture, inclusion, and performance accountability

Physical Demands & Work Environment

• Office based work environment

Travel Requirements

• 10%

Work Arrangements (Hybrid, Remote, Onsite, Field)

• Hybrid

Travel Requirements:

Education:

Pay Information:

Work Arrangement:

Benefits and Perks:

Apellis offers a comprehensive benefits package, including a 401(k) plan with company match, inclusive family building benefits, flexible time off, summer and winter shutdowns, paid family leave, disability and life insurance, and more! Visit https://apellis.com/careers/benefits/ to learn more.

Company Background:

Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a global biopharmaceutical company leading the way in complement science to develop life-changing therapies for some of the most challenging diseases patients face. We ushered in the first new class of complement medicine in 15 years and now have two C3-targeting medicines approved to treat four serious diseases. Breakthroughs for patients include the first-ever therapy for geographic atrophy, a leading cause of blindness, and the first treatment for patients 12 and older with C3G or primary IC-MPGN, two severe, rare kidney diseases. We believe we have only begun to unlock the potential of targeting C3 across many serious diseases.

For more information, please visit http://apellis.comor follow us on LinkedIn andX.

EEO Statement:

Apellis is an equal opportunity employer and complies with all applicable federal, state and local fair employment practices laws. Apellis strictly prohibits and does not tolerate discrimination against employees, applicants or any other covered persons because of race, color, religion, creed, national origin or ancestry, ethnicity, sex (including pregnancy), gender (including gender nonconformity and status as a transgender or transsexual individual), age, physical or mental disability, citizenship, past, current or prospective service in the uniformed services, genetic information, marital status, AIDS/HIV status, smoker/nonsmoker, and occupational pneumoconiosis or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state or local law.
For San Francisco postings: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Other Duties:

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.