Senior Associate Director, HR Operations & Strategic Initiatives

If you are a current Barnard College employee please use the internal career site to apply for this position.

Job:

Job Description:

Key Responsibilities

HR Operations & Process Optimization

• Translate HR strategic priorities into actionable workplans with clear timelines ownership and deliverables.
• Track progress against HR initiatives ensuring projects remain on pace and aligned with College priorities.
• Identify and address bottlenecks resource gaps and risks to execution.
• Serve as the central driver of HR project execution ensuring initiatives move forward efficiently and effectively.
• Monitor and report on progress across HR priorities providing visibility to leadership on status risks and outcomes.
• Oversee HR operational workflows ensuring efficient consistent and high-quality service delivery across HR functions.
• Design document and implement Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) aligned with HR Centers of Excellence.
• Partner with Associate Director Client Services to lead process improvement initiatives to streamline workflows and eliminate inefficiencies.
• Drive automation of routine HR transactions and processes through partnership with Centers of Excellence.
• Develop process maps and frameworks to support scalability and continuous improvement.

Metrics Analytics & Reporting

• Establish and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) and operational metrics for HR services.
• Develop dashboards and reporting tools to track workflow service levels and workforce trends.
• Analyze data to identify opportunities for optimization risk mitigation and improved service delivery.
• Provide regular reporting and insights to HR leadership to support strategic decision-making.

HRIS Operations Oversight

• Serve as primary collaborator with the Workday teams primarily servicing Workday HCM managing priorities workflow and professional development.
• Partner with the Director Workday HCM to align HRIS operations with system strategy and governance.
• Oversee HRIS-related processes including data integrity reporting and transactional workflows.
• Support system enhancements reporting improvements and automation initiatives.
• Ensure accuracy compliance and consistency of HR data across systems.

Leadership & Collaboration

• Act as a key operational partner to the Director of Human Resources in executing departmental priorities.
• Collaborate across HR Centers of Excellence to ensure alignment and integration of HR services.
• Mentor and support HR staff fostering a culture of accountability efficiency and continuous improvement.
• Lead or support change management initiatives related to HR processes systems and organizational changes.
• Operate in the absence of Director of Human Resources

Employee & Labor Relations (Strategy Integration & College Alignment)

• Serve as a strategic partner in shaping and advancing the Colleges employee and labor relations approach ensuring alignment with College priorities risk management and a consistent employee experience.
• Partner closely with the Associate Director Labor and Employee Relations to align on overall strategy using insights from investigations grievances and disciplinary matters to inform broader HR policies practices and priorities.
• Translate employee and labor relations trends into actionable cross-functional strategies by collaborating with HR Centers of Excellence including People Experience Total Rewards and HRIS to address root causes and strengthen organizational effectiveness.
• Identify systemic themes and emerging risks across employee and labor relations proactively recommending policy process and training interventions that improve consistency reduce risk and enhance the employee experience.
• Ensure consistent and equitable application of collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) HR policies and employment laws while advising on opportunities to improve clarity usability and alignment across the institution.
• Serve as a strategic escalation point for complex or high-risk matters ensuring issues are addressed in a way that aligns with College values mitigates risk and informs broader organizational learning.
• Partner with People Experience to design and implement tools training and resources that build manager capability and confidence in navigating employee relations effectively.
• Serve as a core member of the Colleges labor contract negotiation team contributing to strategy development preparation and execution in alignment with institutional priorities.
• Collaborate with the Office of General Counsel on arbitration strategy and preparation ensuring a coordinated and thoughtful approach to risk mitigation and institutional positioning.
• Lead the translation of negotiated agreements into clear operationally sound processes partnering across HR and the institution to ensure effective communication implementation and sustained compliance.

Other duties as assigned.

Skills Qualifications & Requirements:

Required Qualifications

• Bachelors degree in Human Resources Business Administration or related field (Masters preferred).
• 810 years of progressive HR experience.
• Strong experience and leadership roles in employee and labor relations including exposure to conflict resolutions settlement agreements grievances investigations and arbitration processes.
• Strong experience and demonstrated leadership working in a unionized environment.
• Demonstrated experience in HR operations process improvement and workflow optimization.
• Experience developing metrics dashboards and operational reporting.
• Supervisory experience including oversight of technical or HR staff.
• Knowledge of employment laws and HR best practices.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in higher education or similarly complex regulated environments.
• Experience with Workday HRIS and HR reporting tools.
• Lean Six Sigma or process improvement certification.
• HR certification (SHRM-CP SHRM-SCP PHR SPHR).

Salary: $130000 - $140000

The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors including but not limited to departmental budgets qualifications experience education licenses specialty and training. The above hiring range represents the Colleges good faith and reasonable estimateof the range of possible compensation at the time of posting.

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