Associate Vice President for Human Resources

Title: Associate Vice President for Human Resources

State Role Title:Administrative - Lecturer

Hiring Range: Commensurate with experience

Pay Band: 6

Agency: Norfolk State University

Location:MAIN CAMPUS

Agency Website:

Recruitment Type: General Public - G

Job Duties

Key responsibilities for the CHRO include but are not limited to:
HR Strategy and Leadership
Serve as principal adviser to the Presidents Cabinet on human-capital strategy aligning workforce plans with institutional goals enrollment trajectories and research priorities.
Craft and communicate a multi-year HR strategic plan that emphasizes employee engagement student centric service and fiscal stewardship.
Provide data-informed guidance on organizational design workforce analytics and succession planning ensuring HR initiatives anticipate emerging trends in higher education and the Commonwealth of Virginia.
HR Transformation and Innovation
Lead the modernization of HR systems processes and service-delivery modelsespecially the transition to Workday and related automation initiativesso HR is agile transparent and customer-focused.
Champion a continuous-improvement mindset that streamlines workflows reduces administrative burden and leverages technology to enhance decision-making.
Promote a culture of change readiness equipping HR staff and campus partners with the tools and mindsets necessary to adopt new practices successfully.
Talent Acquisition Onboarding and Workforce Development
Design inclusive recruitment strategies that attract mission-aligned faculty staff and coaches while expediting time-to-hire and safeguarding a positive candidate experience.
Oversee comprehensive onboarding frameworks that integrate digital pre-hire steps Day-One orientation and a structured 30 60 and 90-day support model.
Direct professional-development pathways - including leadership academies mentorship programs and micro-credential offerings - so employees at every career stage can grow and contribute.
Compensation Benefits and Total-Rewards Strategy
Ensure equitable market-responsive salary structures in accordance with Virginia DHRM guidelines by conducting regular market and equity analyses.
Strengthen benefits communications - open enrollment well-being initiatives and retirement readinessso employees fully understand and utilize their total-rewards package.
Collaborate with Budget and Institutional Research to model compensation scenarios that balance competitiveness pay equity and fiscal responsibility.
Employee Relations and Organizational Health
Serve as a trusted resource for cabinet-level leaders and employees on performance management conflict resolution and workplace climate.
Preserve confidentiality and fairness in complaint investigations collaborating with General Counsel TitleIX Compliance and Internal Audit as appropriate.
Foster a positive inclusive work environment that supports NSUs values of integrity civility and diversity.
Regulatory Compliance and Risk Mitigation
Interpret and apply federal state and Commonwealth regulations - including EEO FLSA ADA ADEA
TitleIX and DHRM policies - ensuring University-wide adherence.
Oversee policy development documentation and recordkeeping that withstand audit scrutiny and protect institutional reputation.
Guide HRs contribution to NCAA and research-grant compliance working closely with Athletics and Sponsored Programs.
Operational Excellence and HR Analytics
Lead data-governance efforts establishing consistent definitions role-based security and quality-assurance protocols for HR data.
Monitor key performance indicators - turnover time-to-hire engagement pay equity - and translate insights into actionable recommendations.
Manage HR budgets resources and staffing to deliver high-caliber services while demonstrating fiscal prudence.
Collaboration and Stakeholder Engagement
Build strong partnerships with deans directors faculty governance bodies and staff councils to ensure HR initiatives reflect diverse perspectives and campus needs.
Serve as the Universitys ambassador on human-capital matters sharing emerging best practices and representing NSU in statewide HR forums.
Cultivate an environment of shared accountability celebrating successes and fostering collective ownership of HRs role in advancing NSUs strategic plan.

Minimum Qualifications

A bachelors degree is required. A masters degree in higher humanresources management business/public administration highereducation leadership or a closely related field is desired.
Tenplus years of seniorlevel HR leadership preferably within Virginia state government higher education or another complex publicsector setting with full accountability for talent acquisition classification and compensation benefits employee/labor relations HRIS and organizational development.
Demonstrated fluency with Virginia DHRM policies (or comparable state systems) and federal statutes such as EEO FLSA ADA ADEA and TitleIX including experience navigating faculty tenure and grantfunded appointments.
Proven success spearheading HRtransformation initiativessystem upgrades sharedservices models process redesign and metricsdriven service enhancementsthat improve efficiency and user experience.
Record of advising presidents provosts boards or cabinetlevel leaders on workforce strategy succession planning totalrewards design and culture change.
Expertise in budget preparation and fiscal stewardship for multimilliondollar HR operations.
Professional certification such as SHRMSCP SPHR CCP or comparable credential strongly preferred

Additional Considerations

Visionary strategist who aligns humancapital priorities with NSUs mission of transforming lives through teaching research and service.
Inclusive leader who champions diversity equity and belonging ensuring every Spartanfaculty staff and student employeefeels respected and empowered.
Diplomatic change agent adept at building consensus honoring existing strengths and guiding teams through modernization with transparency and empathy.
Datasavvy decisionmaker who leverages analytics to drive policy forecast workforce needs and demonstrate ROI on HR initiatives.
Exceptional communicator and collaborator comfortable engaging faculty governance staff councils state agencies and external partners with clarity and poise.
High integrity and discretion; models ethical behavior safeguards confidentiality and earns trust across all organizational levels.
Resilient resultsoriented professional who sets ambitious goals measures progress and celebrates collective success while maintaining focus on studentcentered service excellence.

Special Instructions

You will be provided a confirmation of receipt when your application and/or rsum is submitted successfully. Please refer to Your Application in your account to check the status of your application for this position.

WittKieffer is assisting Norfolk State University in this search. All applications nominations and inquiries are invited. Applications should include as separate documents a CV or resume and a letter of interest addressing the themes in the leadership profile. For fullest consideration candidate materials should be received by August 4 2025. Nominations and inquiries can be directed to: Sarah Palmer and Luis Bertot at

Contact Information

Name: Human Resources

Phone:

Email:

In support of the Commonwealths commitment to inclusion we are encouraging individuals with disabilities to apply through the Commonwealth Alternative Hiring Process. To be considered for this opportunity applicants will need to provide their AHP Letter (formerly COD) provided by the Department for Aging & Rehabilitative Services (DARS) or the Department for the Blind & Vision Impaired (DBVI). Service-Connected Veterans are encouraged to answer Veteran status questions and submit their disability documentation if applicable to DARS/DBVI to get their AHP Letter. Requesting an AHP Letter can be found at AHP Letter or by calling DARS at .

Note: Applicants who received a Certificate of Disability from DARS or DBVI dated between April 1 2022- February 29 2024 can still use that COD as applicable documentation for the Alternative Hiring Process.