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Senior Director, Human Resources & People Strategy

At CSUN we aspire to continually grow as an inclusive, cooperative community!

CSUN strives to be a destination workplace, where everyone understands that they belong to a community that is vital in advancing student success and providing exemplary service to all stakeholders. We foster an environment of success, both for our students and our employees. We have a relentless passion for celebrating diversity, equity, and inclusion as well as being an employer of choice. You will also have the opportunity to realize your own personal goals and be recognized for the work you do and enjoy the unique value the CSUN community can offer. As a leader you will have the opportunity to thrive in a community in which our leaders share common traits as identified in our Leadership Principles . If this sounds like you, you've come to the right place.

Responsibilities

The Senior Director, Human Resources & People Strategy serves as a strategic leader within Human Resources and a trusted advisor to the Associate Vice President (AVP) of Human Resources and university leadership. Reporting to the AVP of Human Resources, this role provides vision, strategy, and oversight for Employee Relations, Employee Development and Communications, and Benefits Administration and Workers' Compensation. The Director partners with campus leadership to foster a positive, respectful, and high-performing workplace culture while ensuring fair and consistent employment practices, proactive conflict resolution, strong labor-management relationships, and programs that enhance employee engagement and organizational effectiveness.

Strategic Leadership & Organizational Partnership

• Serve as a strategic partner to the AVP across the spectrum of HR operations, including organizational strategy, workforce planning, and institutional priorities.
• Function as the senior HR leader for the university in the AVP's absence, as needed, exercising full authority and decision-making responsibility for HR operations.
• Assist in oversight of divisional operations as directed and needed by the AVP, including strategic guidance on resource allocation, operational priorities, and service delivery standards across all HR functions.
• Lead cross-functional HR strategy, integrating employee relations, talent management, benefits, and employee experience initiatives into a cohesive operational framework.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to senior leadership, deans, and managers on complex employee relations matters, organizational effectiveness, workforce planning, and change initiatives.
• Provide senior-level guidance on risk mitigation, workplace culture, and policy implementation
• Develop and implement forward-looking employee relations strategies aligned with the University's mission and values.
• Provide senior-level guidance on risk mitigation, workplace culture, and policy implementation.
• Monitor workforce trends, climate indicators, and grievance data to identify systemic issues and recommend improvements.
• Lead initiatives that enhance employee engagement, accountability, and inclusion across the institution.
• Represent Human Resources in senior leadership forums, university committees, and strategic planning processes

Employee & Labor Relations

• Direct all employee relations functions, including grievance administration, investigations, progressive discipline, and performance management guidance.
• Ensure consistent interpretation and application of collective bargaining agreements, university and CSU policies, California Codes, Title 5, and state and federal laws.
• Oversee fair, thorough, and timely investigations into workplace concerns, maintaining neutrality, confidentiality, and procedural integrity.
• Represent the University in hearings and proceedings, including arbitration and State Personnel Board matters.
• Lead labor-management strategy, fostering collaborative and constructive relationships with union partners.
• In collaboration with campus partners, identify and receive reports related to workplace violence, investigate, and correct workplace violence hazards.
• Advise executive leadership on labor strategy, contract administration, and compliance matters.
• Lead implementation of CSU systemwide policies, Technical Letters, and systemwide initiatives.
• Partner with Faculty Affairs, Budget, and campus stakeholders to ensure coordinated implementation of policy changes.

Employee Development & Manager Capability

• Oversee the design and delivery of comprehensive training and development programs for managers, supervisors, and staff.
• Strengthen leadership capability in performance management, coaching, accountability, and inclusive supervision.
• Develop interpretive guides and training programs related to collective bargaining agreements, performance management, progressive discipline, and compliance.
• Ensure completion and tracking of required compliance training.
• Promote professional growth opportunities that support engagement and retention.

Benefits Administration, Workers' Compensation & Wellness

• Provide strategic oversight of Benefits Administration, Workers' Compensation, and leave of absence programs.
• Ensure compliance with state and federal laws and CSU policies.
• Support employee wellbeing through education, programming, and accessible resources.
• Promote wellness initiatives that contribute to employee engagement and workplace satisfaction.

HR Communications, Recognition and Employee Engagement

• Oversee strategic HR communications to ensure clarity, transparency, and accessibility of information.
• Ensure communications reinforce CSUN's commitment to fairness, equity, and excellence.
• Provide oversight of campus-wide employee recognition programs, ensuring alignment with institutional values and strategic priorities.
• Design and enhance recognition initiatives that celebrate employee contributions, reinforce a culture of appreciation, and support engagement and retention.
• Partner with campus leadership to evaluate and modernize recognition programs to ensure they promote equity, visibility, and meaningful acknowledgment of employee achievements.
• Utilize communication platforms and engagement strategies to elevate recognition efforts and strengthen CSUN's reputation as an employer of choice.
• Partner with campus stakeholders to establish guidelines, governance structures, and resource support for Employee Identity Groups (EIGs) consistent with CSU best practices.
• Ensure EIG initiatives align with university policies and contribute positively to workplace culture, engagement, and retention.
• Leverage communication platforms to elevate awareness of EIG activities and recognition efforts, strengthening community engagement and reinforcing CSUN's commitment to being an inclusive employer of choice.

Team Leadership & Operational Excellence

• Provide leadership and direction to a team of HR professionals across Employee Relations, Employee Development and Communications, Benefits, and Workers' Compensation.
• Foster a high-performing team culture through coaching, mentoring, succession planning, and cross-training.
• Establish clear goals, performance expectations, and accountability standards.
• Streamline processes and integrate cross-functional HR services to improve service delivery and efficiency.
• Provide staff with full position descriptions; timely completion of staff performance evaluations.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources Management, Public Administration, Industrial Relations, or a related field.
• Minimum of eight years of progressively responsible human resources experience, including at least five years in a managerial or leadership role.
• Demonstrated experience in labor and employee relations within a unionized environment, including collective bargaining agreement interpretation and administration.
• Strong working knowledge of state and federal employment laws, regulatory compliance requirements, and public sector HR practices.
• Demonstrated ability to conduct or oversee complex workplace investigations and resolve disputes through mediation, negotiation, and sound judgment.
• Proven experience advising and influencing managers and senior leaders on employee relations matters, performance management, and organizational effectiveness.
• Experience developing and delivering training programs for managers and staff.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze complex issues, interpret policies and laws, assess organizational risk, and develop practical solutions.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to prepare reports, position statements, policy guidance, and executive briefings.
• Demonstrated leadership ability, including coaching, mentoring, and developing professional staff.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines in a fast-paced, complex environment.
• Demonstrated commitment to fostering an inclusive, equitable, and respectful workplace in a diverse multicultural environment.

• High level of discretion, emotional intelligence, and professional judgment in handling sensitive and confidential matters.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in public sector or higher education human resources.
• Experience administering multiple collective bargaining agreements.
• Demonstrated experience serving as a senior deputy to an executive HR leader, with responsibility for overseeing divisional operations and strategic initiatives.
• Demonstrated experience serving as a strategic advisor to executive leadership on complex organizational matters.
• Experience implementing proactive employee engagement, workplace culture, or employer branding initiatives.
• Experience leading change management efforts in a complex organization.
• Experience using workforce data, climate indicators, or HR metrics to inform strategy and decision-making.
• Experience overseeing or partnering