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Director, Talent Acquisition

Denali Therapeutics
South San Francisco, CA Full Time
POSTED ON 5/22/2026
AVAILABLE BEFORE 6/28/2026
Neurodegenerative diseases are one of the largest medical challenges of our time. Denali Therapeutics is a biotechnology company dedicated to developing breakthrough therapies for neurodegenerative diseases through our deep commitment to degeneration biology and principles of translational medicine. Denali is founded on the collaboration of leading scientists, industry experts, and investors who share the vision that scientific discovery energetically applied to translational medicine is the key to delivering effective therapies to patients.

We invite you to consider an opportunity with Denali to help achieve our goal of delivering meaningful therapeutics to patients.

The Director, Talent Acquisition (TA) will lead the TA strategy for Denali. This position will be responsible for evolving our programs and processes to influence and develop a curated approach to attracting best in class talent for the Company who are aligned with our core values and represent diversity in background and experience.

This is both a strategic- and execution-focused role which requires the ability to work at and

across all levels and locations of the organization, both US and globally. In addition, this position will provide leadership, guidance and operational management for the TA team and will recruit directly for roles across all functions of the Company.

Key Accountabilities/Core Job Responsibilities

  • Drive innovative recruiting and brand-related processes to facilitate fast, high-quality hiring across all areas of the Company.
  • Work in partnership with the HR and to align seamless support to Functional Leaders and hiring teams surrounding recruiting strategy, sourcing, interview process and feedback, selection criteria, offer prep and onboarding.
  • Create and lead the TA team in executing an agile TA process that allows for ebb and flow of recruitment activities in a growing organization.
  • Identify new and/or refine existing tools and systems to most efficiently manage the hiring process for Denali, as well as provide metrics and reporting to track and measure success and continuous improvement opportunities.
  • Contribute to the refinement of Denali’s Employer Brand which illustrates our Core Values and unique Employee Value Proposition (EVP).
  • Coordinate multi-channel recruiting communications and execution; develop integrated recruiting marketing campaigns, including social media and programs designed to elevate our employer brand across all platforms.
  • Drive a best-in-class candidate experience in partnership with all Functions and HR colleagues.
  • Partner closely with Communications, HR and Functional Leaders in all aspects of TA and Employer Branding.
  • Build scalable processes to enable the TA strategy across key channels, including networking, referrals, conference/events, early-career programs, alumni engagement, and vendor partnerships.
  • Develop and report on key metrics of TA effectiveness and efficiency in support of desired impact and outcomes.
  • Lead direct report(s) through annual goal setting, growth planning, adherence to company policies, maintain training compliance and provide ongoing feedback on growth, development and areas of improvement.

Qualifications/Skills

  • Bachelor's Degree in HR or related field equivalent required
  • 10 years of experience required, with 8 years in TA roles that include direct recruitment and people management accountability; pharma/biotech industry experience strongly preferred
  • 8 years of people management experience required
  • Demonstrated experience developing and implementing innovative and effective recruitment strategies and techniques - including diversity-focused sourcing strategy, social media, targeted networking and process design
  • Demonstrated success growing, managing and developing an experienced talent acquisition team comprised of both FTE and Contract employees; clear evidence of strong people leadership and management capability
  • Experience introducing and rolling out talent acquisition and marketing programs at all levels of and across a broad range of biotech disciplines
  • Strong understanding of Applicant Tracking Systems
  • Solution- and growth-focused, self-starter with a "can-do" attitude and exceptional critical thinking and problem-solving capabilities
  • Strong collaboration skills and exceptional client partnership capabilities
  • Superior organizational and analytical skills with a clear attention to detail
  • Ability to travel as needed

Salary Range: $204,000.00 to $265,000.00 . Compensation for the role will depend on a number of factors, including a candidate’s qualifications, skills, competencies, and experience. Denali offers a competitive total rewards package, which includes a 401k, healthcare coverage, ESPP and a broad range of other benefits. Learn more at https://www.denalitherapeutics.com/careers

This compensation and benefits information is based on Denali’s good faith estimate as of the date of publication and may be modified in the future.

Denali is committed to its core company value of unity by creating a diverse and inclusive environment. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, status as a veteran, basis of disability, or any other federal, state, or local protected class.

Salary : $204,000 - $265,000

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