Cell therapies are already changing how we treat some of the most devastating diseases, using a patient’s own cells to fight conditions like cancer and autoimmune disease. To bring these therapies to many more people, manufacturing needs to scale without compromising biology, quality or reliability.
Cellular Origins exists to make that possible. Our Constellation platform is a mobile robotic ecosystem that connects proven bioprocess tools into a fully integrated manufacturing workflow, helping therapy developers scale from clinical promise to commercial reality without re-engineering what already works.
As our Head of People, you’ll help build the company that sits behind that platform. You’ll shape the culture, structures and everyday experiences that allow talented people in engineering, robotics and life sciences to do their best work, so that more patients can receive life-changing therapies, faster.
Job DescriptionAbout the role
This is a senior, visible role at the heart of Cellular Origins. As Head of People, you’ll lead the development of a people strategy that matches the ambition of our technology, and you’ll make sure the way we hire, grow and support people is as robust and scalable as the automation we build.
You’ll balance big-picture thinking with hands-on work. One day you might be advising the CEO on future organisation shape, the next you might be refining onboarding or sitting with a manager to untangle a complex people challenge. You’ll enjoy being close to what is really happening in the business and turning insight into practical change.
You will also be a key steward of our culture as we grow. New colleagues are joining all the time, bringing different backgrounds, ideas and perspectives. You’ll help turn that diversity into a strength, keeping our environment collaborative, delivery focused and kind as the organisation evolves.
As a member of the leadership team, reporting directly to the CEO, you’ll play a full part in setting direction and you’ll be a trusted, discreet sounding board to colleagues across the company. What you’ll do You’ll get to design and build a modern People function that fits a fast-growing, engineering and science-led company with global ambitions. In practice, that means you’ll:
- Shape and deliver an overall people strategy that supports sustainable growth, covering organisation design, workforce planning, talent, reward and development.
- Evolve how we attract, assess and welcome new colleagues, partnering with leaders to grow the team while protecting quality, inclusion and the candidate experience.
- Support leaders to build high performing, healthy teams, through coaching, clear frameworks and thoughtful approaches to performance, feedback and development. Alongside this, you’ll make sure our people practices show a strong, visible focus on health, safety, wellbeing and duty of care, as a natural part of how we work every day.
About you
You are a people person and a business pragmatist. You care deeply about individuals, and you also understand what it takes to build an organisation that can grow, adapt and deliver on an ambitious mission. You’ll bring experience of leading HR or People functions in a start-up or scale-up environment, ideally in technology, engineering or life sciences. You’ll be comfortable acting as both architect and builder, and you will have worked closely with senior leaders as a trusted partner, translating business goals into people plans and knowing how to balance pace with care.
You might describe yourself as someone who:
- Leads with integrity and earns trust quickly through good judgement, clarity and follow-through.
- Enjoys designing organisations and ways of working that help people do meaningful, high-quality work without unnecessary complexity.
- Is highly collaborative, takes time to listen, and builds strong relationships across different disciplines and levels.
Experience in regulated or quality-focused environments will help, as will familiarity with UK employment law, reward, employee relations and organisation development. Just as important is how you think, how you lead, and how you show up for people in moments that really matter.
We know that not everyone will match every point in a description. If this role excites you and you feel you can meet most of what we are looking for, especially the leadership and relationship aspects, we encourage you to apply.
Additional InformationCellular Origins is based on the TTP Campus, within purpose-built sustainable offices, labs and green surroundings, 10 miles south of Cambridge. Our employee benefits include:
- Annual bonus
- 25 days holiday
- Employer pension contribution of 10% of salary
- Free lunch and all-day refreshments
- Private medical insurance for employees and dependants
- Enhanced family friendly leave
- Life insurance worth 6x salary
- Electric car leasing scheme
- Cycle to work scheme
- Season ticket loan
Activities and community that supports healthy activities that bring colleagues together; whether it’s lunchtime squash or football, Zumba or our own rock band. Colleagues initiate new clubs and outings whenever they feel there’s something missing!
Ready to apply?
If you are a People leader who enjoys building things that last, and you like the idea of creating a People function that underpins truly impactful science and engineering, we would love to hear from you. Apply now to join Cellular Origins as our Head of People and help us build a place where talented people can do meaningful work that reaches patients and their families around the world.
Every application will be reviewed by the hiring team and will receive a response.
