Associate Vice President for Human Resources

Colorado College; Colorado Springs (CO); On-site; USD 160,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Colorado College seeks an Associate Vice President for Human Resources to serve as the College's chief HR strategist, providing collaborative leadership to advance a comprehensive HR program and guide organizational change.

Reporting to the Vice President for Finance & Administration, the AVP-HR will lead talent acquisition, workforce planning, total rewards, performance management, leadership development, employee relations, HR analytics, policy compliance, and equity initiatives to support the

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree and HR certification preferred.
• Experience leading HR in complex or higher education settings.
• Strong knowledge of equity, inclusion, and belonging in HR policy.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a strategic advisor on workforce strategy and organizational design.
• Lead talent acquisition, workforce planning, total rewards, performance management, leadership development, employee relations, HR technology and analytics, policy development and compliance.
• Partner with Civil Rights, Institutional Equity and Belonging, and campus leaders to embed equity in HR policy and practice.
• Strengthen HR as a trusted campus partner while modernizing systems and service delivery during organizational change.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Stakeholder management

HR policy & compliance

Equity & inclusion

Employee relations

Education

Bachelor's degree

Advanced degree

Professional HR certification

Job description

Colorado College, one of the nation's leading liberal arts colleges, seeks an Associate Vice President for Human Resources to serve as the College's chief human resources strategist, providing collaborative leadership and innovative thinking to advance a comprehensive human resources program. This is a compelling opportunity for a seasoned, people-centered executive to help shape Colorado College's next chapter. The institution is entering an important period of organizational assessment, workforce planning, and operational transformation, creating a unique opportunity for a leader who brings deep functional expertise, strategic perspective, and a strong bias toward action.

Colorado College is a private, four-year liberal arts college of approximately 2,050 undergraduates located on a beautiful 99-acre campus in downtown Colorado Springs. The only institution of its kind in the Rocky Mountain region, Colorado College is known as a community of forward-thinking innovators and pioneers. It was the first college in the country to make a public commitment to antiracism in 2019 and is renowned for its Block Plan, a distinctive academic model wherein students take one course at a time during immersive 3.5-week blocks. Established in the late 1960s, the Block Plan fosters deep engagement, experiential learning, and intellectual curiosity.

Reporting to the Vice President for Finance & Administration/Chief Financial Officer, the Associate Vice President for Human Resources will serve as a key strategic advisor on workforce strategy and organizational design, leading a comprehensive portfolio that includes talent acquisition and workforce planning, total rewards, performance management, leadership and talent development, employee relations, HR technology and analytics, and policy development and compliance. The AVP-HR partners with the Office of Civil Rights, Institutional Equity and Belonging, and other campus leaders to ensure equity and belonging are embedded throughout HR policy and practice, and that the employee experience reflects the College’s mission and values.

The Associate Vice President will play a pivotal role in advancing a human resources function that is strategic, service-oriented, and focused on operational excellence. Leveraging deep HR expertise and strong execution skills, the successful leader will help ensure the College's workforce is positioned to thrive while supporting institutional priorities during a period of significant change across higher education. The executive will inherit a collaborative, mission-driven HR team with strong momentum and will be charged with strengthening HR's role as a trusted campus partner while modernizing systems, enhancing service delivery, and helping the institution navigate complex organizational and workforce challenges.

The successful candidate will bring broad human resources leadership experience across functional areas such as talent acquisition, compensation and benefits programs, employee relations, compliance, organizational effectiveness, and workforce planning, with particular depth in compensation strategy and workforce planning. Equally important will be the ability to build trust through transparency, responsiveness, consistency, and follow-through while effectively engaging faculty, staff, and administrators within a shared governance environment. The community seeks a leader who has demonstrated success in embedding principles of equity, inclusion, and belonging into human resources programs and practices and who can balance empathy, humanity, and employee advocacy with accountability, sound judgment, and the courage to make and communicate difficult decisions. In addition, candidates with significant experience supporting organizations through periods of change, organizational restructuring, workforce realignment, and operational transformation will be critical. The new leader will possess the judgment and courage to make and support strategic decisions while approaching those decisions with transparency, empathy, consistency, and respect. This individual will help the institution balance compassion with accountability, ensuring that organizational changes are implemented thoughtfully, legally, and in alignment with the College's mission and values.

A bachelor's degree and a minimum of eight years of progressively responsible human resources leadership experience, including supervisory responsibility, are required. An advanced degree and professional HR certification are preferred. Experience in higher education is strongly preferred, including familiarity with shared governance, faculty personnel matters, tenure systems, and academic culture. Candidates from other complex, mission-driven organizations will also be considered if they demonstrate exceptional learning agility and the ability to successfully navigate the distinctive dynamics of higher education. The anticipated salary range for the opportunity is $160,000 - $190,000, commensurate with experience, and Colorado College Benefits can be found here.

All applications, nominations, and inquiries are invited. Applications should include, as two separate documents, a CV/resume and a letter of interest. For fullest consideration, all materials should be received by August 10, 2026.

Please direct all nominations and applications through the WittKieffer Candidate Portal. Candidates can also find this portal via the WittKieffer website at www.wittkieffer.com by selecting the "Become a Candidate" button. Please direct all nominations and inquiries to the WittKieffer consultants assisting Colorado College with this recruitment:

Sarah Palmer and Julia Bradley

[e-mail] and [e-mail]

Commitment to Job Application Fairness: Applicants are not required to provide age or age-related information and may redact information related to age, date of birth, or dates of attendance at or graduation from an educational institution from any submissions during the initial application process.

At Colorado College, we are dedicated to dismantling systemic and institutional discrimination. We embrace diversity and support a community where all individuals, without exception, feel valued, empowered, and treated equitably. Guided by the College’s Antiracism Plan, we work to foster an equitable and inclusive environment for all who teach, learn, work, and live in our community.

Colorado College aims to provide the finest liberal arts education in the country. As a leading institution in higher education, we strive for inclusive excellence in access to, and development and delivery of, outstanding learning opportunities and success for our diverse community of individuals who teach, learn, and work at the College. We pursue the equal opportunity of individuals to fully participate in our mission.

Colorado College is committed to equal opportunity for all employees and applicants in all aspects of the employment relationship—including (but not limited to) recruiting, hiring, promotions, compensation, benefits, and access to training—without regard to race, creed, color, caste, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity or gender expression, perceived gender, sexual preferences, and sexual orientation), disability, marital status, veteran status, age, genetic information, or any other status protected by federal, state, or local law.