Associate VP for People and Culture

Grinnell College

  • grinnell, IA
  • 4 days ago

    Highlights

    Ensure compensation, staffing, and workload discussions are informed by relevant market data, internal equity, workforce information, institutional priorities, and available resources. Serve as a strategic advisor to College leadership regarding workforce planning, organizational structure, staffing, compensation, employee engagement, workplace culture, and organizational effectiveness.

    Numbers & Facts

    Locationgrinnell, IA

    Description

    ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES

    People and Culture Strategy and Leadership

    • Develop and advance a comprehensive People and Culture strategy aligned with the College's mission, strategic plan, workforce needs, and institutional priorities.

    • Serve as a strategic advisor to College leadership regarding workforce planning, organizational structure, staffing, compensation, employee engagement, workplace culture, and organizational effectiveness.

    • Translate institutional priorities, workforce trends, and data into effective People and Culture strategies, recommendations, and initiatives.

    • Provide leadership and direction for People and Culture policies, programs, practices, systems, and services across the institution.

    • Identify opportunities to strengthen organizational effectiveness, consistency, transparency, employee experience, and institutional sustainability.

    • Advance institutional priorities related to belonging and connection, collective equity, employee engagement, recognition, professional growth, and organizational well-being.

    • Maintain a visible and accessible presence across campus and develop strong relationships with faculty, staff, students, and College leadership.

    People and Culture Operations, Systems and Digital Transformation

    • Provide strategic leadership for the College's human resources information systems, technology platforms, data infrastructure, and People and Culture operations.

    • Lead the continued implementation, optimization, and integration of ADP and related HR technologies and workflows.

    • Leverage technology to streamline processes, enhance the employee and manager experience, improve data integrity, and strengthen transparency and consistency.

    • Establish and advance effective processes, policies, procedures, controls, and service standards for People and Culture operations.

    • Develop and utilize workforce metrics, analytics, and reporting to inform institutional decisions related to staffing, compensation, retention, employee development, and workforce planning.

    • Lead continuous improvement and change-management efforts related to People and Culture systems, programs, services, and processes.

    • Ensure technology investments and operational practices effectively support institutional and workforce priorities.

    Compensation, Classification and Workforce Planning

    • Provide strategic leadership for the College's compensation, classification, and workforce planning programs.

    • Develop and maintain compensation and classification practices that support market competitiveness, internal equity, transparency, consistency, and responsible stewardship of institutional resources.

    • Guide institutional approaches to market analysis, position classification, salary structures, advancement opportunities, promotions, and compensation decisions.

    • Partner with College leadership to evaluate organizational structures, staffing models, workforce capacity, and emerging workforce needs.

    • Advance clear and consistent approaches to career development, advancement pathways, and promotion criteria.

    • Ensure compensation, staffing, and workload discussions are informed by relevant market data, internal equity, workforce information, institutional priorities, and available resources.

    • Develop clear, data-informed recommendations regarding workforce investments and institutional People and Culture priorities.

    Employee and Labor Relations

    • Provide strategic leadership and counsel regarding complex employee relations matters, workplace concerns, performance issues, conflict resolution, and organizational change.

    • Advise College leadership, managers, and supervisors on employee relations, performance management, workplace expectations, accountability, and employee development.

    • Provide strategic leadership for labor relations and the College's relationships with represented employee groups.

    • Partner with institutional leaders and legal counsel, as appropriate, regarding collective bargaining, contract administration, grievances, employment matters, and labor strategy.

    • Promote constructive labor-management relationships and effective communication among employees, supervisors, College leadership, and represented groups.

    • Ensure employee and labor relations matters are addressed with consistency, sound judgment, discretion, fairness, and appropriate documentation.

    Performance, Learning and Employee Engagement

    • Provide strategic leadership for performance management, employee development, learning, coaching, recognition, and engagement initiatives.

    • Advance and continuously improve the College's performance assessment process and related resources for employees, managers, and supervisors.

    • Provide leadership for new-employee orientation, learning and development programming, supervisory development, and other professional growth initiatives.

    • Utilize employee engagement surveys, campus listening strategies, workforce trends, and institutional data to identify opportunities and develop responsive strategies.

    • Strengthen institutional capacity for effective supervision, coaching, feedback, accountability, employee development, and change management.

    • Advance strategies that support employee engagement, retention, recognition, professional growth, and sustainable workloads.

    • Foster a culture that encourages continuous learning, accountability, collaboration, and professional development.

    Benefits, Wellness and Employee Programs

    • Provide strategic leadership for employee benefits, retirement, wellness, leave, and related programs.

    • Evaluate programs for competitiveness, effectiveness, compliance, utilization, employee needs, and financial sustainability.

    • Partner with People and Culture staff, consultants, vendors, and College leadership to develop and administer competitive and responsible benefit programs.

    • Ensure employees have clear, accessible, and timely information regarding benefits and other People and Culture programs.

    • Monitor emerging benefit and workforce trends and recommend strategies that support employee well-being, recruitment, retention, and institutional sustainability.

    Equity, Civil Rights and Employment Compliance

    • Partner closely with the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and other institutional stakeholders to integrate equity into employment policies, practices, programs, systems, and decision-making.

    • Provide leadership and support for assigned civil rights-related responsibilities and employment compliance matters.

    • Promote equitable, consistent, accessible, and transparent People and Culture practices across the institution.

    • Ensure employment policies and practices are administered consistently and in accordance with applicable federal and state laws, regulations, College policies, and collective bargaining agreements.

    • Monitor changes in employment law, regulatory requirements, and emerging People and Culture practices and recommend appropriate institutional responses.

    • Identify and address systemic barriers within employment practices and processes and advance strategies that support equitable access, opportunity, development, and advancement.

    Institutional Partnership and Governance

    • Build and maintain collaborative relationships with faculty, staff, students, senior leadership, governance groups, and other institutional stakeholders.

    • Navigate effectively within the College's shared-governance environment and recognize the distinct roles, responsibilities, and perspectives of faculty, staff, students, and represented employees.

    • Communicate complex workforce and People and Culture matters clearly and effectively to varied audiences.

    • Participate in institutional committees, working groups, planning efforts, and strategic initiatives as assigned.

    • Represent People and Culture in institutional discussions and decision-making.

    • Develop clear, fact-based recommendations and effectively communicate the rationale for People and Culture strategies, policies, practices, and decisions.

    • Balance institutional consistency and accountability with the collaborative and relational culture of a residential liberal arts college.

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