Palo Alto University (PAU), a private, non-profit university, founded in 1975 and located in the heart of Northern California’s Silicon Valley, is a community grounded in values of social justice, dedicated to addressing pressing and emerging issues in the fields of psychology and counseling that meet the needs of today’s diverse society. The students at PAU reflect the diversity of the region, are engaged in their education, and committed to improving the lives of others. The University sees diversity in its staff and faculty as very important to serving its diverse student body (or synonymous with inclusive excellence).

PAU offers undergraduate and graduate programs with online, hybrid and residential options. PAU has an engaged faculty who make significant contributions to their fields and prepare future leaders who make a difference in the lives of individuals and communities. When you put all of this together, PAU creates a legacy of confident, competent, and compassionate professionals who are at the forefront of psychology and counseling and who move ahead in life by moving lives ahead.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Job Title: Director of People Operations

Department: Division of Finance & Operations

Reports to: Vice President for Finance & Operations (Chief Financial Officer)

JOB SUMMARY

The Director of People Operations will serve as a strategic human resources advisor for the University. The Director must have a thorough knowledge of human resources policies and best practices, particularly around equity and inclusion. Reporting to the Chief Financial Officer, the Director will collaborate with the President’s Cabinet to develop and shape university-wide human resources policies and help to create a supportive and inclusive work environment.

Duties & Responsibilities

Major duties include, but are not limited to the following:

• Participate in the development of the university's plans and advise on the impact on the university’s ability to

attract, motivate, develop and retain the people resources.

• Translate the university business plans into HR operational plans. Plan, develop, organize, implement,

direct, evaluate and improve the university's human resource function and performance. This includes:

o human resource planning;

o organizational structure and development;

o compensation and benefits programs;

o employee recruitment and retention;

o performance management and organization feedback;

o training and professional development;

o employee relations and Title IX compliance, as well as compliance with state and federal laws;

o human resource information system and reporting functions;

o change management.

• Advance the University’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion through supporting inclusive practices.

• Manage departmental tasks / processes to ensure that HR services are delivered and customer needs are met

while fully utilizing and maximizing resources.

• Support hiring of new employees including developing job descriptions, advising on recruiting strategies,

onboarding employees and making recommendations regarding job offers.

• Executes recruitment and talent management strategies to attract, develop, engage, and retain a diverse, skilled,

and effective workforce.

• Administers employee recognition and related initiatives to improve workplace culture, employee satisfaction, and

engagement continually.

• Advises supervisors and employees regarding leave requests and needs in accordance with federal and state laws,

and university policies.

• Manages Title IX complains and conducts investigations as needed.

• Lead / manage efforts to motivate employees to achieve university’s goals and objective

• Work with managers to provide effective performance feedback and development opportunities to enhance skills or

accomplish tasks; train and assist managers in developing and implementing performance management and

evaluation plans; support managers in assessing the work of employees, intervening where needed to address

performance issues;

• Continually assess the competitiveness of all HR programs and practices against the relevant comparable

universities, industries and markets.

• Work collaboratively across the university to advance the strategic goals and support the academic mission, cross-

training across people operations and other departments.

• Manage the budget and other resources of the people operations department.

• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree and minimum of five to seven years progressive relevant HR experience, and a minimum of three years’ supervisory experience showing demonstrated leadership and management skills, or equivalent combination of education and experience;

• Knowledge of federal and state laws related to equal employment opportunity and affirmative action, and

experience with effective and inclusive search and hiring processes;

• Demonstrated experience as a Title IX officer in an academic setting.

Desired Requirements

• Experience in higher education and faculty hiring;

• A Master's degree in Human Resources Management, Business Administration, Public Administration or a related field;

• Active engagement in ongoing professional development and learning as evidenced through membership and

participation in professional HR organizations: CUPA, SPHR or SHRM-SCP;

• Demonstrated interpersonal skills and ability to advise on and implement organizational change, and to work

collaboratively across departments;

• Effective communication skills, both orally and in writing, and excellent listening skills;

• Ability to keep information confidential;

• A business partner and team player able to establish credibility throughout the university to problem solve, especially

around people issues;

• Strong analytical, critical thinking, creative problem solving, judgment, negotiating, influencing, and strategic decision

making skills;

• Able to convey complex information in an understandable way to a variety of audiences in individual, small

group and large group settings

• Ability to successfully manage multiple priorities in a complex fast-paced environment;

• Demonstrated proficiency with business applications, such as Microsoft Office suite and human resource information

systems.

Palo Alto University (PAU), a private, non-profit university located in the heart of Northern California’s Silicon Valley, is a community grounded in values of social justice dedicated to addressing pressing and emerging issues in the fields of psychology and counseling that meet the needs of today’s diverse society. The students at PAU reflect the diversity of the region, are engaged in their education, and committed to improving the lives of others. The University sees diversity in it is staff as very important to serving its diverse student body.

In compliance with law, the University practices non-discrimination in all of its employment practices from recruitment to promotion, etc. PAU fully recognizes and there continues to be systemic racism in American society and seeks to contribute meaningfully to its end.