Director, Human Resources Operations

Job Description The Director of Human Resources provides leadership for the day-to-day delivery of Human Resources Operations and serves as the senior operational leader for employee relations, HR service delivery, talent acquisition support, compensation administration, compliance, and full employee lifecycle support. Reporting to the Vice President of Human Resources, the Director translates enterprise people strategy into effective operational practices and ensures Human Resources programs, policies, processes, and services are administered consistently and effectively. The Director provides direct leadership to the Generalist team, establishing a strong Generalist model capable of supporting leaders and employees throughout the full employee lifecycle—from workforce and recruitment needs through onboarding, development, employee relations, organizational changes, and separation. The Director also works collaboratively with Human Resources partners across the institutions. While the role does not have direct responsibility for institutional HR operations or personnel, the Director maintains awareness of institutional needs, practices, and emerging challenges to identify opportunities for shared solutions, greater consistency, and advancement of System Office HR operations and system-wide HR standards and best practices. The Director works closely with the Associate Vice President of HR Systems & Technology, Associate Vice President of Workforce Development & Employee Engagement, and Benefits leadership to ensure operational needs are connected to technology, process improvement, employee education, workforce development, benefits and leave practices, and broader organizational capability. Essential Responsibilities Human Resources Operations & Service Delivery Provide leadership and oversight for day-to-day Human Resources Operations and service delivery. Lead, develop, and support Senior HR Generalists and HR Generalists in providing responsive, consistent, and consultative Human Resources support throughout the employee lifecycle. Establish operational priorities, service expectations, escalation practices, and accountability across HR Operations. Ensure HR policies, procedures, and standard operating procedures are effectively implemented and consistently applied. Identify opportunities to streamline practices, improve service delivery, strengthen controls, and reduce unnecessary administrative processes. Monitor operational metrics, trends, service needs, and recurring challenges to identify opportunities for continuous improvement. Maintain appropriate documentation, controls, and audit readiness across HR operational processes. Partner with HR Systems & Technology to identify opportunities for workflow improvement, automation, and enhanced employee and manager self-service. Generalist Leadership Provide direct leadership, coaching, development, and performance management to Senior HR Generalists and HR Generalists. Establish clear roles, responsibilities, decision-making authority, and escalation protocols within the Generalist function. Develop a comprehensive Generalist model that provides support across the full employee lifecycle. Strengthen Generalist capability in employee relations, manager consultation, recruiting and onboarding, investigations, performance management, compliance, organizational change, and HR judgment. Assign and prioritize work based on organizational needs, complexity, risk, institutional support needs, and team capacity. Create opportunities for Generalists to develop deeper areas of expertise while maintaining broad HR capabilities. Promote consistency in how HR practices, policies, processes, and employee matters are addressed. Ensure Generalists have the education, tools, systems knowledge, and resources necessary to effectively support employees and leaders. Full Employee Lifecycle Support Ensure effective HR operational support throughout the employee lifecycle, including workforce needs, recruitment, hiring, onboarding, employment changes, performance management, development, employee relations, and separation. Establish consistent processes and service expectations for key employee lifecycle activities. Ensure Generalists provide effective consultation and coordination to hiring managers throughout recruitment and selection processes. Support recruitment strategy, candidate experience, selection practices, offer development, and hiring processes. Ensure onboarding practices effectively connect new employees to their positions, managers, organizational expectations, systems, resources, and culture. Monitor employee lifecycle processes to identify gaps, inefficiencies, or opportunities for improved employee and manager experience. Partner with HR Systems & Technology and Workforce Development & Employee Engagement to continuously improve the employee experience across the lifecycle. Employee Relations & Employment Risk Provide leadership for employee relations matters, including performance management, corrective action, workplace concerns, investigations, conflict resolution, and separations. Serve as the primary operational escalation point for complex employee relations matters within System Office HR Operations. Ensure investigations and employee relations matters are handled objectively, consistently, timely, and in accordance with organizational policy and applicable employment requirements. Assess employment-related risk and determine when matters warrant consultation with the Vice President of Human Resources, Legal Counsel, or other leadership. Consult with managers and HR partners regarding performance expectations, documentation, corrective action, and employee relations strategy. Analyze employee relations activity for recurring trends that may indicate broader policy, process, leadership development, education, or workforce needs. Institutional HR Partnership & System Alignment Build collaborative relationships with Human Resources leaders and partners across the institutions to strengthen communication, coordination, and shared understanding across the HR community. Maintain awareness of institutional HR priorities, operational needs, challenges, and emerging practices without assuming direct management responsibility for institutional HR teams or institution-specific decisions. Create opportunities for institutional HR partners to provide input into enterprise HR processes, policies, systems, and initiatives. Identify common needs, recurring challenges, and successful practices that can inform system-wide HR solutions. Promote greater consistency in HR practices where standardization creates organizational value while recognizing legitimate institutional differences and operational requirements. Advance shared HR standards, tools, resources, and best practices across System Office and the institutions. Facilitate knowledge sharing and collaboration across the HR community to reduce duplication and leverage expertise throughout the system. Partner with the Vice President of Human Resources to identify opportunities to strengthen overall HR capability and systemness. Organizational Change & Workforce Planning Provide operational HR leadership and consultation for reorganizations, restructures, position changes, workforce transitions, and other organizational initiatives within the Director's scope. Ensure appropriate consideration of business rationale, employee impact, job responsibilities, compensation, employment risk, implementation readiness, and communication needs. Partner with institutional HR leadership on enterprise processes and standards associated with organizational changes while respecting institutional decision-making responsibilities. Coordinate with the Vice President of Human Resources, Legal Affairs, Finance, and other partners on matters requiring additional review. Identify workforce trends and operational needs that should inform broader workforce planning and organizational strategy. Compensation Lead Lead operational administration of compensation programs in alignment with established compensation philosophy and enterprise strategy. Oversee job evaluation, market pricing, salary recommendations, promotional increases, position changes, and compensation analysis. Promote internal consistency, market awareness, and equitable application of compensation practices. Provide compensation consultation and resources to institutional HR partners and organizational leaders. Partner with the Vice President of Human Resources on compensation strategy, significant exceptions, annual compensation planning, and matters requiring executive review. Support development and maintenance of salary structures, compensation guidelines, processes, tools, and education. Benefits & Leave Partnership Maintain a strong collaborative partnership with Benefits leadership to support an integrated employee experience across HR Operations, benefits, retirement, and leave administration. Ensure Generalists and Institutional Partners understand appropriate benefits and leave processes, resources, and escalation pathways so employees and managers are connected to the appropriate support. Partner on employee matters where benefits, leave, accommodations, employee relations, or other HR operational considerations intersect. Coordinate with Benefits leadership to identify recurring employee or manager questions that may indicate a need for additional communication, education, or process improvement. Support consistent communication and coordination among HR Operations, Benefits, Payroll, HR Systems, institutional HR teams, and external partners. Provide operational feedback to Benefits leadership and the Vice President of Human Resources regarding employee and manager experiences with benefits and leave processes. The Director does not have direct oversight or accountability for Benefits; these functions remain separately led within the Human Resources structure. Workforce Development & Employee Engagement Partnership Partner closely with the Associate Vice President of Workforce Development & Employee Engagement to connect operational trends and organizational needs with workforce development priorities. Translate insights from employee relations, Generalists, recruitment, performance management, and institutional HR partners into potential learning, leadership, engagement, and organizational development needs. Support implementation and adoption of performance management, leadership development, employee engagement, internal mobility, career development, talent management, and related enterprise initiatives. Establish feedback loops between HR Operations and Workforce Development to evaluate effectiveness, identify barriers, and continuously improve programs. Ensure Generalists understand enterprise workforce development initiatives and can reinforce available resources and programs through their interactions with employees and managers. Help ensure workforce development initiatives are practical, relevant, and responsive to needs being observed across the organization. HR Systems, Process Improvement & Education Partner with the Associate Vice President of HR Systems & Technology to ensure HR systems and processes effectively support operational and institutional needs. Identify system enhancements, automation opportunities, reporting needs, and process improvements based on operational experience and feedback. Strengthen education and communication regarding HR systems, policies, procedures, and standardized procedures. Ensure Generalists understand available technology, established workflows, and enterprise standards so they can effectively support managers and employees. Partner with institutional HR teams to identify where additional system or process education may improve adoption and consistency. Use HR data and people analytics to identify trends, evaluate effectiveness, and inform operational recommendations. Support ongoing maintenance and continuous improvement of HR processes and initiatives following initial implementation. Leadership & Cross-Functional Collaboration Promote collaboration across HR Operations, HR Systems & Technology, Workforce Development & Employee Engagement, Benefits, institutional HR teams, and organizational partners. Create an environment in which operational information is routinely shared and translated into opportunities for improvement. Support development of an increasingly connected HR community that shares knowledge, tools, expertise, education, and best practices. Balance enterprise consistency with institutional needs when evaluating HR practices and recommendations. Foster a culture of accountability, service, continuous improvement, collaboration, and shared responsibility across Human Resources. Decision-Making & Escalation Authority The Director of Human Resources is expected to independently lead and resolve routine and complex HR operational matters within established policies, practices, and organizational guidelines. The Director serves as the primary operational escalation point for the Senior HR Generalists and HR Generalist. Matters should generally be escalated to the Vice President of Human Resources when they involve: Significant enterprise, legal, financial, or reputational risk; Executive-level employees or leadership; Significant organizational restructures or workforce actions; Decisions establishing substantial organizational precedent; Major exceptions to established compensation or HR practices; Enterprise policy or governance decisions; Significant institutional or cross-system implications; Matters requiring Executive Leadership or Board consideration. The Director's collaborative relationship with institutional HR partners does not replace institutional reporting relationships or decision-making authority. The Director serves as a resource, connector, and operational partner to strengthen shared HR practices, identify enterprise opportunities, advance consistency where appropriate, and strengthen system-wide HR capability. Direct Reports Senior HR Generalist (2) HR Generalist Key Partnerships Vice President, Human Resources Associate Vice President, HR Systems & Technology Associate Vice President, Workforce Development & Employee Engagement Benefits Leadership Institutional Human Resources Leadership and HR Partners Legal Affairs Finance and Payroll Information Technology Institutional and System Office Leadership Knowledge & Skills Advanced knowledge of Human Resources operations, employee relations, employment practices, and HR compliance. Strong understanding of the full employee lifecycle and consultative HR practices. Demonstrated ability to assess complex employee and organizational matters and exercise sound judgment. Knowledge of compensation, talent acquisition, performance management, workforce planning, benefits, and leave practices. Strong understanding of organizational change and workforce transition processes. Ability to recognize operational patterns and translate them into recommendations for process, systems, education, or workforce development improvements. Demonstrated ability to collaborate and influence across decentralized or matrixed organizations without relying on direct authority. Strong communication, consultation, conflict resolution, and relationship-building skills. Ability to balance enterprise standards and consistency with legitimate institutional needs and differences. Strong project management, prioritization, and continuous improvement capabilities. Experience with Workday and other HR technology for data-informed decision-making. Education Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Organizational Leadership, or a related field required. Master's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Organizational Development, or a related field preferred. Experience Minimum of 8–10 years of progressively responsible Human Resources experience. Minimum of 3–5 years of HR leadership or management experience. Significant employment experience in employee relations, HR operations, and consultative Human Resources support required. Experience supporting the full employee lifecycle, including talent acquisition, onboarding, employee relations, performance management, and separation. Experience supporting organizational restructuring, workforce planning, and complex employment matters strongly preferred. Experience working within a multi-location, multi-state, higher education, system-based, or similarly complex organization preferred. Demonstrated experience leading and developing HR professionals and collaborating with HR colleagues across decentralized or matrixed environments. Working Conditions While not required, residence within a reasonable commuting distance of a Community office or campus is preferred to support opportunities for in-person collaboration and engagement. Ability to travel up to 20%, including travel to Community offices, campuses, meetings, and other business-related events as needed. Ability to effectively perform the responsibilities of the position in a remote work environment and maintain availability during established business hours, with flexibility as required to support organizational needs across locations and time zones. The Community Solution offers a generous compensation and benefits package, as well as the opportunity to work for a leader in the field of education. generous paid time-off medical and dental insurance coverage life and disability insurance retirement plan with employer contribution multiple flexible spending accounts tuition reimbursement The Community Solution is an Equal Opportunity Employer. #J-18808-Ljbffr