Senior Manager, Employee Relations

IDEAYA Biosciences•South San Francisco, CA

2d•$173,000 - $213,000•Hybrid

About The Position

IDEAYA Biosciences is seeking a Senior Employee Relations Manager with deep expertise in employee relations and a passion for building high-performing, respectful workplace cultures. This is a pivotal time in our company’s evolution as we scale our HR function in preparation for becoming a commercial-stage biotechnology organization. This role will be instrumental in shaping and strengthening our employee relations infrastructure — establishing consistent, fair, and scalable practices that enable sustainable growth while protecting and reinforcing our culture of collaboration, accountability, and performance excellence. This position is based at our South San Francisco headquarters and requires onsite presence four days per week.

Requirements

8+ years of progressive HR experience with significant focus in employee relations
Demonstrated expertise conducting complex workplace investigations
Strong working knowledge of California employment law
Experience in fast paced, agile, high-growth biotechnology organizations required; preferred to have worked across all functions in the drug development lifecycle (Research, Development, Medical Affairs, Commercial, Technical Operations, Business Development, G&A)
Proven ability to influence senior leaders and navigate sensitive situations with integrity and courage
Strong documentation, analytical, and stakeholder management skills
All employees are expected to act with integrity and in full compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and IDEAYA policies, including IDEAYA’s Code of Conduct. Employees must demonstrate good judgement and ethical behavior in all business activities, maintain patient and product safety as a top priority, and report any suspected violations of law or Company policy through appropriate channels

Responsibilities

Employee Relations Consultation Serve as a trusted advisor to employees, managers, and senior leaders on complex and sensitive employee relations matters such as managing concerns about employee declining performance, interpersonal conflicts, involuntary exits, organizational changes, and team dynamics challenges.
Lead thorough, fair, and timely workplace investigations, ensuring consistency, objectivity, and risk mitigation.
Establish and standardize scalable employee relations protocols, frameworks, and documentation practices.
Partner cross-functionally with HR Business Partners, Legal, Compliance, and leadership to drive optimal and appropriate outcomes.
Ensure appropriate documentation, coaching, and corrective actions are applied consistently and in alignment with company values and compliance requirements.
Support and help enhance the annual performance management process (goal setting, manager check-ins, year-end reviews).
Policy, Compliance & Governance Oversee and manage the ongoing enhancement of the employee handbook and HR policy framework.
Lead statutory reporting processes and annual workforce data submissions to government agencies.
Manage workplace accommodations through the interactive process in compliance with federal and California law.
Manage and ensure required compliance trainings are administered (e.g., sexual harassment prevention, workplace violence prevention).
Culture & Insights Conduct exit interviews and analyze turnover trends quarterly to identify root causes and recommend actionable retention strategies.
Design and deliver manager and employee training on key employee relations topics to strengthen leadership capability.
Champion practices that reinforce IDEAYA’s values, culture, and commitment to employee well-being