Associate Vice President of Client Services & Employee Relations

Search for the Associate Vice President of Client Services & Employee Relations

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California

The University of Southern California (USC), one of the world’s leading private research universities, seeks applications and nomination for the role of Associate Vice President (AVP) of Client Services & Employee Relations. This a pivotal moment in USC’s history, and the University HR group is the lynchpin to the coordination, development, and support of the University’s primary asset, its people. 

Founded by civic leaders in 1880, the beginning of California’s rise to prominence, USC has always been a pioneering institution with diversity, discovery, and exploration at its heart. Its aspirations—and embrace—were as expansive as the region it grew to represent. Since opening its doors, USC’s drive to break boundaries and transcend its own geography put it on an impressive trajectory. In a comprehensive new ranking, The Wall Street Journal and Times Higher Education both ranked USC 18th in the United States among over 1,000 public and private universities. USC has established itself as a leading institution, distinguished for its unique, nimble, and inventive culture. It is also one of the largest employers in Los Angeles County, and employs over 26,000 people, including 4,700 faculty, 16,000 staff, and 4,800 student workers.

Reporting directly to the Senior Vice President of Human Resources and Chief Human Resources Officer (SVPHR), the AVP has responsibility for fostering a highly professionalized working environment at USC focused on enhancing employee experience and achieving University objectives. Together with human resources leadership, the AVP works closely with HR Partners (HRPs) who are focused day-to-day on driving a unit’s business objectives and providing guidance and leadership to ensure excellent service delivery, as well as adherence to policies and leading HR practices and protocols. The AVP also leads the Employee Relations team, a team of HR professionals who work to foster a highly professionalized working environment and employee experience.

This role will catalyze change in HR client services, enabling a universal focus on a strategic HR Partner function that is agile, customer and employee experience-focused, and equipped with tools to continuously improve and tailor activities to the needs of each client group.  This AVP will be responsible for leading a culture in which HRPs will continue to champion, support, and drive their unit’s goals, and serve as trusted advisors, while being fully knowledgeable of and delivering services aligned with applicable policies, practices, laws, and regulatory requirements.

USC has retained Isaacson, Miller, a national executive search firm, to assist in this search. Screening of complete applications will begin immediately and continue until the completion of the search process; for best consideration, please apply by December 1. Inquiries, nominations, referrals, and CVs with cover letters should be sent via the Isaacson, Miller website for the search: http://www.imsearch.com/8303. Electronic submission of materials is strongly encouraged.

David Bellshaw, Courtney Wilk-Mandel, and Carley Davenport

Isaacson, Miller

1925 Century Park East

Suite 1700

Los Angeles, CA 90067

Phone: 310-405-0048

USC is an equal-opportunity educator and employer, proudly pluralistic and firmly committed to providing equal opportunity for outstanding persons of every race, gender, creed and background. The university particularly encourages members of underrepresented groups, veterans and individuals with disabilities to apply. USC will make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with known disabilities unless doing so would result in an undue hardship. Further information is available by contacting uschr@usc.edu.