Vice President of Human Resources. Ithaca College

Transcription

1 Vice President of Human Resources Ithaca College September 2015

2 Vice President of Human Resources Ithaca College Ithaca College in Ithaca, New York, seeks an outstanding individual with strategic vision, strong communication and interpersonal skills, and experience with talent analytics to join the College s leadership team as the Vice President of Human Resources (VP). The VP serves as a key member of the college leadership team which is engaged in implementing transformative change at the College. The VP is a key partner in the development and implementation the College s strategic plans. The VP is a collaborative leader in the innovative development of human resource policies and procedures and works with senior leadership, faculty, staff, and the human resources team to seek effectiveness in operations and in leading thoughtful organizational and cultural change. Ithaca College Ithaca College, a comprehensive, residential, student-centered private institution, founded in 1892, integrates a strong liberal arts tradition with professional education. The College is set in a suburban campus overlooking Cayuga Lake in the Finger Lakes region of New York State about 4 hours from Manhattan and 2 hours from Rochester. The College has an undergraduate enrollment of about 6,300 students. Ithaca is one of the nation's top college towns and Ithaca College offers a first-rate, truly distinctive education emphasizing real-world preparation in the classroom and beyond. Ithaca College is the perfect place to prepare for a lifetime of personal and professional success. From thought-provoking classes taught by expert faculty to exciting hands-on learning, co-curricular activities, and study abroad, IC students have plenty of opportunities to prepare for future success. With an intimate student-faculty ratio of 12 to 1 and a focus on active learning and involvement, the academic experience is one of personalization and engagement. Five schools - Business, Communications, Health Sciences and Human Performance, Humanities and Sciences, and Music - offer over 100 undergraduate degree programs, and over 15 teacher certification options. Ithaca College also has 20 graduate degrees in 10 programs. IC students gain valuable experience in a variety of settings, including on-campus labs and clinics, through original faculty-student research projects, and via a nationwide internship network that accommodates students of all majors. Satellite sites in New York City, Los Angeles, and London provide even more options for immersive and engaged learning. The Ithaca College learning community is further enriched by visits from distinguished guests and alumni who give lectures and performances, teach master classes, and share their perspectives and professional expertise. Over 70% of Ithaca College undergraduates live on campus, creating an immersive campus community that fosters personal and professional growth. Students participate in dozens of co-curricular and extracurricular activities. The College has 26 highly 2

3 competitive Division III varsity teams, more than 180 student organizations, dozens of recreational sport clubs, and holds hundreds of concerts, recitals, and theater performances annually. Students manage the College's television station, two radio stations, two campus magazines, and a weekly newspaper, all of which consistently win top honors from regional and national professional organizations. The College also provides many opportunities for students to help their community. Habidash is the school s annual Habitat for Humanity 5K race; Food for Thought is a campus program that helps malnourished children; and Service Saturdays is an event through which students can volunteer in the Greater Ithaca area. Ithaca, NY The city of Ithaca is nestled in the Finger Lakes region, the heart of New York State s wine country. The Ithaca metropolitan area is a thriving, culturally diverse region of more than 100,000 residents and offers significant social, cultural, and recreational amenities, including excellent theater, both on-campus and off, spectacular hiking trails through gorges, and boating access to Cayuga Lake. Ithaca has been ranked by multiple groups and publications, such as Forbes, as being one of America's Smartest Cities, Most Secure Places to Live, Healthiest Cities, Best Green Places to Live, and Number-One Emerging City. For the American Institute for Economic Research named Ithaca as the top college town in the U.S. noting that Ithaca has the comfort of a small city with all the luxuries of a big city environment. Ithaca s neighborhoods are well-kept, safe, and diverse, and its housing stock ranges from modern condominiums to century-old historic homes. There are six first-rate public school districts in Tompkins County, one regional vocational school, a parochial school, three private schools, and several licensed childcare centers and nursery schools. Ithaca is home to four theatre companies, the Multicultural Resource Center, and almost daily performances of music and dance. Sports lovers will find nationally-ranked college teams, softball, soccer, active running clubs, and exceptional outdoor recreation, athletic and sport facilities throughout the area. The quality of life offered in Ithaca has contributed to the College s ability to attract and retain exceptional students, faculty, and staff. The Position The Vice President for Human Resources reports to the Senior Vice President and General Counsel, sits with the other vice presidents on the President s Council, and leads the full range of human resources services including talent management, benefits and work/life, compensation and workforce analysis, payroll, diversity and inclusion, equity and compliance, and student employment. The VP leads a department of eighteen professionals and works with them to establish, implement, and communicate policies, systems, and procedures to support a positive, diverse, and inclusive environment and culture. The VP is an inspiring and strategic leader who understands college strategy and planning, engages the HR staff in the development and delivery of an HR strategic plan aligned with the institutional strategic plans, and who is able to 3

4 deliver those plans in an effective and responsive manner to all members of the community. The college leadership includes the president, six vice presidents and five deans who work in a highly collaborative environment to move the college forward in its strategic goals. Working with senior leaders, the VP will serve as a key driver in the development of strategic human resources plans and policies. Included in this are: talent management and succession planning, workforce analysis and organizational development; competitive compensation and benefits plans with an eye towards recruitment, retention, and diversity and inclusion; and programs that motivate and reward effective performance and create a social contract between the employee and the College for the short and long-range health and welfare of the members of the Ithaca College community. Key Opportunities and Challenges Ithaca College has in recent years assumed a place of leadership in developing a strategic focus for affordable educational quality and then reshaping its organization and processes so as to achieve a high level of performance with greater attention both to quality outcomes and to cost control. This initiative has elevated both the role of HR, and this position (from AVP to VP), within the College, particularly with respect to organizational design and personnel development. These initiatives are on-going. The successful VP will help the College achieve the full benefit of these initiatives as well as develop policies and processes for staff development and career growth in an organization that seeks to retain its dynamism. Ithaca College is a mid-sized private institution with a structural complexity that more closely resembles a university. The College has 493 full-time faculty and 246 part-time faculty in its five schools, along with 1074 administrative and staff employees. The operating budget for Ithaca College ( ) is $233 million and the college has an endowment of $279 million. The College is in a robust financial position. Admission applications have grown by more than 30% in the last two years, and the College has consistently met its enrollment objectives. A recent Moody s review confirmed the College s A2 bond rating. The College community is not content, however, to rest on these indicators of current accomplishment. As a high quality/high cost educational option, the College community recognizes its obligation to be a highly accomplished organization in the achievement of the educational mission as well as a cost aware organization in how to achieve that mission. The incoming VP will join a leadership team and lead a human resources team that develops transformative programs and processes to achieve these goals. The Human Resources Office works on behalf of the entire institution and recognizing the needs of the many different constituent groups will be critical. The VP will take the time to develop relationships with faculty, staff, and senior leadership, and hear their concerns and needs. The VP will provide support to the academic leadership, partly 4

5 through partnering with the Center for Faculty Excellence, to assist in the recruitment and retention of faculty in addition to increasing access to both leadership and professional development for faculty and staff aligned with the College s strategic initiatives and mission. The VP will be a major champion for diversity and inclusion initiatives for the entire Ithaca community. The VP will be a visible leader in advising and assisting the community in fostering and advancing a strategic approach to diversity and in supporting and advancing an environment free of discrimination that affirms the values of diversity through the cultivation of mutual respect, acceptance, and understanding. The incoming VP should have a solid understanding of the best practices related to technology and talent analytics in advancing HR initiatives. The VP will need to assess systems and leverage multiple data sources so the campus will have reliable information as strategic HR decisions are implemented. Within the Human Resources Office, the VP will have the opportunity to lead the team in defining their mission and prioritizing their initiatives. The VP will work to strengthen the HR team s ability to work together across functional groups and create strategies for further developing the staff. There is an appetite on campus for more partnership and guidance from human resources and a matching desire on the part of the HR staff to implement and follow through on innovative and analytical approaches. Working within the real limits of staffing and budget, the VP will have the opportunity to meet these wishes. Qualifications The successful candidate will have many of the following qualifications and characteristics: Extensive leadership experience within Human Resources in higher education or a similarly complex environment; Ability to lead in the development of an organizational culture that works with cohesion and pride to achieve the mission of the college; Ability to think analytically and strategically, to build consensus and collaborate with others, and to articulate and implement human resources programs that reflect organizational goals; Strong listening skills; a presence that earns trust, confidence and respect; and the ability to lead by influence and example; Excellent communication, and problem solving skills, including conflict resolution and presentation skills; A thorough understanding of recruiting, retention and succession planning, performance management, employee relations, training and development, diversity and inclusion, labor relations including negotiations, grievances, mediation, and arbitration, employee benefits, compensation and payroll, HR 5

6 information systems, and the use of data analytics in development and assessment of HR initiatives; Knowledge of diversity issues with a demonstrated clear understanding of the importance of a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment; A proven track record of working with teams and managers to achieve more efficient and effective operations; A deep appreciation of and respect for life-long learning and residential higher education and Ithaca College s role as an educator of professionals with a strong liberal arts tradition; Personal qualities including strong emotional intelligence skills, honesty, accessibility, a sense of humor, and high energy; A Bachelor s degree is required, Master s degree, evidence of continuing professional education, and certifications relevant to the position preferred. Final candidates will be required to complete a background check successfully. Ithaca College is committed to building a diverse academic community and encourages members of underrepresented groups to apply. Experience that contributes to the diversity of the college is appreciated. Please send nominations and applications including a letter of interest and CV to the Brill Neumann team working on the search: Elizabeth Neumann and Tom Phillips Brill Neumann Associates IthacaVPHR@brillneumann.com 6