HR + tech departments merged

Biotech company Moderna has merged its technology and human resources departments into a single function, creating a new role of chief people and digital technology officer filled by former HR chief Tracey Franklin.

Franklin is redesigning teams across the company based on what work is best done by people versus what can be automated with technology, including AI tools from Moderna's partnership with OpenAI. "Roles are being created, eliminated and reimagined as a result," she explained.

The company has developed over 3,000 tailored versions of ChatGPT, called GPTs, designed for specific tasks including dose selection for clinical trials and drafting regulatory responses. These GPTs can be linked together for complex workflows, such as a broad HR GPT that routes employee questions to specialised GPTs focused on performance management, equity or benefits.

"It's like your virtual HR, AI agent. It's what would normally be a junior-level HR analyst type, we've now converted into a GPT," Franklin said.

The reorganisation follows Moderna's pandemic hiring surge, when the workforce nearly doubled from about 830 employees in March 2020 to approximately 1,500 by March 2021, and now exceeds 5,000 globally. In February, the company cut 10% of digital technology jobs, affecting about 50 people.

Whilst it's still rare to see tech and HR roles officially merge due to their unique skill sets, the move reflects how AI is bringing fundamental changes to workforce planning and corporate structure.

Source: Bousquette, I. 2025. Why Moderna Merged Its Tech and HR Departments. Wall Street Journal. 12.05.25.