Director, Business Partner

Our mission is to detect cancer early, when it can be cured. We are working to change the trajectory of cancer mortality and bring stakeholders together to adopt innovative, safe, and effective technologies that can transform cancer care.

We are a healthcare company, pioneering new technologies to advance early cancer detection. We have built a multi-disciplinary organization of scientists, engineers, and physicians and we are using the power of next-generation sequencing (NGS), population-scale clinical studies, and state-of-the-art computer science and data science to overcome one of medicine’s greatest challenges.

GRAIL is headquartered in Menlo Park, California, with locations in Washington, D.C., North Carolina, and the United Kingdom. It is supported by leading global investors and pharmaceutical, technology, and healthcare companies.

For more information, please visit

We are seeking an experienced People Business Partner, Director to join our team in North Carolina’s premier global innovation center, Research Triangle Park (RTP), supporting our Development and Operations functions at our flagship laboratory. You will also serve as the HR site lead for RTP, playing a critical role in shaping the culture, aligning local execution with broader corporate strategy, and creating an environment where people and teams can thrive.

This is a hybrid role, requiring onsite presence at least 4 days a week
, with occasional travel to our California headquarters.

• Partner closely with the SVP of Development and Operations (based in Menlo Park) and the VP of Operations (based in RTP) as a trusted advisor on people and organizational matters, helping to shape and execute the people strategy that supports team effectiveness, culture, and business goals.
• Design and implement organizational structures that scale with business growth, driving clarity, effectiveness, and accountability. Guide leaders and employees through organizational changes, ensuring effective communication and support during transitions.
• Drive change management initiatives that help teams adapt and thrive in a dynamic environment, partnering with leaders to develop and implement effective communication plans that support clarity, alignment, and engagement.
• Solve complex employee relations (ER) issues with fairness, legal compliance, and thoughtful care.
• Guide leaders on performance management, development, coaching, compensation, team, and organizational effectiveness initiatives.
• Facilitate and drive all core people programs, including performance reviews, calibrations, compensation planning, engagement surveys, succession planning, talent reviews, and workforce planning.
• Build trusted relationships across all levels to foster stronger collaboration and enhance employee engagement.
• Utilize HR data and analytics to deliver actionable insights and inform evidence-based decision-making.
• Collaborate with Centers of Excellence (Talent Acquisition, Total Rewards, Culture & Community, Legal, People Ops) to deliver integrated, scalable people programs.
• Support employees in both exempt and non-exempt roles with tailored HR strategies.
• Collaborate with the Site Lead, Facilities, Safety, Security, IT, and Site Operations to maintain a safe, inclusive, and engaging workplace while ensuring compliance with employment, policy, and health & safety standards.
• Partner on site-wide initiatives such as safety drills, training, and audits through an HR lens that promotes communication, readiness, and employee engagement.
• Embed the company’s mission, vision, and values into daily employee experiences by modeling ethical behavior, accountability, and inclusion across the RTP site.
• Foster community and belonging through engagement programs, culture-building events, and open communication channels such as town halls and feedback sessions that amplify the employee voice.

• 15+ years of progressive People Partner experience, including direct support of lab teams consisting of employees in both exempt and non-exempt roles; currently operating at a Director level or equivalent.
• Proven success in influencing and advising senior leaders,…