Associate Vice Chancellor and Chief Human Resources Officer

University of California, Santa Barbara

Associate Vice Chancellor and Chief Human Resources Officer

 

Executive Summary

University of California, Santa Barbara is seeking a collaborative, committed, and creative HR leader to serve as the Associate Vice Chancellor and Chief Human Resources Officer for the campus. This senior and strategic campus leadership role will champion HR services for the campus and lead the Department of Human Resources in providing exemplary customer service in support of teaching, research and the public service mission of UC Santa Barbara. This role will partner with and motivate the campus to create a work environment designed to attract, develop and retain the best qualified people as well as lead the strategic thinking and planning for how to prepare the workforce for the coming years, as the world evolves from the recent past and unprecedented times.

 

UC Santa Barbara

UC Santa Barbara is a leading research institution that also provides a comprehensive liberal arts learning experience. Teaching and research go hand-in-hand at UC Santa Barbara (UCSB) and UCSB students are full participants in an educational journey of discovery that stimulates independent thought, critical reasoning, and creativity. The academic community of faculty, students, and staff is characterized by a culture of interdisciplinary collaboration that is responsive to the needs of our multicultural and global society. This culture of learning and discovery takes place in a unique, beautiful environment like no other, as the students, staff and faculty draw inspiration from the beauty and resources of an extraordinary location at the edge of the Pacific Ocean.

 

Situated on a beautiful beach campus within a vibrant, growing community, UCSB students, staff, faculty, and community members benefit from an active and balanced lifestyle. UCSB is an extraordinary place to work and has been recognized by the Santa Barbara Independent’s “Best of Santa Barbara Reader’s Poll” as a best place to work for the last five years.

 

UC Santa Barbara ranks number 5 among all public universities in U.S. News and World Report’s 2022 “Best Colleges” Rankings, the most widely read college guide in the country. UCSB is one of only 62 research-intensive institutions in the U.S. and Canada elected to membership in the prestigious Association of American Universities, cementing its status as a higher-education leader. At UCSB, an education extends far beyond the classroom; from UCSB’s 500 student organizations to its national champions in soccer and record-setting soccer crowds, college world series and more. UCSB is culturally enriching and socially engaging with an array of art programs, stellar athletics, and some of the best crowds in college sports. UCSB is a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI), an elite designation by the Hispanic Association of Colleges & Universities for colleges or universities in which Hispanic enrollment comprises at least 25% of the total. UCSB was the first HSI among members of the prestigious Association of American Universities. The UCSB campus has a wide array of programming and venues including the Multicultural Center, Pollock Theater, the Art, Design & Architecture Museum, abundant offerings from almost every department, and the UCSB Arts & Lectures program. To learn more about UCSB, please visit https://www.ucsb.edu/about/facts-and-figures.

 

UC Santa Barbara Human Resources

The Department of Human Resources is part of the Administrative Services Division at UC Santa Barbara. Administrative Services provides the systems and services that create a positive campus environment in support of the University’s mission and acts as a central coordination point in creating a positive work environment that fosters continuous learning. The mission of all Administrative Services units is to provide essential services supporting UC Santa Barbara in its pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, and public service.

 

UC Santa Barbara employs approximately 10,500 employees, of which approximately 6,900 are non-academic staff and student employees, many of whom are represented by one of 14 bargaining units. The Human Resources department provides staff personnel policy, program administration, and support services to all academic, research, and administrative departments and their respective managers and employees.

 

UC Santa Barbara HR is a cohesive and collaborative work environment of seasoned HR professionals. The department has a vibrant team culture committed to excellence in HR and its service delivery. The department and its staff are committed to providing the expertise and resources to campus faculty, staff, and students to do their best work.

 

Position Overview

Reporting directly to the Vice Chancellor for Administrative Services, the Associate Vice Chancellor (AVC) of Human Resources is the chief staff human resources officer (CHRO) at UC Santa Barbara. The AVC/CHRO role is a strategic, committed, and diligent HR leader overseeing over 30 HR professionals through experienced managers with institutional expertise in the delivery of a broad array of essential and dynamic HR services to the campus community. Working with campus senior leadership, the AVC/CHRO will lead, develop and manage progressive human resources services, programs, and systems aligned with the university mission of teaching, research and public service. The AVC/CHRO collaborates with and consults with UC systemwide Human Resources as well as other UC campuses’ CHROs on matters of policy and programs for which the UC Office of the President has purview.

The AVC/CHRO will bring and set a vision for Human Resources for UC Santa Barbara. A key priority for the role will be to analyze and learn the current HR department and its services and programs, as well as the campus’ strategic priorities, to collaboratively champion for HR to most effectively support the campus and its people. In a time of constant change, the next AVC/CHRO may lead innovative thinking alongside and for their team and key campus stakeholders in advancing what and how work is done. Overall management responsibilities for the AVC/CHRO include oversight, through the department management team, for the following campus HR functions and services: Compensation and Classification, Employee Engagement, Employee and Labor Relations, Employee Services, Talent Acquisition / Training and Development, UCPath Position Control / Workforce Administration, and HR Office Operations.

 

Key Responsibilities for the Role

• Leads a department of over 30 HR professionals to design, implement, deliver, and analyze and measure a broad array of essential and dynamic HR services to the campus community.

• Serves as a key change agent and leader to align the HR operation and service delivery with the needs, strategic goals, and business objectives of senior leadership, campus partners, and UC Office of the President.

• Provides leadership to establish a human resources culture of support, collaboration, and partnership with its various constituent groups across campus. Embraces the culture of inclusivity and commitment to diversity.

• Partners with other senior leaders to lead, oversee, and drive programs that promote a fair and equitable workplace.

• Serves as a key advisor, partner, and counselor for senior campus leaders and managers on critical human resources matters and works to develop effective and efficient solutions for what can often be very complex human resources challenges.

• Motivates and fosters a team of high performing HR professionals and structures the HR department for maximum visibility, impact and effectiveness.

• Oversees the strategic planning, day-to-day delivery of campus-wide services, and the fiscal management for the following HR units.

• Compensation: staff classification and compensation, salary scales, salary increase programs

• Employee Engagement: staff engagement programs, resources, surveys, and sponsorship to positively impact newly hired and current employees

• Employee Services: academic and staff assistance program, benefits education, centralized staff leave administration, healthcare facilitator services, lactation support program, retiree services, work-life resources, workplace accommodations services, and HR office administration

• Employee and Labor Relations: employee relations, labor relations (academic and staff), collective bargaining and contract administration, grievance and complaint administration, staff personnel policies and procedures

• Talent Acquisition/Training and Development: talent acquisition services, training and professional development programs

• UCPath Workforce Administration: centralized staff position control, workforce administration support, UCPath training, staff performance development program

• Leads strategic efforts to evaluate, assess, and improve campus-wide HR practices, programs, systems, policies, and procedures, including providing guidance for change management impacts and employee engagement initiatives and programming.

• Utilizes HR-specific and organizational metrics to gauge customer satisfaction, assesses HR department performance, and fosters a continuous improvement environment within HR.

• Participates with the other UC CHRO’s in determining changes to UC HR strategic direction and UC systemwide HR policies. Advocates for and represents UC Santa Barbara interests within the University of California system and with the Office of the President.

• Ensures compliance and effective administration of all relevant Federal and State laws and regulations including: Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action, FLSA, UC Personnel and Business and Finance policies, and applicable Collective Bargaining Unit contracts.

 

Candidate Profile

A successful candidate should be a strategic HR champion committed to leading the navigation of the changing culture of HR. The AVC/CHRO will be an innovative and thoughtful leader knowledgeable in a range of HR practices, policies, and procedures, and well versed in current trends, challenges and opportunities in the field, including expertise of relevant employment laws. This visionary leader will bring progressively responsible and related experiences in a complex organization and possess a strong ability to mentor and coach other managers to achieve the goals of the team. The successful candidate will analyze, develop, and oversee a highly effective HR infrastructure. The AVC/CHRO will need to be an expert at engaging with and inspiring various stakeholders and able to effectively communicate and implement ideas and solutions to support UC Santa Barbara HR’s growth and success. To effectively manage the department in service of the campus broadly, successful candidates will have the ability to manage team building and budgets and possess skills in political and business acumen, consensus building, change management, critical and strategic thinking skills and judgment. The successful candidate will be an effective communicator to a diverse audience and possess experience serving as a leader for diversity and equity, working to build and maintain an equitable and inclusive work environment for all.

 

Learn More about UC Santa Barbara:

• UC Santa Barbara – https://www.ucsb.edu/

• Office of the Chancellor – https://chancellor.ucsb.edu/

• Administrative Services – https://www.vcadmin.ucsb.edu/

• Human Resources – https://www.hr.ucsb.edu/

 

Candidacy Consideration:

Berkeley Executive Search is assisting the University of California, Santa Barbara in this search.

 

Nominations and inquiries can be directed, confidentially, to: James Kao, Elizabeth Mosley, and Esha Bharati of Berkeley Executive Search at [email protected].

 

To view the job posting and to apply, please use UC Santa Barbara’s job portal: https://www.jobs.ucsb.edu/ and search Job ID 32702, or click on this direct link – http://50.73.55.13/counter.php?id=232558.

 

The University of California is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer with a strong institutional commitment to the achievement of diversity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or protected veteran status.

 

For the complete University of California nondiscrimination and affirmative action policy see:

http://policy.ucop.edu/doc/4000376/NondiscrimAffirmAct.