Director of Human Resources, College of Natural Sciences

The University of Texas at Austin; Utah; On-site; USD 117,000 - 143,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Texas at Austin seeks a Director of Human Resources for the College of Natural Sciences. This role leads the decentralized HR community, aligning processes and standards across three workforce groups and serving as trusted advisor to the CNS Dean and leadership.

Ideal candidates bring leadership, sound judgment, and the ability to unify teams in a large, complex higher-education setting. Experience in higher education or public sector is advantageous, but not required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in HR, Business Administration, or related field with 8+ years of HR experience or Master’s with 6+ years.
• Experience leading HR operations in large, complex orgs including higher education, healthcare, or government.
• Strong leadership, change management, and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Knowledge of federal/state employment laws and HR compliance.
• Experience with decentralized HR and enterprise HR systems (e.g., Workday) is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and operational leadership for HR across CNS.
• Lead workforce planning, governance and talent management aligned with college priorities.
• Ensure compliance with university policies and regulatory changes.
• Advance employee relations and organizational effectiveness across departments.
• Represent CNS in college leadership fora and build partnerships across the university.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Communication

Change management

Relationship building

Education

Bachelor's degree HR

Master's degree preferred

Job description

Job Posting Title

Director of Human Resources, College of Natural Sciences

Hiring Department

College of Natural Sciences

Position Open To

All Applicants

Weekly Scheduled Hours

40

FLSA Status

Exempt from FLSA

Earliest Start Date

Dec 07, 2026

Position Duration

Expected to Continue

Location

UT MAIN CAMPUS

Job Details

General Notes The Opportunity Lead HR for the largest college at one of the nation’s top public research universities, the University of Texas at Austin. As Human Resources Director, you will bring consistency, clarity, and a strong service culture to a decentralized HR community, building alignment around shared processes, common standards, and collective accountability. If you have led HR in a university, public agency, or other large, complex organization, you will recognize the challenge and appreciate the opportunity to make a meaningful impact in higher education. The role calls for a leader who can navigate complexity, build trust, strengthen partnerships, and bring people together around a common vision. Experience in higher education, research, or the public sector is helpful, but not required. We will help you learn UT Austin policies, practices, and terminology. What matters most is your leadership, sound judgment, and ability to unify teams and elevate HR across a large, complex organization.

About the College and the University

The College of Natural Sciences Discovery starts here in the College of Natural Sciences, where we are changing the world through transformative experiences, education, and research. We are the largest college at UT Austin, home to top-ranked academic specialties, a dozen departments, and award-winning student programs and faculty. Join us and pave the way for the next generation of leaders and breakthroughs in science, technology, and mathematics. The University of Texas at Austin Founded in 1883, The University of Texas at Austin ranks among the best universities in the world. With 70 programs ranked in the top 10, UT is the #1 public university in Texas and the #8 public university in the nation. The university community includes some 55,000 students, 4,760 faculty, 15,000 staff across 16 colleges and schools. As Texas’ leading research university, UT attracts more than $1.37 billion annually for discovery. Located in Austin, UT offers a dynamic place to build a career in public higher education. UT Austin offers outstanding employee benefits and total rewards packages. For more details, please see: Benefits | Human Resources.

Purpose

The Human Resources Director provides strategic and operational leadership for all HR functions across the College of Natural Sciences (CNS). This role oversees the full employee lifecycle (hiring through separation) for three workforce groups: academic research staff, administrative and operations staff, and student employees. You will unify the college’s decentralized HR community around consistent workflows and best practices and serve as a trusted advisor to the Dean and college leadership on complex employment matters. The ideal candidate is a seasoned HR leader with both strategic vision and hands-on expertise, gained in a large, complex organization. Experience in higher education or research is preferred but not required.

What you will bring to the role

• Leadership through influence in a decentralized environment.
• Relationship-building across a wide range of stakeholders, from faculty and researchers to business managers and central offices.
• Balance of strategic thinking and operational execution.
• Ability to foster collaboration and shared accountability for results.
• Sound judgment, transparency, and resilience in complex situations.

Responsibilities

• Strategic HR leadership and workforce planning: Partner with CNS leadership to develop and implement workforce strategies, organizational structures, talent management initiatives, and governance practices aligned with college and departmental priorities.
• HR governance and compliance: Lead implementation of university workforce policies, regulatory changes, and HR initiatives across departments. Ensure local practices comply with federal and state requirements and university policy.
• Operational excellence and HR technology: Identify gaps and inefficiencies; standardize and improve HR processes; and support technology enhancements that strengthen accuracy, efficiency, and employee experience. Use workforce data, HR metrics, and trend analysis to inform leadership decisions and evaluate the effectiveness of HR programs.
• Employee relations and organizational effectiveness: Provide senior-level guidance on complex and high-risk employment matters in collaboration with central university offices. Advise leaders on performance management, restructuring, retention, and organizational effectiveness.
• College leadership and institutional engagement: Represent the college on committees, task forces, and leadership forums, and build productive partnerships with central offices and HR colleagues across the university.
• Team leadership and supervision: Directly supervise a team of HR professionals. Establish performance expectations, provide coaching and professional development, manage performance, and ensure accurate, responsive, service-oriented HR operations.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field, and eight (8) years of progressively responsible HR experience; or a Master’s degree and six (6) years of equivalent experience. An equivalent combination of relevant education and experience may be substituted.
• Experience leading HR operations in a large, complex organization (i.e., higher education, healthcare, research, government, nonprofit, or a multi-site business), including managing the full employee lifecycle for multiple employee types.
• Experience leading organizational change, such as restructuring, workforce planning, or organizational effectiveness initiatives, across multiple departments, business units, or locations.
• Supervisory experience, including coaching and developing HR professionals.
• Working knowledge of federal and state employment law and HR compliance.
• Familiarity with public-sector or higher education requirements is helpful.
• Strong consultative, coaching, and conflict-resolution skills, with the ability to advise senior leaders on sensitive and escalated matters.
• Ability to interpret complex policies and regulations and assess their operational impact.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and the ability to build trust and influence without direct authority in a decentralized, multi-stakeholder environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Higher Education Administration, or a related field.
• HR certification such as SHRM-CP/SCP, PHR/SPHR, or equivalent.
• Experience in higher education or a research environment, including familiarity with academic and research personnel processes is a plus.
• Experience standardizing HR processes across a decentralized, matrixed, or multi-location organization.
• Experience supporting a mix of workforce types, such as salaried professionals, hourly staff, researchers, and student or part-time workers.
• Experience with an enterprise HR system (such as Workday or similar) and using HR technology and data to improve operations.

Salary Range

$130,000+ commensurate with experience and qualifications.

Work Conditions

• This position is based on the UT Austin campus.

Required Materials

• Resume/CV
• 3 work references with their contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisor
• Letter of interest

Employment Requirements

Regular staff who have been employed in their current position for the last six continuous months are eligible for openings being recruited for through University-Wide or Open Recruiting, to include both promotional opportunities and lateral transfers. Staff who are promotion/transfer eligible may apply for positions without supervisor approval.

Retirement Plan Eligibility

The retirement plan for this position is Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS), subject to the position being at least 20 hours per week and at least 135 days in length.

Background Checks

A criminal history background check will be required for finalist(s) under consideration for this position.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The University of Texas at Austin, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.

Pay Transparency

The University of Texas at Austin will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information.

Employment Eligibility Verification

If hired, you will be required to complete the federal Employment Eligibility Verification I-9 form. You will be required to present acceptable and original documents to prove your identity and authorization to work in the United States. Documents need to be presented no later than the third day of employment. Failure to do so will result in loss of employment at the university.

E-Verify

The University of Texas at Austin use E-Verify to check the work authorization of all new hires effective May 2015. The university’s company ID number for purposes of E-Verify is 854197.

Compliance

Employees may be required to report violations of law under Title IX and the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act). If this position is identified a Campus Security Authority (Clery Act), you will be notified and provided resources for reporting. Responsible employees under Title IX are defined and outlined in HOP-3031. The Clery Act requires all prospective employees be notified of the availability of the Annual Security and Fire Safety report. You may access the most recent report here or obtain a copy at University Compliance Services, 1616 Guadalupe Street, UTA 2.206, Austin, Texas 78701.

Additional Information

Start Here, Change the World At The University of Texas at Austin, tradition meets innovation in the heart of a city that frequents lists of the best places to live and work. Named by Forbes as one of America's Best Large Employers for the sixth year in a row in 2025, UT offers both a dynamic work environment and a gateway to vibrant local culture. Whether you're at the forefront of the student experience, conducting world-changing research or supporting the engine that drives Texas’ flagship university, working at UT means making a lasting impact on our city, our state and our world. Our more than 20,000 faculty and staff empower 55,000+ students to challenge ideas, pursue passions and shape their futures. Joining UT, you’ll become part of a community dedicated to making a meaningful impact on campus and throughout the world.

Comments and Inquiries

Email comments to [e-mail]. For questions or concerns regarding equal opportunity only, contact Equal Opportunity Services. Additional information for applicants can be found on the Human Resources web page: Applying for Employment.

Contact

For more job information, call the Human Resource Service Center at [phone], or toll-free at [phone]. UT Austin is a Tobacco-free Campus.