HR Director Partner Services, Operations
University of Colorado Boulder
Turn this role into an interview — a resume and cover letter built around what this employer wants.
Benefits offered by this job
Job summary
University of Colorado Boulder seeks an HR Director for Partner Services, Operations to provide senior HR leadership for the division and its units. You will advise executives on complex issues, supervise the HR team, and coordinate across workforce planning, labor relations, compensation, performance, and engagement.
You will partner with central HR, Legal, and campus stakeholders to ensure compliant, strategic HR guidance and timely action across Operations.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent with progressive HR experience.
- Master’s degree and senior HR leadership experience preferred.
- Experience advising senior leaders on workforce planning and risk.
Responsibilities
- Advise executive leaders on complex workforce and policy matters.
- Lead HR team supporting Operations and coordinate with campus partners.
- Oversee workforce planning, succession, and talent strategy.
- Guide employee relations, investigations and performance management.
- Ensure compliance with state and university HR rules.
Skills
Education
Tools
Job description
The HR Director for Partner Services, Operations provides senior-level HR leadership for the Office of the Senior Vice Chancellor for Operations and the units it supports. This position advises executive and senior leaders on complex HR issues, supervises the HR team supporting Operations and works across workforce planning, employee and labor relations, compensation, performance management, employee engagement, organizational development, policy interpretation, leave and HR operations. The role helps leaders make practical decisions that are consistent with policy, compliance requirements, risk considerations and HR best practices. Because the position operates in a public-sector higher education environment, it requires strong knowledge of State of Colorado classified staff requirements, partnership agreements, State Personnel Board Rules and campus and system policies. The HR Director works directly with central Human Resources, Legal, Employee Relations, Organizational and Employee Development and other campus and system partners.
The HR Director works regularly with the Senior Vice Chancellor for Operations and central Human Resources, Legal, Employee Relations, Organizational and Employee Development, Talent Acquisition, and other campus and system partners. This position reports to the Assistant Vice Chancellor, HR Partner Services in Central HR, with a dotted reporting line to the Associate Vice Chancellor and Senior Executive Advisor to the Senior Vice Chancellor for Operations.
This role advises executive and senior leaders on sensitive and complex HR matters. The HR Director helps leaders identify workforce risks, understand policy and legal considerations, address public-sector and classified staff requirements, and make decisions that support the strategic direction and operational goals of the division. The role integrates workforce planning, succession planning, talent strategy, and organizational effectiveness to support employee engagement, compliance and operational continuity.
The HR Director must be able to work across a broad range of HR issues, including recruitment and selection, leadership staffing decisions, performance management, employee development, succession, discipline, and separation, and bring the right partners and stakeholders into the discussion. The role also ensures that HR guidance is implemented throughout the Division of Operations, and that leaders receive consistent service and follow-through.
The HR Director is expected to resolve matters at the appropriate level, recognize when an issue exceeds divisional authority or expertise, and promptly elevate sensitive, complex, or high‑risk matters to the Senior Vice Chancellor for Operations or the appropriate campus or system partner.
- Office of the Senior Vice Chancellor for Operations (SVCO)
- Department of Public Safety (DPS)
- Employee Health and Well‑being (EHWB)
- Office of Compliance, Ethics, & Policy (OCEP)
- Office of Information Technology (OIT)
- Department of Human Resources (HR)
CU is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment. We are committed to creating a workplace where all individuals are treated with respect and dignity, and we encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.
The Senior Vice Chancellor for Operations (SVCO) supervises CU Boulder’s public safety, health and wellness, information technology, human resources and compliance, ethics and policy efforts.
CU Boulder will be nationally recognized for its inclusive and innovative learning and working environment.
SVCO provides creative and sustainable services that enable the CU Boulder community of faculty, staff and students to meet their educational and professional objectives.
Integrity: We commit to acting with honesty, ownership and courage by aligning our words and actions.
Collaboration: We commit to working together to ensure we are all successful. This can be achieved only if we are respectful, inclusive, open to change and willing to coordinate resources and compromise.
Inclusivity: We commit to creating an environment that values people, honors different perspectives, demonstrates openness and kindness, asks for input and listens.
Adaptability: We commit to meeting the needs of our campus through continuous improvement and learning, remaining resilient, and being creative and curious.
Accountability: We commit to taking responsibility for our decisions, actions and consequences.
Human Resources contributes leadership, guidance, tools and services to support employees throughout their careers at CU Boulder and to cultivate a culture that upholds the campus’ strongly held values. HR partners with campus in the achievement of the campus vision and strategic imperatives.
The responsibilities below describe the primary work of the position, including senior‑level HR advising, day‑to‑day HR generalist support, supervision of HR staff and coordination with campus partners.
- Serve as a senior HR advisor to executive and unit leaders on complex workforce, organizational, employee and compliance matters.
- Translate divisional priorities and operational goals into integrated workforce, talent, and HR plans, processes and recommendations.
- Advise leaders on sensitive personnel issues, leadership staffing decisions, talent risks, policy interpretation, employee relations concerns, succession, organizational change and workforce continuity.
- Work with central HR (Employee Relations, Talent Acquisition, Organizational and Employee Development), Legal, and other subject‑matter experts to ensure recommendations are coordinated, compliant and consistent with university practice.
- Use workforce data, HR analytics, professional judgment and knowledge of the organization to support leaders’ decision‑making.
- Provide direct leadership and supervision for the HR team supporting Operations units by establishing priorities and service expectations, assigning and reviewing work, coaching staff and building team capacity.
- Serve as the divisional escalation point for complex, sensitive, or high‑risk HR matters requiring senior‑level judgment, coordinated review, or executive awareness.
- Review HR team deliverables, communications, and recommendations for accuracy, consistency and alignment with university practices and the Senior Vice Chancellor for Operations’ vision.
- Provide direct supervision, performance guidance, training, coaching, and development for HR team members to strengthen generalist skills, compliance knowledge, sound judgment and consistent service delivery.
- Evaluate and improve unit‑level HR programs, workflows and processes.
- Advise executive and unit leaders on workforce planning, staffing models, organizational structure, leadership capacity, succession planning, recruitment priorities and talent risks.
- Assess current and future workforce needs and recommend talent acquisition, development, retention, succession, or organizational approaches that support operational priorities and continuity.
- Support organizational design, reporting‑line changes, reorganizations and growth planning with unit leaders and campus partners.
- Facilitate succession planning, development planning, and strategies to retain and grow high‑potential employees; partner with Talent Acquisition and unit leaders to define and execute recruiting strategies for critical, specialized and leadership roles.
- Advise leaders on complex employee grievances, performance concerns, disciplinary actions, investigations, workplace conflict and sensitive employee matters.
- Coordinate with Employee Relations, Legal, the Senior Executive Aide to the Senior Vice Chancellor for Operations, and other subject‑matter experts on matters requiring specialized review, executive awareness, or escalation.
- Help leaders make sound, well‑documented decisions that account for employee impact, policy requirements, operational needs and legal or reputational risk.
- Provide guidance to leaders on employee relations practices, performance documentation, workplace expectations and when to scaleate concerns.
- Advise leaders on compensation considerations, including pay equity, market alignment, compression, range of penetration, length of service and internal consistency.
- Oversee unit compensation review and assignment in partnership with central HR and compensation experts.
- Review the staff’s annual merit roster process and support consistent, well‑documented compensation decisions.
- Use compensation data to identify issues, develop recommendations and support consistent decision‑making.
- Oversee the staff performance management cycle, including communications, leader guidance, documentation expectations and unit‑level calibration sessions.
- Advise leaders on performance concerns, corrective action, goal‑setting, accountability and use of performance tools and processes.
- Support performance management approaches for units that do not use Cornerstone or have different performance systems.
- Partner with leaders and Employee Relations to ensure performance concerns are addressed consistently and fairly.
- Advise leaders on employee engagement strategies that support retention, culture, operational effectiveness and employee experience.
- Serve as a unit Engagement Champion by supporting survey communication, action planning, assessment and follow‑through.
- Help leaders interpret engagement data, identify themes and develop practical recommendations.
- Support employee listening strategies and culture‑building efforts across Operations units.
- Develop and interpret HR reports, workforce data and HR analytics for divisional and unit leadership, as necessary.
- Use data to identify trends, inform workforce recommendations, evaluate HR processes and support leaders’ decision‑making.
- Support unit leaders and HR staff through HR technology implementations, including communication, training, adoption and change management.
- Oversee learning and training related to HR technologies and related processes.
- Serve as a senior resource on CU System and campus policies, federal and state employment requirements, and HR best practices.
- Lead leave, reasonable accommodation, and related employer processes for supported units in coordination with campus and system partners.
- Advise leaders on policy interpretation, documentation, process consistency, and risk considerations.
- Work with Human Resources, Legal, ADA, and other offices to support consistent application of policies and processes.
- Partner with Organizational and Employee Development on learning, leadership development, team effectiveness, and organizational development needs.
- Identify learning and development gaps and recommend programs, resources, or interventions.
- Advise leaders on change management, onboarding, leadership transitions, organizational culture, and team development.
- Support development of individual‑contributors, managers and executive onboarding approaches.
- Improve HR processes, workflows, service delivery and leader‑facing HR guidance.
- Identify opportunities to clarify roles, improve coordination, reduce duplication and strengthen consistency across supported units.
- Support organizational change, operational transitions and evolving workforce needs by helping leaders design practical HR solutions.
- Maintain knowledge of HR trends, best practices, higher‑education HR guidelines, public‑ and private‑sector practices and emerging compliance issues.
This position supports a complex group of Operations units with different structures, compliance needs, employee populations, schedules and work environments. The HR Director must provide practical, senior‑level HR guidance, involve specialized partners when needed and help ensure unit decisions are consistent with university, campus, system, state, federal and regulatory requirements.
- Classified Staff
- Graduate Appointments
- Retirees
- Student Employees and Stipend Employees
- Temporary Staff
- University Staff
- Support internal employee survey processes, including survey development, communication, interpretation of results and division‑specific recommendations.
- Coordinate Global Professional Employer Organization employee logistics, including procurement, contracts, onboarding, compliance and stakeholder coordination.
- Support workforce development, organizational planning and change management for growing or evolving Operations functions.
- Maintain and interpret compensation data, including length of service, range of penetration, compression, equity and market adjustment considerations.
- Support compliance with partnership agreements and State Personnel Board Rules for classified staff.
- Coordinate with central HR and Public Safety’s Internal Affair team on employee relations matters requiring specialized review or escalation.
- Support the distinct cultural, operational, and HR needs of Public Safety employees and leaders.
- Support the development of individual‑contributors, managers and executive onboarding programs.
- Support employees and leaders in units with non‑standard schedules, varied work environments and operational coverage needs.
- Provide oversight for student employee populations, including Employee Health and Well‑being, OIT and Public Safety student employees.
This position works in a hybrid modality. The in‑person schedule will vary each week according to business needs, with likely at least three to four days a week in office on the Boulder campus.
This is a full‑time University Staff position based in Boulder, Colorado. The annual salary range is $136,300-$175,000.
At the University of Colorado Boulder, we are committed to supporting the holistic health and well‑being of our employees. Our comprehensive benefits package includes medical, dental, and retirement plans; generous paid time off; tuition assistance for you and your dependents; and an ECO Pass for local transit. As one of Boulder County’s largest employers, CU Boulder offers an inspiring academic community and access to world‑class outdoor recreation. In fact, CU Boulder has been named one of Forbes' America’s Best Large Employers, ranking #4 among large employers in Colorado and #28 among universities nationwide. Explore additional perks and programs through the CU Advantage program.
Be ambitious. Be inspired. Be Boulder.
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Five or more years of progressive professional human resources experience, including lead or supervisory responsibility.
- Experience providing HR consultation across multiple HR areas, such as workforce planning, employee and labor relations, compensation, performance management, engagement, organizational development, policy interpretation, leave or ADA processes, or HR operations.
- Experience advising senior leaders on workforce, employee relations, organizational effectiveness, or people‑related initiatives.
- Experience leading, supervising, coaching, or assigning work to HR staff or HR professionals.
- Experience applying employment laws, policies, documentation standards, and HR best practices to support organizational needs and reduce risk.
- Experience working with central HR, legal counsel, employer relations professionals, or other subject‑matter experts to resolve complex HR matters.
- Master's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Higher Education Administration, Organizational Development, Public Administration, or related fields.
- Seven or more years of progressively responsible HR leadership experience, including experience leading HR teams and partnering with senior executives.
- Experience as a senior HR generalist or HR business partner in a complex, decentralized, matrixed, public‑sector, higher‑education, public safety, technology, or similarly complex organization.
- Experience advising executive leaders on workforce planning, organizational effectiveness, complex personnel matters, risk mitigation and change management.
- Experience supporting multiple employee groups common to higher education, including classified staff, university staff, temporary employees, student employees, retirees, graduate appointments, or stipend employees.
- Experience leading organizational change initiatives, including reorganizations, workforce planning, succession planning, organizational design, culture and engagement initiatives, or new HR process implementation.
- Knowledge of higher education employment laws, state personnel systems, public‑sector HR practices, partnership agreements and university policies and procedures.
- Expertise in employee and labor relations, including investigations, grievances, disciplinary actions, performance management, documentation, partnership agreements and collaboration with legal counsel.
- Experience using HR data, analytics and compensation information to advise leaders and support consistent decision‑making.
- Professional HR certification, such as SHRM‑SCP, SHRM‑CP, SPHR, or IPMA‑HR certification.
'/%3e%3cpath%20d='M101.744%2012.4726L102.894%2016.1947L99.0021%2013.2201L101.744%2012.4726ZM105.3%208.40937H100.488L99.0026%203.59473L97.5116%208.41047L92.7%208.40385L96.5965%2011.3834L95.1055%2016.1942L99.0021%2013.2196L101.408%2011.3834L105.3%208.40992V8.40937Z'%20fill='white'/%3e%3cdefs%3e%3clinearGradient%20id='paint0_linear_5593_1381'%20x1='90'%20y1='9.44471'%20x2='99'%20y2='9.44471'%20gradientUnits='userSpaceOnUse'%3e%3cstop%20stop-color='%2300AD70'/%3e%3cstop%20offset='0.998594'%20stop-color='%2300B67A'/%3e%3cstop%20offset='1'%20stop-color='%23DCDCE6'/%3e%3c/linearGradient%3e%3c/defs%3e%3c/svg%3e){kind=small}
