Assistant Vice President of People & Talent

The Office of People and Talent:
The Office of People and Talent at Holyoke Community College is dedicated to fostering a workplace environment that is people-centric, supportive, and empowering for all employees. This office plays a crucial role in attracting, developing, and retaining talented individuals who share HCC's commitment to equity, innovation, and excellence in education. By providing comprehensive resources in recruitment, professional development, and employee relations, the Office of People and Talent ensures that the college thrives as a community of dedicated and diverse professionals. The office prides itself working collaboratively with departments to align staffing strategies with institutional goals, while promoting a culture of kindness, inclusion, trust, collaboration, and innovation, which is how we influence employees' well-being. Our efforts directly contribute to creating a vibrant and engaged workforce that is prepared to support the mission and vision of HCC, creating what we believe as "administrative joy."

Additionally, the Office of People and Talent provides a range of programs and resources to support both employees and prospective candidates, all available on the college's website. These resources include information on employee benefits, training and professional development, labor and employee relations, contracts, travel reimbursement, self-service systems, departmental organization, policies and procedures, and other helpful guides for full-time and part-time faculty and staff.

Purpose:
The Assistant Vice President of People and Talent is responsible for promoting an inclusive environment that reflects the broad diversity of our students, employees, and local community, ensuring that every individual feels respected and valued. Committed to enhancing and celebrating the inherent dignity of every employee, the AVP will offer a roadmap that will empower a compelling “people-centric” focus at the college. Under the leadership of the Vice President of People, Culture, and Equity, the AVP is asked to build an aspirational vision as the precursor to strategically attract, develop, and retain innovative talents through a robust people strategy. The AVP must demonstrate cultural humility and the ability to work with a college community that includes diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds, as well as individuals with disabilities and veterans.

Summary:
Reporting to the Vice President for People, Culture, and Equity, the Assistant Vice President of People and Talent provides leadership and strategic direction for the human resources function at the College. The AVP is responsible for effectively planning, managing, and providing the strategic vision of the College’s people and talent (human resources) programs and initiatives. These responsibilities include recruiting, administering staff and faculty wages and salaries, managing benefits, fostering employee relations, overseeing training and development, managing staff performance, maintaining employee records, handling human resources information systems, administering policies, and managing the employee FMLA, PFML, and ADA programs.

• Provides leadership and strategic direction for all People and Talent (HR) functions at the College, translating the College’s strategic plan into HR strategies and tactical plans, and ensuring the completion of these strategic initiatives and action items.
• Oversees all human resources activities, including, but not limited to job classification, compensation and benefits, employee assistance, union and labor relations, HR research and information, training and development, organizational development, career development, planning, and performance management.
• Advises the President, Vice Presidents, Directors, and Managers to ensure the College's compliance with personnel matters, collective bargaining agreements, state and federal employment laws, and internal policies and procedures.
• Serves as a resource and provides support to employees on working conditions, employee-supervisor relations, training and development, morale, and related issues.
• Manages the College's recruitment, selection, and evaluation processes to efficiently produce high-quality candidates. Additionally, the AVP promotes inclusiveness and diversity in hiring and ensures compliance with ADA regulations in employee matters.
• Develops, implements, administers, assessing, and refining policies and procedures for all aspects of the people and talent functions.

• Maintains a highly effective orientation program that highlights the importance of welcoming and integrating new employees. Additionally, the AVP leads training sessions and informational meetings for college personnel on various topics. They also collaborate with others to plan and organize both small and large social activities and events.
• Organizes and compiles data, design formats, and writes reports on people and talent matters.
• Oversees personnel record-keeping for benefits-eligible faculty and staff, as well as part-time, non-benefits-eligible staff and adjunct faculty. Including but not limited to managing records related to new hires, employee reviews, promotions, transfers, separations, and exit interviews.
• Maintains effective communication and collaboration with both internal and external constituencies, including the Board of Higher Education, other state agencies, the Legal Counsel's Office, and other human resources professionals.
• Attend regularly scheduled meetings with system-wide HR Directors.
• Receives consultation from the Mass Community College General Counsel on matters pertaining to labor disputes, union grievances, mediation, and arbitration.
• Builds and maintains a working relationship with all union representatives including MACER in resolving conflicts.
• Performs special projects and related responsibilities as initiated and requested.
• Creating an outstanding people experience from the application process through hiring, onboarding, and the entire employee lifecycle.
• Fostering a positive work environment across the organization that aligns with the college’s mission and implementing a people-centric focus, driving innovation and change, setting goals, communicating key messages and embodying the college’s core values.

REQUIRED:

• Master’s Degree in Human Resources/Personnel Management, Business Administration, Public Administration, Law, or a related field.
• Minimum of seven years of recent, progressively responsible experience in medium to large organization.
• Demonstrated commitment to achieving cultural diversity and equal opportunity and ability to work successfully with persons from diverse backgrounds.
• Demonstrate a high level of skills in leadership, management, supervisory, organizational, and human relations.
• Experience with Collective Bargaining and union contract administration and knowledge of applicable federal and state laws and conflict resolution approaches.
• Ability to work collaboratively with internal and external constituencies.
• Ability to analyze complex issues and relationships and to provide direction and advice.
• Ability to counsel employees and supervisors about sensitive and confidential issues related to job performance, complaints, grievances, and other related concerns.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, including the ability to present in small and large group situations.

EQUIVALENCY STATEMENT: We welcome and encourage applicants who do not meet the qualifications as stated above, to put in writing precisely how their background and experience have prepared them for the responsibilities of this position. It is preferred that this document be uploaded separately from the resume, cover letter, and references.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• SPHR or PHR certification.
• Experience working in higher education.
• Bilingual preferred; at a minimum, the ability to understand and to make one’s self understood to all Spanish speaking individuals.

Full-time, Non-Unit Professional position

Salary Range: $125,981 - $140,000/year plus a comprehensive State benefits package

Hours: 37.5 hrs./week

Funding Source: State