SUMMARY: This full-time position reports to the VP of Planning and Strategy and is responsible for the leadership, strategy, and management of the university’s Human Resources function. This includes managing four direct reports (Director of Benefits, Director of Employee Relations (PT), Recruitment Specialist (PT), and an Officer Manager (PT) with a total Human Resources team of five including a Benefits Specialist. 

In partnership with the university’s Senior Leadership, the AVP of Human Resources is accountable for developing and executing comprehensive plans that elevate Queens as a destination employer by building on existing strengths and implementing new approaches to develop a comprehensive approach to compensation and to create professional pathways for university employees.  

The successful candidate brings past experience in Human Resources leadership, managing complex change initiatives in a collaborative and consensus-building environment; the ability to be forward thinking and to engage others in challenging convention and encouraging innovation; effectiveness at pivoting between strategic development and tactical deployment; experience in translating strategy to individual roles and responsibilities; the ability to earn the trust, confidence, and respect of senior leadership and employees; and a strong commitment to and success with achieving diversity, equity, and inclusion goals. This full-time, 12-month position is exempt from provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and is not eligible to earn overtime pay for hours worked above 40 in a single work week.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include:
•    Provides strategic leadership and direction for the HR function and oversees the university’s recruitment and retention strategy and professional development of staff. 
•    Develops, implements, and evaluates a comprehensive talent strategy including a significant focus on talent development and employment pathways and ensures that all federal and state laws, regulations and standards are met. 
•    Develops, implements and monitors the university’s comprehensive benefits strategy and oversees administration of insurance, retirement, and other benefits programs, including evaluating and developing recommendations for improvements in support of Queens’ employee attraction and retention strategies. Serves as the plan sponsor for the university’s 403b retirement plan and as the signatory for all the university benefit plans. 
•    Maintains an open and fluid leadership style that empowers staff through active communication and delegation to foster an environment of respect, accountability, motivation, professional growth and high productivity.
•    Provides strategic direction and oversight to the university's staff compensation; ensures regulatory compliance and competitive salary levels necessary to attract and retain qualified staff.
•    Leads the university’s staff performance management efforts and identifies and implements improvements.
•    Sets clearly defined and measurable goals for supervised areas; ensures a culture where effective teamwork, collaboration and innovation are expected, recognized and rewarded; leads by example in professionalism, creativity, entrepreneurship, appropriate risk-taking and cross-organizational cooperation.
•    Fosters a professional work environment that recognizes new ideas, builds confidence, encourages teamwork and promotes diversity.
•    Propose updates, improvements, edits, and additions to the Employee Handbook to improve the working environment and campus employment culture at the university. 
•    Maintains irreproachable confidentiality of all information relating to the University’s faculty, staff and students.
•    Guides management and employee actions by researching, developing, writing and updating policies, procedures, job descriptions and guidelines; communicating and reinforcing university values.
•    Updates job knowledge by attending conferences and educational opportunities, reading professional publications, maintaining personal networks, and participating in professional organizations.
•    Establishes and maintains strong relationships with the President’s Cabinet, university leaders, faculty and staff to best understand and support university strategies and goals.

Secondary Duties and Responsibilities: Other duties and special projects may be assigned to meet department and university needs.

Requirements/ Skills / Qualifications:
•    Seven (7) years or more experience in Human Resources in a decision-making role, with at least five (5) years progressively responsible experience in a leadership/ supervisory capacity. Higher education experience preferred.
•    Demonstrated experience in promoting collaborative decision-making processes and working with diverse populations.
•    Proven ability to convey complex technical information and policy issues in a concise, easily understood manner to a wide range of constituencies.
•    In-depth knowledge of federal and state labor laws (Title VII, Title IX, FLSA, NLR, OSHA, FMLA, et al).
•    Prior experience leading talent development initiatives. 
•    In depth, current knowledge of principles, practices, methodology, and procedures for benefits and recruiting/hiring and the ability to apply that knowledge to advancing the university’s offerings.
•    Experience serving as a fiduciary for a retirement plan, as well as prior experience serving on an organization’s retirement plan investment committee preferred.
•    Excellent presentation, written and verbal communication skills.
•    Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to quickly build and maintain rapport with faculty and staff.
•    Superior organizational and problem resolution skills, including exceptional project management skills and a reputation for delivering results on time and within budget.
•    Strong computer software (MS Office) skills.
•    Strong employee advocacy skills as demonstrated by maintaining approachability and adaptability and appropriately promoting change that supports the university’s and employees’ best interest.
•    Ability to intentionally nurture an inclusive environment in which all people are valued and supported.
•    Proven ability to supervise and train staff including organizing, prioritizing, and scheduling work assignments as well as development and implementation of strategic and operating goals and employee development plans.  Strong team building skills required.
•    Proven ability to interact effectively as a member of a team and work collaboratively with other departments.
•    Strong negotiation skills and a track record of achieving win/win resolutions to challenging situations.
•    Bachelor’s degree or the equivalent in experience and education; Master's degree preferred in human resources, organizational development or related field. 

Application Process
Does this sound like a position of interest? Click on the green “I’m interested” button and submit:
1.    A cover letter addressing the position qualifications and experience
2.    Current résumé 
3.    Salary requirements
4.    Contact information for three professional references.

Applications received by November 14, 2022, will receive first consideration. Queens will continue to accept applications until the position is filled.

About Queens University of Charlotte
Located in the heart of the nation’s second fastest growing metropolitan area, Queens University of Charlotte leverages the city’s diverse and thriving environment as an extended classroom. Nationally recognized for undergraduate programs in international and interdisciplinary education, Queens blends the best of liberal arts learning with professional preparation and community engagement. Focused on supporting success for diverse learners, faculty build close and collaborative relationships with students and help them build intentional and individualized roadmaps for flourishing at Queens and beyond. At the graduate program level, the University offers innovative educational experiences that help learners advance professionally and retool for new opportunities. Our environs afford faculty myriad opportunities to advance their own professional growth and teaching and research interests by collaborating with vibrant industry, non-profit, and community organization sectors.

Because of our history of innovation and our legacy of strong leadership, Queens is positioned to be among the new forerunners of American higher education. This is a defining moment for Queens. While other institutions are focused on sustaining and surviving, we are thinking much bigger.

Institutions that understand what is needed and are willing to reimagine what is possible can position themselves to thrive and strengthen their market position after the pandemic with innovative approaches that are deeply connected to the world and its greatest challenges.

By 2030, Queens aspires to become the leading, private, national university of Charlotte with deep, meaningful, and reciprocal connections to the needs of our local community and economy; inventive and multidisciplinary academic programs that are connected to the world’s most pressing challenges and biggest areas of opportunity; a fully connected, integrated, and innovative set of experiences that support holistic wellness and wellbeing; a culture of continuous improvement and investment that enables faculty and staff to flourish and achieve their full potential; and a comprehensive approach to diversity, equity, and inclusion that begins on campus and radiates throughout the community.

Queens University of Charlotte is an equal opportunity employer and is firmly committed to supporting and celebrating all forms of diversity. Queens does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth and conditions related to pregnancy or childbirth), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, age, national origin, disability, political beliefs, veteran status, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law in the administration of its educational and admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, athletic programs, employment and hiring policies, or other University-administered programs.

Any individual with a disability who needs any reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act to apply for a position or otherwise to participate in Queens' job search/selection process should contact the Director of Human Resources at 704.337.2222.

Benefits

Queens offers comprehensive benefits to eligible employees, including: medical, dental and vision insurance, domestic partner benefits, defined contribution (matching) and supplemental 403(b) retirement plans, vacation and generous paid holidays, tuition remission and tuition exchange, Queens- paid life insurance, supplemental life insurance, dependent life insurance, accidental death and dismemberment insurance, flexible spending accounts (medical, dependent care, Health Savings Account), sick leave and long-term disability leave, paid parental leave, FMLA leave when eligible, reduced cost meals at Morrison Dining Hall, employee assistance program (EAP), free access to the Levine Center, wellness programs. In addition, employees may choose benefits such as pet insurance, critical care insurance and legal assistance.

Physical Requirements (with or without reasonable accommodation) require ability to
•    Remain in a stationary position, most of the time.
•    Exchange accurate information with co-workers and clients, frequently.
•    Read reports, create presentations, use a computer system, most of the time 
•    Communicate with co‐workers, clients and vendors, most of the time. 
•    Write, type, and use the computer, telephone, copier, and other office equipment systems, most of the time. 
•    Move about inside the workspace to access resources and office equipment, and attend meetings across campus, regularly. 
•    Exert moderate force to move objects, occasionally. 
•    Think critically, concentrate on the task at hand, and respond quickly to changes in conditions, most of the time.

Work Conditions
•    Work in office environment, involving contact with faculty, staff, students, service providers and vendors.
•    Work has deadlines, multiple interruptions, high volume and may be stressful at times.

•    New employees must be fully vaccinated when they first report to work at Queens University of Charlotte. Queens’ COVID-19 response is found here: queens.edu/royalreturn

Nothing in this job description restricts the university’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time; this description reflects the university’s assignment of essential functions, it does not proscribe or restrict the tasks that may be assigned; this job description is subject to change at any time.