Associate Director, Human Resources

The Human Resources team for Business Affairs is responsible for providing strategic HR guidance and consulting for the staff, management and leadership within the Business Affairs organization. Financial Management Services (FMS) is a part of the Stanford University Business Affairs organization, whose vision is “to work together to make administration seamless and efficient to enable and support teaching, learning, and research.” The Business Affairs HR team seeks an experienced Associate Director, Human Resources who is both a trusted advisor and a hands-on program leader, partnering with the FMS senior leadership team, including the Senior Associate Vice President (SAVP) of Finance and the SAVP’s direct reports, to turn workforce strategy into HR programs that work. Working side by side with FMS leaders, the Associate Director advises on people matters, ensures compliance with university HR policies, refines processes, and leads programs and HR initiatives across organizational design, career architecture, talent development, and compensation. FMS is navigating significant workforce transformation, driven by evolving work processes, including AI adoption. The ideal candidate brings depth across the HR disciplines, strong talent management experience (recruiting, performance management, talent development, workforce and succession planning), experience designing and launching people programs such as career frameworks, organizational design and workforce plans, and the credibility to influence senior stakeholders. This role operates with a high degree of independence and supervises an HR Business Partner who manages day-to-day operations for FMS.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Demonstrated interpersonal skills, emotional intelligence, and understanding of group dynamics. Successful track record of establishing credibility and trust with a diverse client group, including senior leaders.

• Demonstrated experience designing career architecture, organizational design, or workforce planning programs.

• Experience leading people programs through technology-driven change, such as AI adoption.

• Experience supervising HR staff.

• Strong analytical, critical thinking, problem-solving, judgment, negotiating, influencing, and decision-making skills. Ability to maintain confidentiality, tact, and diplomacy.

• Excellent facilitation and oral and written communication skills; ability to prepare clear and concise reports and deliver formal presentations or training to senior management and other audiences.

• Experience operating in complex, decentralized, or higher education environments is strongly preferred.

• Proven ability to lead cross-functional HR initiatives (such as system implementations or annual performance and salary planning cycles) from conception to successful completion.

• Experience translating quantitative and qualitative data (for example, HR metrics and engagement survey results) into actionable insights and recommendations for senior leaders.

• Experience designing and delivering training, tools, and coaching that enable managers and staff.

• Experience partnering with finance or other administrative and professional services organizations is valued.

Core duties:

Strategic partnership and program leadership

• Serve as the trusted HR advisor and thought partner to the FMS SAVP and leadership team, building a deep understanding of the organization’s objectives, issues, needs, and key success factors.

• Partner with FMS leadership to translate the workforce plan into HR frameworks and programs, and track its success.

• Serve as subject matter expert and project/team lead for strategic HR initiatives, programs, processes, and policies.

• Lead implementation of HR programs and processes in FMS.

• Provide expert specialized HR knowledge to managers and senior leadership, and provide specialized knowledge, research, data analytics, and reporting to support and inform decision-making.

• Partner with UHR functions and Centers of Excellence on initiatives and services, or to solve problems. Suggest efficiencies and process improvement opportunities.

• Provide guidance and mentorship to junior HR team members as needed.

• Maintain consistency with, support, and promote Stanford HR policies, procedures, and requirements, and applicable laws.

HR functional areas

• Change Management: Support senior leadership with local and university-wide change management efforts (stakeholder analysis, measures of success, risk assessment, implementation, monitoring), serving as a lead on local workstreams. Collaborate with subject matter experts on highly complex or specialized matters as needed. Participate in developing, drafting, and implementing a communications strategy.

• Compensation and Incentive Strategy: Consult with managers and senior leaders on highly complex or specialized compensation matters (salary actions, bonuses and supplemental pay, job title assignment) and advise on job classification as FMS roles evolve. Consult with UHR Compensation on highly complex or specialized matters, including the development of incentive and bonus programs. Will oversee the area’s salary planning program, partnering with managers to meet university guidelines.

• Disability and Leaves / Worker’s Comp: Consult with managers on highly complex or specialized disability/leave and workers’ compensation matters (eligibility, process, accommodations), liaising with subject matter experts as needed. Partner with senior leaders in the development of staffing plans resulting from absences of critical managers and staff, ensuring alignment with organizational goals.

• Employee and Labor Relations: Provide expert guidance to managers and senior leaders on employee relations matters, with a focus on the most complex and/or specialized investigations, corrective actions, and workplace accommodations. Partner closely with UHR-ELR. Educate and train managers and senior leaders to meet university guidelines.

• Employee Engagement: In partnership with FMS Organizational Programs, develop surveys and initiatives to assess and support a positive work environment for the organization. Analyze resulting survey data and partner with leadership on the development of programming and action plans.

• Workforce and Talent Analytics: Analyze, interpret, and present data (turnover, movement, accrual usage, talent and engagement metrics, etc.) to senior leaders regarding their teams and the broader organization, providing analysis and recommendations. Develop custom reports upon request, consult with subject matter experts as needed, and educate managers on people analytics.

• Succession and Workforce Planning: Generate, analyze, and apply talent metrics to support the development and implementation of succession and workforce plans. Present findings and recommendations to senior leadership, partner on staffing plans for critical roles, and advise on hybrid and remote work arrangements consistent with university policy.

• Organizational Design: Partner with FMS leadership to assess organizational needs and recommend and support design changes (roles, structures, reporting relationships) that improve effectiveness. Lead related local workstreams, including stakeholder analysis, communications and change management.

• Career Architecture: Partner with FMS leaders and UHR Compensation to develop and maintain career paths, role levels, and job classification structures that reflect FMS work and support growth, mobility, and consistent assignment of employees to job titles, including senior levels.

• Performance Management: Consult with managers and senior leaders on highly complex and/or specialized performance management matters (setting expectations and goals, regular check-ins, developing positive performance and behaviors, conducting annual reviews), partnering with subject matter experts as needed. Educate and train managers and senior leaders on best practices. Lead the annual performance appraisal process for FMS.

• Talent Acquisition: Consult with managers and senior leaders on highly complex and/or specialized talent acquisition matters (hard‑to‑fill and high‑turnover roles critical to FMS, job‑specific competencies, onboarding, and offboarding). Support or lead higher‑level searches and advise on affirmative action objectives as needed. Serve as project lead in developing or revising talent acquisition programming to align with organizational strategy and educate managers and senior leaders to foster a positive candidate experience.

• Talent Development: Consult with senior managers and FMS leadership on highly complex and/or specialized talent development matters (aligning business goals with personal motivation and talents, professional development opportunities, coaching, mentoring, networking), liaising with subject matter experts as needed. Develop new, local professional development incentives for managers and employees.

• Facilitate initiatives to foster an inclusive workplace culture where all employees feel valued, respected, and empowered.

• Other duties and projects as assigned.

At Stanford, every employee plays a part in our mission for a better tomorrow—from researchers to operations and from food services to educators. Join our team to work towards a future you believe in.

The job duties listed are typical examples of work performed by positions in this job classifications and are not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, tasks and responsibilities. Specific duties and responsibilities may vary depending on department or program needs without changing the general nature and scope of the job or level of responsibility. Employees may also perform other duties as assigned.

Consistent with its obligations under the law, the University will provide reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. Applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process should contact Stanford University Human Resources by submitting a help ticket.

Stanford is an equal employment opportunity and affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. See Admin Guide 1.7.4: Equal Employment Opportunity, Non-Discrimination, and Affirmative Action Policy; Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal.

The Human Resources Support and Partner roles perform as trusted and consultative human resources partners to leaders, managers, and employees and are responsible for providing full-service human resources support and delivery. The Human Resources People Manager roles perform as trusted and strategic human resources advisors to leaders and employees and are responsible for providing full-service human resources support and delivery of consultative support to leaders, managers, and employees, and achieve goals through the management of staff and teams; may have multiple levels of professional or supervisory staff. All Human Resources roles develop and drive human resources initiatives across the school/unit/department, partnering with COEs and other departments as necessary for seamless adoption and implementation of programs and processes.

Core Duties:

• Serve as SME and project/team lead for strategic initiatives, programs, processes, and policies.

• Lead implementation of HR programs and processes in department/school/unit.

• Provide expert specialized HR knowledge to managers, faculty, and senior leadership.

• Provide specialized knowledge, research, data analytics, reporting, etc., to support and inform decision-making.

• Partner with UHR function/COE on initiatives, services provided, or to solve problems. Suggest efficiencies or process improvement opportunities.

• Provide guidance and mentorship to junior HR team members as needed.

• Maintain consistency with, support, and promote Stanford HR policies, procedures and requirements, and applicable laws.

• Change Management: Support senior leadership with local and university-wide change management efforts (stakeholder analysis, measures of success, risk assessment, implementation, monitoring), serving as a lead on local workstreams. Collaborate with subject matter experts on highly complex or specialized matters as needed. Participate in developing, drafting, and implementing a communications strategy.

• Compensation: Consult with managers and senior leaders on highly complex or specialized compensation-related matters (salary actions, bonuses, and supplemental pay, assignment of employees to job titles, including senior levels). Consult with UHR Compensation on highly complex or specialized matters, including the development of incentive and bonus programs. May oversee the area's salary planning program, partnering with managers to meet university guidelines.

• Disability and Leaves / Worker's Comp: Consult with managers on highly complex or specialized disability/leave and workers’ compensation matters (eligibility, process, accommodations), liaising with subject matter experts as needed. Partner with senior leaders in the development of staffing plans resulting from absences of critical managers and staff, ensuring alignment with organizational goals.

• ELR: Provide expert guidance to managers and senior leaders on employee relations matters, with a focus on the most complex and/or specialized investigations, corrective actions, workplace accommodations, etc. Partner closely with UHR-ELR. Educate and train managers and senior leaders to meet university guidelines.

• Employee Engagement: Serve as project lead, developing surveys and initiatives to assess and support a positive work environment for the organization. Analyze resulting survey data and partner with leadership on the development of programming and action plans as appropriate.

• HRIS/People Analytics: Support, provide guidance on, and/or design complex functions and record retention processes. Analyze, interpret, and present data (turnover, movement, accrual usage, etc.) to senior leaders regarding their teams and the broader organization, utilizing human resources expertise to provide analysis and recommendations. Develop custom reports upon request and consult with subject matter experts as needed. Educate and train managers on people analytics.

• Performance Management: Consult with managers and senior leaders on highly complex and/or specialized performance management matters (setting expectations and goals, regular check‑ins, developing positive performance/behaviors, conducting annual reviews), partnering with subject matter experts as needed. Educate and train managers and senior leaders on best practices to foster strong performance and meet university guidelines. May lead the annual performance appraisal process for the entire school/unit, ensuring appropriate processes are followed.

• Talent Acquisition: Consult with managers and senior leaders on highly complex and/or specialized talent acquisition matters (hard‑to‑fill and high turnover roles critical to the school/unit, determining job‑specific competencies). Serve as project lead in the development of new talent acquisition programming or revision of existing programming to align with overall organizational strategy. Collaborate with subject matter experts as needed. Educate and train managers and senior leaders to foster a positive candidate experience and meet university guidelines.

• Talent Development: Consult with senior managers and school/unit leadership on highly complex and/or specialized talent development matters (aligning business goals with personal motivation & talents, promoting professional development opportunities, coaching/mentoring/networking), liaising with subject matter experts as needed. Develop new, local professional development initiatives for managers and employees.

• Talent Management/Workforce Planning: Generate, analyze, interpret, and apply relevant reports for insights on talent metrics within the respective school/unit. Present findings and recommendations to senior leadership. Support the development and implementation of action plans (e.g., succession and workforce plans).

• May be responsible for the management of direct reports, including their recruitment, onboarding, development, compensation, and performance management. Guide direct reports in providing fundamental and moderately complex HR support and services to employees and managers in the school/unit.

• Maintain consistency with and support UHR and Stanford policies, procedures and requirements, and applicable local, state, and federal laws.

• Facilitate initiatives to foster an inclusive workplace culture where all employees feel valued, respected, and empowered.

Minimum Education and Experience

Bachelor’s Degree and 10 years of relevant human resources experience or combination of education and relevant experience.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Technical competencies:

• Strong HCM/ATS experience and proficiency with business applications, Microsoft Office suite, Google suite, etc. Demonstrated ability to manage sensitive issues with professionalism, confidentiality, and care. Experience leading an HR initiative/program.

Trust and Accountability

• Understands the link between own job responsibilities and overall organizational goals and needs.

• Accepts responsibility for all outcomes of own work.

• Looks beyond the requirements of own job to offer suggestions for improvements of overall organizational operations.

• Takes ownership of job responsibilities, seeks and integrates feedback, and communicates proactively when assistance is needed or issues to expected timelines arise.

• Cooperates and works to gain support and commitment from others when performing tasks.

• Develops trusting relationships with others within and outside of the team through strong communication, collaboration and accountability.

• Demonstrates behaviors that are consistent with standards for professional and ethical conduct.

Operational and Organizational Insights

• Considers organization's capabilities, mission, vision, values, and strategic goals and objectives in work efforts.

• Knows capabilities, capacities and constraints of the organization.

• Reviews external information and news to learn about political and social issues that might affect the organization.

• Knows both when and how to effectively elevate issues that warrant immediate attention.

• Understands relevant policies and procedures and their integration in work activities.

• Utilizes network to collaborate on issues requiring specific influence or expertise.

• Analyzes data to make sound decisions and explores opportunities to integrate technology into HR processes and services.

Customer Focus

• Works to gain insights into customer needs.

• Balancing the needs of customer expectations and delivering on solutions.

• Establishes and maintains effective customer relationships.

• Reliably resolves customer issues and requests fully and quickly.

• Leverages customer point-of-view when identifying priorities and presenting solutions.

• Sets expectations for delivery and quality with customers.

• Articulates impacts to customers completely and in a timely fashion.

Communication

• Always demonstrates empathetic, attentive listening.

• Asks thought-provoking questions to peers and superiors to clarify and align understanding.

• Regularly checks for understanding.

• Takes action based on understanding.

• Expertly demonstrates understanding of audience by custom‑tailoring messaging and style.

• Engages audience effectively.

• Adjusts style and messaging on the fly if necessary.

• Helpful and timely when providing information.

Collaborative Problem Solving

• Effectively and reliably solves problems.

• Consistently delivers high-quality work products on time in the field of service, while effectively solving problems and developing new technical skills for personal and team benefit.

• Demonstrates proficiency in solving problems requiring a developed understanding of disciplines, using judgment to provide solutions of moderate scope and complexity.

• Actively contributes to team goals by providing ideas, participating in team activities, and resolving conflicts positively and constructively.

• Coordinates efforts with stakeholders early and often to ensure awareness, share information, and provide updates until completion.

• Builds effective networks across teams and departments, identifying when to escalate issues to senior professionals.

Courage

• Draws sound, fact-based conclusions, particularly when under pressure or faced with ambiguity.

• Demonstrates ability to influence others when appropriate.

• Anticipates impact to projects and/or work when there is a shift in strategic direction.

• Remains calm and focused, maintaining composure, when things are uncertain.

• Develops scenarios or options in response to uncertain conditions to anticipate possible outcomes.

• Shifts gears when presented with new information, priorities, and/or direction.

• Works to achieve task or project outcomes even when the complete picture or scope is unknown.

Exhibiting Leadership

• Evaluating the organization's readiness for change through surveys, interviews, and assessments.

• Making informed decisions based on data, analysis, and consultation with relevant stakeholders.

• Offering coaching and support to managers and leaders to help them effectively lead their teams through change.

• Providing support and resources to help employees adapt to change and overcome resistance.

Certificates and Licenses Required

SHRM-CP / PHR or specialized certification preferred (e.g., compensation, employee & labor relations, project management).