Associate Vice President And Chief Human Resources Officer

Ithaca College is a residential campus where nearly 4700 students find life-changing academic pathways powerful career networks and lifelong community. Founded in 1892 by violinist W. Grant EgbertIthaca Collegehad humble beginnings as a music conservatory in rented rooms in downtown Ithaca New York. Over the ensuing decades the institution continued to diversify its curriculum and in 1931 the conservatory was chartered as a private college. By the 1960s with 2000 students construction of ICs modern campus began on South Hill overlooking downtown Ithaca and offering breathtaking views of Cayuga Lake.

Recognized by U.S. News & World Report as #8 Most Innovative Schools in the North the College now offers 140 majors minors and interdisciplinary programs in its undergraduate offerings and over a dozen graduate degree programs at five schools:School of Business Roy H. Park School of CommunicationsSchool of Health Sciences and Human PerformanceSchool of Humanities and Sciences andSchool of Music Theatre and Dance.

Reporting to theSenior Vice President for Strategic Services and Initiatives the CHRO provides strategic leadership and direction for all aspects of human resources at Ithaca College. This role serves as a key institutional leader and strategic partner to the President Cabinet and senior leadership team shaping and advancing a people-centered strategy that supports the Colleges mission values and long-term sustainability. The CHRO leads a hard-working human resources team of approximately 11 collaborative resilient and exceptionally dedicated professionals serving an employee base of about 1363 professionals inclusive of 476 faculty (385 full-time and 91 part-time) 887 staff and administrators (702 full-time and 185 part-time) and two collective bargaining units Public Safety (UGSOA) and Contingent Faculty (SEIU).

At a time of significant change in higher education the CHRO will be charged with reimagining the role structure and impact of ICs HR organization designing contemporary efficient and human-centered approaches to service delivery that enable the College to be more efficient while maintaining excellence and cultivating a culture of care trust and doing so the CHRO will lead a comprehensive portfolio including talent acquisition organizational design workforce planning compensation and benefits employee engagement learning and development employee and labor relations performance management HR technology and analytics compliance and risk management.

This is a unique opportunity for a passionate and forward-thinking human resources professional to join a collaborative innovative and future-focused institution and lead a workplace transformation that will have a lasting impact on the community. Bringing an equity lens to their work and decision-making the CHRO will play a critical leadership role in advancing institutional areas of focus as the College approaches the end of its current strategic planIthaca Forever to determine and maintain an appropriate sustainable size for their programs structures and associated resources at every level and to shape a strategy and action plan to realize the goal of being an employer of addition as the College undertakes a comprehensive strategic planning process during the 202627 academic year this will provide the CHRO with an exciting opportunity to help shape the Colleges next strategic plan.

The Ithaca community desires a collaborative equity-focused bridge builder to proactively support and engage with a diverse and multigenerational workforce of faculty staff and students each of whom requires a leader who seeks to learn and understand their nuanced needs and how to best support them. Most of all this opportunity is an invitation to join an institution that authentically believes in the value of a people-centered approach.

Successful candidates will bring a record of creatively and nimbly reimagining HR services processes or organizational models in environments with constrained resources; experience with broad functional areas of human resources with notable experience and expertise in compensation strategy benefits strategy and administration workforce planning and employee relations; and record of designing leading implementing and communicating organizational change service redesign and cross-functional addition experience with and comfort in leveraging technology data and analytics to improve outcomes with a clear commitment to the human-centered and ethical application of these tools will be paramount. Demonstrated experience in labor relations including direct involvement in collective bargaining negotiations contract administration and dispute resolution is desired. A bachelors degree is required as is at least eight years of progressively responsible senior-level human resources leadership experience including supervisory experience preferably in higher education or a similarly complex mission-driven organization. An advanced degree and/or professional HR certification as well as prior experience in a private undergraduate/masters institution are preferred.

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 available at.

WittKieffer is assisting Ithaca College in this search. For fullest consideration candidate materials should be received by February 25 2026. The anticipated salary range for this role is $180000 - $210000 commensurate with experience and qualifications.

Application materials nominations and inquiries can be directed to: Sandra Chu and Sarah Palmer at.

The College recruits hires and promotes individuals based on their qualifications and performance. It is the policy of Ithaca College that discrimination on the grounds of age disability marital status national origin race color religion sex sexual orientation gender identity or expression or military status will not exist in any activity area or operation of the College. Any inquiries concerning the application of Title IX may be made to Ithaca Colleges Title IX Coordinator Linda Koenig at 953 Danby Road Ithaca NY 14850 or to the U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights. For more information on the Office of Civil Rights please visit

Experience:

Chief