Associate Director of Human Resources

POSITION SUMMARY

The Associate Director of Human Resources serves as a strategic partner in supporting and implementing HR initiatives that align with the university strategic plans while enhancing employee culture and experience. This role ensures compliance with state and federal labor laws engages with payroll and benefits administration and advances initiatives in workforce planning recruitment / retention employee engagement and professional development. The Associate Director is a dynamic leader with a comprehensive understanding of HR best practices excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Collaborate with the Sr. Director in the development of workforce initiatives aligning recruitment and retention efforts with organizational goals.
• Oversee recruitment activities and provide consultation to hiring managers on sourcing candidates and administering a selection process that will yield high-impact candidates.
• Manage the full lifecycle of employee health benefits and retirement programs serving as the primary point of contact for employees benefits providers and the insurance broker.
• Serves as the liaison for employees when navigating leaves of absence such as FMLA CFRA and PDL while ensuring employees receive clear empathetic guidance and a seamless transition back to the workplace.
• Monitor and audit HR / Payroll practices within the organization to ensure compliance with federal and California labor laws.
• Support efforts to modernize the employee handbook by transforming complex regulations / policies into accessible guidance for employees.
• Complete a variety of critical university and industry compliance surveys and reports ensuring accurate and timely submission including the extraction compilation and analysis of complex HR and payroll data.
• Collaborate with the Sr. Payroll Specialist to address complex pay and benefit issues; act as primary back-up for payroll processing.
• Partner with the Sr. Director to move beyond traditional annual reviews by architecting modern performance systems that prioritize ongoing dialogue real-time feedback and clear goal setting.
• Engage with the Sr. Director on compensation analysis salary reviews and budget planning.
• Oversee workers compensation program and work closely with Risk Management to mitigate / address illness and injury in the workplace.
• Support a comprehensive onboarding framework that welcomes new employees and integrates new hires into the mission of the university from day one.
• Coordinate a dynamic calendar of professional development and training workshops designed to sharpen skills and support career growth.
• Assist with Title VII investigations and collaborate with the Title IX Office on investigating complaints.
• Design and implement employee engagement initiatives to drive employee satisfaction and long-term retention.
• Supervise and mentor HR staff providing direction training and professional growth opportunities.
• Act in the capacity of Sr. Director of Human Resources in their absence.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• A vibrant Christian who affirms to and willing to advance the Christ-centered mission of the University.
• Bachelors degree in Human Resources Business Administration or related field.
• 3-5 years of progressively responsible leadership experience preferably in the area of human resource management.

IDEAL CANDIDATE:

• Advanced degree in Business Administration Industrial Organizational Psychology or related field.
• Demonstrated knowledge of and experience in the application and interpretation of California labor laws and federal employment regulations.
• Broad knowledge and experience in compensation analysis organizational planning / development employee relations and professional development.
• Proven ability to use Excel to extract and analyze complex data producing high-level insights for compliance filings and executive-level briefings (Board/Cabinet).
• Experience in higher education or a comparable complex organization.
• Strong leadership communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to build trust at all organizational levels.
• Experience implementing AI-driven tools for recruitment performance management training and predictive analytics to enhance workforce planning and optimize organizational effectiveness.
• Proficiency with HRIS systems and payroll systems.
• PHR/SPHR or SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP certification preferred.

Required Experience:

Director