Director of Human Resources

18-Mar-2022

Harvard School of Dental Medicine

56983BR

Job-Specific Responsibilities

Reporting to the Dean for Administration and Finance, the Director of HR leads a three-person team and provides responsive and transparent HR services that is aligned to the School’s employees and appointees; consults with and advises senior leadership (Deans and Department Heads) and management on a variety of faculty/staff HR matters; partners to address a variety of workplace issues; and provides coaching and employment-related support to all levels of faculty, staff and fellows. The Director develops strong, collaborative working relationships within the School, across the HSDM affiliates (e.g., MGH, BWH, BCH, Forsyth Institute) as well as the HR community in the Harvard Longwood Campus and across Harvard University. The Director also works closely with the HMS Office of Faculty Affairs on matters related to applicable Faculty of Medicine policies and procedures. Duties include but are not limited to:

Organizational Development:   Partner with leadership to build business strategies around organizational development, collaborating on operational and strategic initiatives; contributes to organizational strategy by helping leaders identify, prioritize, and build strong organizational and workforce capabilities; advises and counsels on best approaches and practices, generates options for achieving desired results; collaborates with HSDM community, union representation and affiliates to create and provide a blended service model that serves faculty, staff and postdoctoral research fellows, and improves their overall on-boarding and employment experience; develops or identifies resources to address needs; creates and leads presentations and trainings, conveying information in a meaningful way to a wide variety of audiences; models and develops systems and programs to promote operational transparency and information- sharing, facilitates process improvement.

Employee and Labor Relations:   Working in a very complex environment, advises senior leaders and managers on HUCTW and Administrative/Professional personnel policies, and Faculty of Medicine appointment-related policies; advices School on employment laws; pursues solutions that balance individual and organizational needs; advises and coaches senior leaders and managers to implement effective performance management techniques to create and sustain a high- performance workforce for faculty and staff; advises all managers on progressive discipline and terminations for faculty and staff, and negotiates outcomes with managers and representatives, as necessary; also serves as Title IX Coordinator for staff and postdoctoral research fellows; and is the liaison to Office of Labor and Employee Relations and Office of General Counsel

Faculty Services:   Provides centralized support and services for faculty and other academic appointments at HSDM, including the faculty appointment process, procedural matters, and policy interpretation; advises and counsels Deans and Department Chairs on policy interpretation and implementation, employee relations issues with faculty, compensation and retention strategies for faculty, visa and immigration issues, and recruitment best practices, among others; meets with faculty and postdoctoral research fellows to address concerns and questions raised related to employment, policies and other support needs; refers faculty and postdoctoral research fellows to appropriate resources for support as necessary; collaboratively evaluates, develops, designs, implements and maintains process improvements to simplify and streamline workflow for academic employment and appointees.

Job specific responsibilities continued in Additional Information section.

Typical Core Duties

• Responsible for effective staff management for a group or team of employees, including hiring and orientation, training and development, workflow and performance management, and the promotion of an inclusive and innovative work environment
• Build relationships with senior business leaders to understand needs and develop/deliver tailored HR programs and processes
• Contribute to the business strategy by helping senior leaders to identify, prioritize and build organizational capabilities
• Establish and implement short and long-range goals and services to support key local and university objectives
• Provide strategic human resources consulting services; develop, deliver and manage a full range of HR programs for multiple organizational units
• Address a wide range of complex problems and assist in the resolution of escalated employee relations issues and mediate disputes
• Provide expert advice and coaching to employees and managers
• Collaborate with senior HR leadership to ensure appropriate level of resources as work/projects peak and flow
• Identify opportunities for program and process improvement
• Design and implement effective performance management to create and sustain a high performance workforce
• Represent the school/unit at the university level and to external constituencies
• May collaborate with a centralized HR function to provide service
• Ensure compliance with University Human Resources policies, procedures, and requirements and applicable legal regulations

Basic Qualifications

• Master’s degree or equivalent work experience required
• Minimum of 10 years’ relevant HR experience
• Supervisory experience

Additional Qualifications and Skills

• Knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite and HRIS applications and analytics
• Advanced functional knowledge of Human Resources policies and processes; business acumen
• Demonstrated experience with the administration of bargaining unit policies and procedures

• Master’s degree in Human Resources, Organization Development, Management or a related field. PHR, SPHR, SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP certification. Significant knowledge of HR policies and how to interpret and apply them. Current knowledge of progressive HR practices and key trends. Ability to conceptualize and consult on strategic HR issues that support organizational goals. Excellent consulting, project management, communication (written and verbal), inter-personal, problem-solving, organizational, and strategic planning skills. Ability to forge strong collaborative working relationships across all levels and to work with tact and diplomacy. Models HR competencies, including treating others with dignity and respect. Able to influence without authority. Outstanding customer service orientation. Knowledge of PeopleSoft or other HRIS systems. Exhibits a strong commitment to diversity, inclusion and valuing differences. Experience with labor relations and unionized environments strongly preferred. Experience working within an academic or clinical environment preferred. Experience working with faculty and providing faculty services a plus. Harvard experience a plus.

Working Conditions

• Work is performed in an office setting

• The University requires all Harvard community members to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and remain up to date with COVID-19 vaccine boosters, as detailed in Harvard’s Vaccine & Booster Requirements . Individuals may claim exemption from the vaccine requirement for medical or religious reasons. More information regarding the University’s COVID vaccination requirement, exemptions, and verification of vaccination status may be found at the University’s “COVID-19 Vaccine Information” webpage: http://www.harvard.edu/coronavirus/covid-19-vaccine-information/ . 

• Harvard School of Dental Medicine is not able to provide visa sponsorship or work authorization for this opportunity.

Additional Information

Talent Acquisition:   Supports senior leaders and managers in forecasting and planning their staffing needs in line with their department strategy; recruits and selects candidates for vacant positions; recommends best practices and ensures consistency with posting, recruitment, appointment, and on- and off-boarding processes for faculty, staff and fellow positions; utilizes applicant tracking systems (e.g., Aspire & ARIeS) for staff and faculty vacancies; provides direction on recruiting and hiring procedures and policies to hiring supervisors; develops and implements strategies for Affirmative Action Program and diversity initiatives for faculty and staff.  Identify recruitment strategies to build strong candidate pipelines and brand the school in the marketplace, all while reducing costs.

Talent Management :   Direct management team in assessing human capital and competencies needed to reach operational goals.  Implement effective performance management to create and sustain a high performing workforce. Provide employees with development opportunities to ensure that they are able to meet current and future performance standards; helps leaders interpret data such as headcount, turnover, engagement, etc. to aid in workforce planning and gap analysis.  Connects staff with training opportunities to improve skills; identifies high performers with senior leadership and managers, and provides leadership development opportunities; partners with senior leadership to identify faculty for potential leadership roles at the School, and identifies leadership development opportunities for them; develops succession management strategies.  Design and manage Faculty Mentoring Program to build future leadership.

Compensation and Classification:   Manages compensation and classification programs for faculty (e.g., Faculty Compensation Guidelines, ADEA salary surveys), staff and research fellows to ensure compliance with School and University compensation programs; federal and State employment laws.  Supports in the development of job descriptions; works with clients to recommend appropriate salaries, grade levels and titles for faculty and staff as necessary; updates Faculty Compensation Guidelines periodically to ensure competitiveness of compensation program, and revises and redesigns as needed; conducts equity and compression reviews for staff and faculty, and makes changes as necessary; makes recommendations for and manages the annual merit increase process for faculty, staff (union and non-union) and research fellows.

HR Information Management :  Develop and/or improve HR information systems for the School; deploys HR Analytics and other relevant data to help leaders make informed decisions; evaluates procedures and technology solutions to improve human resources data management; manages reporting to satisfy School/University and Regulatory compliance requirements; and assesses IT solutions to digitize services through HR.

HR Administration :  Delivers HR programs to support and promote engagement, communicating university policies and procedures to ensure compliance.  Provides oversight for HR compliance issues with regards to FLSA, NLRA, DOL, etc.; serves on the school compliance committee, develops and manages annual human resources budget, including projections, expenditures and long-range forecasting; conducts exit interviews for faculty and staff; collaborates within HMS, HLC and Harvard HR colleagues; represents HSDM on HLC and University-wide committees and events.  Partners with University and HLC Work/Life Office on work-life strategies (wellness, stress reduction, etc.) to ensure work-life balance.

Job Function

Human Resources

Location

USA - MA - Boston

Job Code

H0460M HR Generalist Management VI

Department

Administration and Finance

Union

00 - Non Union, Exempt or Temporary

Pre-Employment Screening

Credit, Criminal, Education, Identity

Commitment to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging

Harvard University views equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging as the pathway to achieving inclusive excellence and fostering a campus culture where everyone can thrive. We strive to create a community that draws upon the widest possible pool of talent to unify excellence and diversity while fully embracing individuals from varied backgrounds, cultures, races, identities, life experiences, perspectives, beliefs, and values.

EEO Statement

We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions, or any other characteristic protected by law.