HR manager

Institute of Biotechnology of the Czech Academy of Sciences announces an open position:

HR manager

The position is for you if:

… you have broad HR experience in areas such as talent acquisition, career development, performance evaluations, training, and employee engagement

… you want to make a tangible impact by shaping HR as a strategic priority in a growing research institution

… you enjoy working with smart and creative people in a truly international environment (35% of our employees come from outside of the Czech Republic, 25% do not speak Czech)

… you appreciate a dynamic research setting with opportunities to innovate and learn every day

About the role

We are seeking an experienced HR professional to build and lead a small HR team, driving our transition from administrative HR tasks to strategic HR initiatives. In this role, you will develop and implement a comprehensive human resources strategy focused on attracting top research talent, supporting their professional development, and creating a work environment that enables them to excel. You will also design and deliver solutions to build and support high-quality administrative teams and expert scientific support teams in the core facilities.

Key Responsibilities

• Propose and implement a comprehensive HR strategy: Develop frameworks for recruitment, onboarding, career progression, performance management, and employee satisfaction, and lead their implementation.
• Provide comprehensive HR support: Lead the Institute’s transition from administrative HR tasks to a strategic, high-impact HR function.
• Facilitate research excellence: Attract top-tier researchers and design professional development programs that empower them to conduct world-class research.
• Enhance organizational culture: Foster an environment that supports collaboration and continuous growth for both research and administrative staff.

Desired skills and experience

• Full-spectrum HR expertise: Demonstrated experience in recruitment, onboarding, professional development, performance management, employee engagement, exit processes, and equality, diversity, and inclusion.
• Research environment exposure: Experience working in or with public research institutions or universities is a plus; willingness to quickly learn the context of a research institution is essential.
• Creative problem solver: Thinks critically and proposes innovative, out-of-the-box solutions.
• Drive to implementation: Ability to design and implement new solutions to complex HR challenges end-to-end.
• Analytical mindset: Comfortable collecting, interpreting, and utilizing data (e.g., employee surveys) to guide decision-making.
• Language proficiency: English and Czech at least at B2/C1 level.

Attitude and drive

• Service-oriented with managerial drive: Able to balance empathy and support with leadership and decision-making.
• Collaborative and inclusive: Skilled at engaging diverse stakeholders in solution-finding and open to constructive feedback.
• Resilient and adaptable: Embraces challenges, learns from setbacks, and is comfortable working with conflicting priorities.
• Proactive experimenter: Eager to try new ideas, iterate, and refine processes for continuous improvement.
• Team-first mindset: Puts organizational success before self-interest.
• High integrity: Communicates honestly and strives for fairness, even in difficult situations.
• Thrives in public research setting: Comfortable with high levels of independence, flexibility, and creativity; understands the challenges of working with public resources.

Start date: September 2025 (preferred but negotiable)

Our Offering

• Diverse and creative work in a people-focused role supporting scientific progress
• Opportunity to implement your own ideas and grow professionally
• Modern scientific environment with state-of-the-art facilities
• Competitive salary
• 5 weeks of vacation
• Opportunity to adjust working hours based on personal needs

About the Institute

The Institute of Biotechnology of the Czech Academy of Sciences (IBT, ibt.cas.cz) is a top-class multi-disciplinary public research institution in the Czech Republic whose mission is to research biomolecular mechanisms, the understanding of which contributes to the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic procedures and the emergence of innovative biotechnologies. IBT is located in the BIOCEV center (biocev.eu) operated by the Czech Academy of Sciences and Charles University. IBT has ~200 employees, three-quarters of whom are involved directly in research.

Location

IBT/BIOCEV is in Vestec, Prague-west, ~30 minutes from the city center by public transport.

How to apply

Send your application to hr@ibt.cas.cz including:

• your CV, where you highlight your skills and experience critical for the position,
• a motivation letter, where you tell us why you are interested in the position and why we should choose you.

Later in the process, we may request references for phone interviews and ask you to prepare and present a brief case study.

For more information, please, contact Martina Plisová (martina.plisova@ibt.cas.cz).

We look forward to hearing from you and exploring how we can shape IBT’s bright future together!

More details on the processing of personal data are available on the website:

https://www.ibt.cas.cz/cs/o-ustavu/oficialni-dokumenty/gdpr/.