Senior Manager, HR Operations
Job Summary:
The Senior Manager of HR Operations provides strategic leadership and oversight of HR operational functions to ensure efficient, compliant, and service-oriented delivery of human resources transactions, data analytics, and services across the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. This role serves as a critical operational partner, leading functional set up and process improvement initiatives. The Senior Manager brings a continuous improvement mindset and a commitment to building scalable, data-driven HR operations that support a diverse and dynamic workforce.
Core Duties and Responsibilities
Team Leadership & HR Lifecycle Management
- Manages and develops a team ensuring the accurate and timely processing of all HR lifecycle transactions, including hires/onboarding, rehires, job changes, compensation updates, promotions, transfers, and offboarding/separations for staff.
- Oversees effective and compliant management of Leaves and accommodations for staff and researchers, and partners with Compensation and Analytics to create analytics and reporting capacity for the organization
- Sets clear performance expectations, provides ongoing coaching and feedback, and fosters a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous learning within the team.
- Monitors team workload, capacity, and coverage, making staffing and prioritization decisions to meet service level commitments.
Service Delivery & Operational Excellence
- Establishes service delivery standards, performance metrics, service level agreements, and accountability frameworks to ensure consistent, high-quality HR service across the organization.
- Leverages data and reporting to identify trends, monitor operational health, and drive decisions that improve HR service quality and responsiveness.
- Leads or sponsors process redesign efforts to streamline workflows, eliminate redundancies, and enhance the overall employee experience.
Cross-Functional Partnerships
- Partners closely with Finance and Payroll to ensure accurate alignment, reconciliation, and integrity of employment data across systems and reporting.
- Collaborates with HR Partners, Compensation, Talent Acquisition, and other HR Centers of Excellence to support integrated and seamless HR service delivery.
- Serves as a key liaison between HR Operations and technology teams to support HRIS enhancements, system implementations, and data governance initiatives.
Compliance & Policy Administration
- Ensures organizational compliance with applicable federal and state regulations, including FMLA, applicable state and local leave laws, FLSA, and other employment-related statutes.
- Administers HR processes in accordance with collective bargaining agreements, where applicable, and ensures consistent interpretation and application of institutional policies.
- Monitors regulatory changes and updates internal processes, documentation, and training to ensure ongoing compliance and risk mitigation.
Qualifications
Basic Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent work experience required
- Minimum of 8 years' relevant HR experience
- Project and/or program management experience
- Supervisory experience
Additional Qualifications and Skills:
- Master's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field.
- HR certification such as SHRM-SCP, SPHR, or equivalent.
- Demonstrated experience leading HR teams within complex, decentralized, or matrixed organizations.
- Strong knowledge of federal and state employment laws and regulations, with experience navigating compliance in multi-jurisdiction environments.
- Proficiency with HRIS and data analytics platforms (PeopleSoft strongly preferred) and experience leveraging HR technology to improve efficiency and data accuracy.
- Proven track record of success in process redesign, service delivery optimization, and change management, with the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
- Experience in higher education, academic medical centers, research institutions, or other mission-driven organizations.
- Familiarity with collective bargaining agreement administration and labor relations.
- Exceptional interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills, with the ability to influence and build relationships across all levels of the organization.
Find Your Best Opportunity
Tell them AcademicJobs.com sent you!
