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Associate Vice President for Human Resources

Employer
Western Washington University
Location
Washington, United States
Salary
Salary Commensurate with experience
Date posted
Jul 12, 2021

Associate Vice President for Human Resources

Western Washington University invites applications and nominations for the position of Associate Vice President for Human Resources. Western seeks an accomplished Human Resources senior professional who will proactively lead and oversee the Human Resources function. This position reports to the Vice President for Business and Financial Affairs and is a member of the University’s Executive Team.

 

Western Washington University enrolls over 15,000 students in more than 160 academic programs at the Bellingham campus and seven satellite locations around the Puget Sound area. The main campus is located in Bellingham, Washington, a coastal community of over 90,000 overlooking Bellingham Bay, the San Juan Islands, and the North Cascades Mountain range. The city lies 90 miles north of Seattle and 60 miles south of Vancouver, British Columbia. Western, which first opened its doors in 1899, is perennially ranked as the best public, master’s granting university in the Pacific Northwest and No. 2 in the West, according to U.S. News and World Report college rankings.

The Associate Vice President for Human Resources serves as the Chief Human Resources Officer for Western Washington University and reports to the Vice President for Business and Financial Affairs. The successful candidate is expected to be a strategic partner and provide leadership and policy direction. The Associate Vice President (AVP) will also provide line management oversight for all University human resource management functions, including staff employee and labor relations, diversity outreach and engagement, organizational and talent development, recruitment and onboarding, retirement and insurance, human resource information systems and data management, payroll, employee disability accommodations, and staff classification and compensation programs. The AVP oversees and ensures compliance with the collective bargaining agreements for classified employees as well as the Professional Staff Handbook. The AVP serves as a member of the Vice President’s senior management team, and is part of the University’s Executive Team.

Required Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree and 10 years of progressively responsible human resources experience, including senior level administration experience in human resources.
  • Demonstrated strategic leadership experience in developing and implementing human resources policies, procedures, services, and programs, including using an accessibility, diversity, equity, and inclusion lens, as well as ensuring compliance with applicable laws/regulations.
  • Demonstrated experience and the ability to cultivate a working environment that is equitable and inclusive of faculty, staff, students, and internal and external stakeholders, and sensitive to those with diverse cultural backgrounds and social identities, both within the Human Resources unit and in the university as a whole.
  • Strong demonstrated knowledge of and experience in human resources functions, e.g., payroll and benefits; classification/compensation; retirement and insurance; recruitment outreach and talent development.
  • Demonstrated ability to collaborate, negotiate, and mediate complex human resources issues, while maintaining and strengthening relationships with a wide range of internal and external constituencies.
  • Experience working with a unionized workforce.
  • Demonstrated strong leadership and collaborative skills in supervising, developing, leading, and inspiring a team of experienced human resources professionals.
  • Excellent interpersonal and organizational skills with demonstrated ability to balance competing priorities and work successfully in a dynamic, fast-paced, multi-tasking, and complex organization.
  • Effective communication skills, both written and oral.

 

Preferred Qualifications

  • Graduate degree.
  • Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) certification.
  • Certified Labor Relations Professional (CLRP) certification.
  • Experience in governmental civil service systems.
  • Senior human resource management experience in public higher education union setting.
  • Certified mediator.

 

Salary

The position is a full-time, 12-month executive position with an excellent benefits package.  Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience.

 

How to Apply

Greenwood/Asher & Associates, LLC is assisting Western Washington University in this search. Applications and nominations are now being accepted. For best consideration, please submit applications materials by August 30, 2021. Confidential inquiries, nominations, and application materials should be directed to Greenwood/Asher & Associates, LLC. Submission of application materials as PDF attachments is strongly encouraged. The search will be conducted with a commitment of confidentiality for candidates until finalists are selected. Initial screening of applications will begin immediately and will continue until an appointment is made.

Application materials should include the following:

  • Letter of interest that addresses how the candidate’s experiences, skills, and abilities fulfill the position requirements.
  • Resume or curriculum vitae.
  • A statement (maximum two pages) that describes your “demonstrated leadership skills, abilities, and commitment necessary to advance accessibility, diversity, equity and inclusion and to cultivate work environments that are equitable and inclusive of employees with diverse cultural backgrounds and social identities.” The statement should include your past professional and/or personal experience with, and plans for contributing to accessibility, diversity, equity, and inclusion. For information on diversity and inclusion at Western, please see Advancing Diversity and Inclusion at Western
  • List of five professional references with full contact information and a note indicating the nature of your working relationship with each; references will not be contacted without the explicit permission of the candidate.

Confidential inquiries, nominations, and application materials should be directed to:

Jan Greenwood

Founder, Greenwood/Asher & Associates, LLC

Vice President & Managing Partner, Kelly

E-mail: jangreenwood@greenwoodsearch.com

Ann Bailey

Senior Executive Search Consultant

Greenwood/Asher & Associates, LLC

E-mail: annbailey@greenwoodsearch.com

 

For a copy of the position profile, please visit:

 https://greenwoodsearch.com/current-opportunities/.

 

For more information about WWU, please visit: www.wwu.edu.

 

For more information about the Human Resources Department please visit https://hr.wwu.edu and the Division of Business and Financial Affairs at: https://bfa.wwu.edu/.

 

Western Washington University (WWU) is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer committed to assembling a diverse, broadly trained faculty and staff. Women, minorities, people with disabilities and veterans are strongly encouraged to apply. In compliance with applicable laws and in furtherance of its commitment to fostering an environment that welcomes and embraces diversity, WWU does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex (including pregnancy and parenting status), disability, age, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status or genetic information in its programs or activities, including employment, admissions, and educational programs. See WWU’s Policy on Ensuring Equal Opportunity and Prohibiting Discrimination and Retaliation. Inquiries may be directed to the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance, Title IX and ADA Coordinator, Western Washington University, Old Main 345 (MS 9021), 516 High Street, Bellingham, WA 98225; 360.650.3307 (voice) or 711 (Washington Relay); crtc@wwu.edu

 

WWU is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. To request this document in an alternate format or to request an accommodation, please contact Human Resources Disability Services, 360.650.3774 or 711 (Washington Relay).

 

Annual Security and Fire Safety Report: This report is provided pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act ("The Clery Act"). It includes statistics for the previous three calendar years concerning reported crimes that occurred on Western's campus; in certain off-campus buildings or property owned or controlled by Western; and on public property within, or immediately adjacent to and accessible from, the campus. The report also includes institutional policies concerning campus security, such as policies concerning alcohol and drug use, crime prevention, the reporting of crimes, sexual assault, and other matters. You can obtain a copy of this report in printed or alternate formats by contacting the Office of the Vice President for Enrollment and Student Services at vpsa.office@wwu.edu. The report can be found at: Annual Security and Fire Safety Report.

All new employees must comply with the immunization policy and show employment eligibility verification as required by the U.S. Citizen and Immigration Service before beginning work at WWU. A thorough background check will be conducted on all new hires.

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