Director of Human Resources - College of Liberal Arts & Human Sciences

Job Description

Located in Blacksburg, Virginia, Virginia Tech is a top 25 public research university. Under the leadership of a dynamic President, the University is growing in Blacksburg as well as expanding its presence across the commonwealth, most notably the Health Science and Technology campus in Roanoke and the Innovation campus in the DC metropolitan area.

As the commonwealth’s most comprehensive university and a leading research institution, Virginia Tech manages a research portfolio of more than $531 million. The university fulfills its role as a land-grant institution by fostering a collaborative environment that integrates technology into all disciplines, so that the Virginia Tech community can serve as a force for positive change around the commonwealth, the country, and the world.

The Virginia Tech College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences combines the wide-ranging intellectual exploration of the liberal arts with the technological advantages of a leading university and the civic engagement of a land-grant institution. Recognizing that technology alone is never a solution and that innovation is fundamentally a human achievement, the college brings together the perspectives of the arts, humanities, and social sciences to achieve meaningful solutions to complex human problems. Together, the college’s 10 academic departments and three schools offer 42 majors, 60 minors, 39 master’s programs, and 32 doctoral programs. The college proudly claims more than 500 faculty and staff members, 4,000 students, and 60,000 graduates.

Building on its motto, Virginia Tech is dedicated to InclusiveVT serving in the spirit of community, diversity, and excellence. We seek candidates who adopt and practice the Principles of Community, which are fundamental to the institution's ongoing efforts to increase access and inclusion, and to create a community that nurtures learning and growth for all of its members.

Virginia Tech is seeking an accomplished and visionary human resource professional to serve as director of human resources for the college. This position will report jointly to the assistant vice president for HR consulting and strategic services within the Division of Human Resources and the Dean in the college. Working as part of both the larger HR organization and the college administration, the HR director will align and execute unit-based HR strategy with the university’s mission and strategy.

The incumbent will be responsible for advancing the strategic priorities of workforce development and diversifying the workforce in the college. Specific responsibilities include oversight of college recruiting, hiring and onboarding activities, training programs, performance management, compensation strategies, employee relations, workforce planning and staffing assessment, diversity and inclusion recruiting, retention planning, and succession planning. This individual will serve as the key strategy collaborator with the Dean while serving as a member of both the college leadership team and the Division of Human Resources leadership team.

To carry out these responsibilities, the incumbent must be proactive, a strategic thinker, able to understand the critical importance of planning and program delivery, able to successfully balance competing values, and able to align recommendations and actions with the strategies of the university. Success in this position will rely heavily on awareness of the culture and environment of the college, the university, and the Division of Human Resources. This will be enabled by developing strong relationships across campus and fostering respectful communications and collaborations within a diverse community of faculty, staff, and students.

Given the joint reporting relationship, the incumbent must manage potentially conflicting interests, possess strong organizational skills, plan and schedule individual work and team work, set priorities, and independently manage multiple projects and deadlines. The Division HR Director will coordinate all HR work in the college. The ideal candidate will have a demonstrated track record in building strong relationships with a diverse group of individuals within a collaborative and collegial environment.

To learn more about the Division of Human Resources transformation and to meet other directors (referred to as HR division directors internally to the university), go to https://vtx.vt.edu/articles/2022/02/hr-2022-division-director-superheroes.html.

To learn more about the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences at Virginia Tech, go to https://liberalarts.vt.edu/about.html

Required Qualifications

• Related bachelor’s degree with significant related experience in a professional human resources role
• Recent progressive and consultative HR experience in a complex organization with diverse cultures and operating environments, including experience providing forward-facing strategic recommendations, working with senior leadership, and influencing and managing people and projects through direct and indirect supervisory roles
• Increasing levels of responsibility to include a broad HR Generalist background with experience in multiple disciplines such as talent acquisition, talent management, talent development, performance management, compensation, and more
• Experience working in a fast-paced, team-oriented environment with quickly shifting priorities
• Strong interpersonal communications skills
• Ability to maintain discretion and the highest ethical and professional standards while managing confidential information
• Management level experience delivering HR services

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in human resources, management, or related field
• Related HR certification such as SHRM-SCP or SPHR
• Significant and increasing levels of HR responsibility within higher education

Appointment Type

Regular

Salary Information

Commensurate with experience with a salary range of $120,000-$135,000 per year

Review Date

November 14, 2022

Additional Information

The successful candidate will be required to have a criminal conviction check.

About Virginia Tech

Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech pushes the boundaries of knowledge by taking a hands-on, transdisciplinary approach to preparing scholars to be leaders and problem-solvers. A comprehensive land-grant institution that enhances the quality of life in Virginia and throughout the world, Virginia Tech is an inclusive community dedicated to knowledge, discovery, and creativity. The university offers more than 280 majors to a diverse enrollment of more than 36,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students in eight undergraduate colleges , a school of medicine , a veterinary medicine college, Graduate School , and Honors College . The university has a significant presence across Virginia, including the Innovation Campus in Northern Virginia; the Health Sciences and Technology Campus in Roanoke; sites in Newport News and Richmond; and numerous Extension offices and research centers . A leading global research institution, Virginia Tech conducts more than $500 million in research annually.

Virginia Tech does not discriminate against employees, students, or applicants on the basis of age, color, disability, sex (including pregnancy), gender, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, or military status, or otherwise discriminate against employees or applicants who inquire about, discuss, or disclose their compensation or the compensation of other employees or applicants, or on any other basis protected by law.

If you are an individual with a disability and desire an accommodation, please contact Marisela Garza at Garza87@vt.edu during regular business hours at least 10 business days prior to the event.

Advertised: October 24, 2022
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