Divisional Human Resources Partner

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Partnership

• Partner with academic deans, department chairs, and administrative leaders to support workforce planning and organizational effectiveness
   

• Advise leaders on organizational design, change management, and people-related implications of academic and operational initiatives
   

• Serve as a trusted advisor to leadership on faculty and staff lifecycle matters
   

Employee & Faculty Relations

• Provide guidance on employee and faculty relations issues, including performance concerns, investigations, corrective action, and separations
   

• Support consistent application of university policies, faculty handbooks, collective bargaining agreements (if applicable), and shared governance processes
   

• Assist leaders with conflict resolution while maintaining academic freedom and institutional standards
   

Talent Management & Workforce Planning

• Partner with academic and administrative leaders on recruiting strategies for faculty and staff
   

• Support onboarding, engagement, professional development, and retention initiatives
   

• Collaborate on succession planning for key administrative and academic leadership roles
   

Performance Management & Development

• Advise leaders on performance evaluation processes for staff and, as appropriate, faculty
   

• Support coaching, development plans, and performance improvement efforts
   

• Contribute to leadership development programs for department chairs and managers
   

Policy, Compliance & Risk Management

• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws, including those impacting higher education (e.g., FLSA, FMLA, ADA, Title VII, Title IX, and FERPA as applicable)
   

• Interpret and apply university policies, faculty handbooks, and employment agreements consistently
   

• Partner with General Counsel, Academic Affairs, and other stakeholders on complex or sensitive matters
   

Compensation, Benefits & Total Rewards

• Provide guidance on compensation practices, job classifications, and internal equity for staff roles
   

• Support faculty compensation processes in coordination with Academic Affairs
   

• Assist leaders and employees with benefits programs and total rewards initiatives
   

HR Programs & Initiatives

• Support university-wide HR initiatives such as employee engagement, DEI efforts, and culture-building programs
   

• Contribute to continuous improvement of HR processes, systems, and service delivery
   

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Higher Education Administration, or a related field
   

• 5+ years of progressive HR experience, preferably within higher education or a complex organization
   

• Strong knowledge of employment law and HR best practices
   

• Demonstrated ability to partner effectively with academic and administrative leaders
   

Preferred

• Master’s degree in Human Resources, Higher Education Administration, or a related field
   

• HR certification (SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP, PHR/SPHR)
   

• Experience supporting faculty populations and shared governance environments
   

Key Competencies

• Understanding of higher education culture and governance
   

• Strong consulting, coaching, and relationship-building skills
   

• Sound judgment, discretion, and confidentiality
   

• Ability to navigate ambiguity and competing priorities
   

• Commitment to equity, inclusion, and institutional values
   

Working Conditions

• Primarily campus-based with flexibility for meetings across departments and occasional after-hours support