Senior Director, Wharton Human Resources
University of Pennsylvania
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Job summary
University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School seeks a Senior Director of Wharton Human Resources & PeopleOperations to lead strategic HR initiatives, talent management, and employee relations. This role oversees HR operations across Wharton and global extensions, partnering with senior leaders to shape people strategies and ensure program excellence.
You will advance technology-enabled HR and analytics, transform service delivery, and mentor a team of HR professionals to drive organizational
Qualifications
- Master's degree plus 10+ years of related HR leadership experience.
- Senior HR leadership in a large, complex organ. with cross-functional scope.
- Expertise across employee relations, talent management, org development, comp.
- Experience advising senior leaders on sensitive workforce matters and investigations.
- Demonstrated ability to lead teams and drive organizational change with data.
Responsibilities
- Craft and execute advanced HR strategies aligned with Wharton School objectives.
- Oversee HR needs of Wharton’s extensions, including SF and global engagements.
- Lead Core HR initiatives, committees and cross-school collaborations.
- Spearhead recruitment, onboarding, talent pipelines and compensation governance.
- Drive workforce analytics to anticipate turnover and inform actions.
- Lead and develop a team of HR professionals with ongoing coaching.
Education
Tools
Job description
University Overview
The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn's distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America's Best Large Employers in 2023.
Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.
The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.
Senior Director, Wharton Human Resources & PeopleOperations
Director D, Human Resources, School/ Center
Founded in 1881 as the world's first collegiate business school, the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania is shaping the future of business by incubating ideas, driving insights, and creating leaders who change the world. With campuses in both Philadelphia and San Francisco, Wharton has over 850 staff, a faculty population of more than 235 renowned professors, and 5,000 undergraduate, MBA, executive MBA, and doctoral students. Each year 13,000 professionals from around the world advance their careers through Wharton Executive Education's individual, company-customized, and online programs. More than 104,000 Wharton alumni form a powerful global network of leaders who transform business every day. Wharton is home to a dynamic community of staff, bringing a wide range of skills, experiences, and perspectives. To learn more, visit www.wharton.upenn.edu.
The Senior Director of Wharton Human Resources & PeopleOperations is a key leadership role responsible for driving strategic human resources and talent management initiatives within the Wharton School. They play a key role in shaping HR strategies that align with the organization's vision and values while fostering a positive and high-performing work environment. Responsibilities include overseeing the optimization and digital transformation of talent acquisition, performance management, employee relations, compliance, and employee development. As a key thought partner for senior leadership, this role is responsible for taking a holistic view of the School's objectives and bridging the gap between workforce challenges and solutions.
As a dynamic and influential leader, the Senior Director plays a pivotal role in creating a thriving organizational culture that advances the strategic mission of the Wharton School. They spearhead the transformation of traditional HR services, such as recruitment, comprehensive training programs, and performance management systems, to innovate and drive excellence and employee well-being.
This role will actively contribute to and participate in HR initiatives that extend beyond their immediate school environment, directly engaging with Core HR. Involvement will include participation in committees, working groups, and task forces focused on enhancing organizational effectiveness and driving HR initiatives at the University. Additionally, they will have the opportunity to engage in cross-school collaborations to disseminate best practices and realize strategic objectives.
Craft and execute advanced, progressive HR strategies supportive of the Wharton School's leadership objectives and drive culture. Transition the school HR function from being process-oriented to adopting an end-to-end tactical and strategic mindset, introducing proactive and holistic strategies to support the employee lifecycle and organizational optimization.
Oversee the HR needs of Wharton's extensions, including San Francisco and any global engagements. Ensure compliance with regional employment regulations and institute global best practices that recognize and address local nuances.
Nurture cross-organizational partnerships, collaboratively working to propel both the school and broader university toward achieving their mission-critical objectives.
Play a pivotal role in Core HR initiatives, including committees, task forces, and cross-school collaborations aimed at advancing organizational effectiveness and HR innovation. Serve as a mentor within the HR community at Penn.
Spearhead & optimize the school's ability to recruit, develop, and retain top talent to advance strategic objectives. Innovate onboarding practices to ensure seamless integration of new talent. Develop proactive solutions for talent pipelines and recruitment optimization. Employ data analytics to anticipate turnover trends and implement strategies to address them. Oversee staff compensation-related matters, including setting competitive salaries, counteroffers, reclassifications, salary adjustments, additional pay, and bonuses.
Adopt a data-driven and people-centered approach to address intricate employee relations concerns, encompassing investigations, reorganizations, conflict resolution, and disciplinary processes. Implement analytics to analyze trends in employee relations challenges and craft proactive interventions. Provide thought partnership, coaching, and guidance to managers and leaders on a wide range of employee topics.
Establish an innovative, technology-enabled HR and people operations function, leveraging automation and AI to optimize processes. Design, implement, and utilize people analytics to understand targets of opportunity, trends, and proactive approaches. Leverage technology to foster greater clarity around HR policies and practices. Stay abreast of the latest trends in HR and People Analytics to ensure Wharton remains a pioneer in employee-centric innovation. Infuse workplace practices with insights from Wharton research to fortify our brand, ensuring internal experiences resonate with our external promotion of premier business school research.
Lead and empower a team of HR professionals, fostering a culture of continuous learning and innovation. Design opportunities for their skill augmentation and professional growth, supported by regular, insightful feedback & coaching.
Design, facilitate, and/or organize a comprehensive suite of professional development opportunities for employees to nurture both personal and professional growth.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- A master's degree and 10+ years of related experience arerequired, or an equivalent combination of education andexperience.
- Significant HR leadership experience, including responsibilityfor developing and executing human resources and people strategiesin a large, complex organization.
- Demonstrated expertise across multiple HR disciplines, includingemployee relations, talent management, organizational development,performance management, compensation, workforce planning, andemployee engagement.
- Substantial experience advising and coaching senior leaders oncomplex and sensitive workforce, organizational, and employeerelations matters, including investigations, conflict resolution,performance concerns, reorganizations, and organizationalchange.
- Demonstrated experience translating organizational prioritiesinto practical people strategies, programs, and solutions, with thejudgment to balance employee, leadership, operational, andinstitutional considerations.
- Proven ability to lead, develop, and empower a team of HRprofessionals, including setting direction, establishingaccountability, coaching for performance, and building teamcapability.
- Demonstrated ability to lead organizational change and improve HRpractices, processes, or service delivery through innovative andemployee-centered approaches.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities, includingexperience using workforce data, metrics, and other insights toidentify trends, inform decisions, and develop proactivesolutions.
- Exceptional interpersonal, communication, consultation, andinfluencing skills, with demonstrated ability to build trustedrelationships and navigate effectively across multiple levels andstakeholder groups.
- Demonstrated discretion, sound judgment, and ability to managehighly sensitive and confidential matters in a complexorganizational environment.
- Experience serving as a strategic HR advisor to executive or seniorleadership teams and contributing to organization-wide workforceand business decisions.
- Senior HR leadership experience within higher education, a largedecentralized institution, or another complex, mission-drivenorganization.
- Experience leveraging HR technology, automation, artificialintelligence, and/or people analytics to improve HR operations,employee experience, and organizational decision-making.
- Experience operating effectively within a highly matrixed ordecentralized environment requiring collaboration across multiplexschools, divisions, functions, or locations.
- HR professional certification, such as SHRM-SCP, SPHR, or comparable advanced certification.
Applicants must submit a cover letter.
Wharton School
$135,327.00 - $186,000.00 Annual Rate
Salary offers are made based on the candidate's qualifications,experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to the requirements of the position, and in alignment with salary ranges based on external market data for the job's level. Internalorganization and peer data at Penn are also considered.
The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race,color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin(including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), citizenshipstatus, age, disability, veteran status or any class protectedunder applicable federal, state or local law.
Background checks may be required after a conditional job offer ismade. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job.
- Health, Life, and Flexible Spending Accounts: Pennoffers comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health,dental, vision, and life insurance benefits to protect you and yourfamily's health and welfare. You can also use flexible spendingaccounts to pay for eligible health care and dependent careexpenses with pre-tax dollars.
- Tuition: Take advantage of Penn's exceptional tuitionbenefits. You, your spouse, and your dependent children can gettuition assistance here at Penn. Your dependent children are alsoeligible for tuition assistance at other institutions.
- Retirement: Penn offers generous retirement plans tohelp you save for your future. Penn's Basic, Matching, andSupplemental retirement plans allow you to save for retirement on apre-tax or Roth basis. Choose from a wide variety of investmentoptions through TIAA and Vanguard.
- Time Away from Work: Penn provides you with asubstantial amount of time away from work during the course of theyear. This allows you to relax, take vacations, attend to personalaffairs, recover from illness or injury, spend time withfamily-whatever your personal needs may be.
- Long-Term Care Insurance: In partnership with GenworthFinancial, Penn offers faculty and staff (and your eligible familymembers) long-term care insurance to help you cover some of thecosts of long-term care services received at home, in the communityor in a nursing facility. If you apply when you're newly hired, youwon't have to provide proof of good health or be subject tounderwriting requirements. Eligible family members must alwaysprovide proof of good health and are subject to underwriting.
- Wellness and Work-life Resources: Penn is committed tosupporting our faculty and staff as they balance the competingdemands of work and personal life. That's why we offer a widevariety of programs and resources to help you care for your health,your family, and your work-life balance.
- Professional and Personal Development: Penn provides anarray of resources to help you advance yourself personally andprofessionally.
- University Resources: As a member of the Penn community,you have access to a wide range of University resources as well ascultural and recreational activities. Take advantage of theUniversity's libraries and athletic facilities, or visit ourarboretum and art galleries. There's always something going on atPenn, whether it's a new exhibit at the Penn Museum, the latestmusic or theater presentation at the Annenberg Center, or the PennRelays at Franklin Field to name just a few examples. As a memberof the Penn community, you're right in the middle of theexcitement-and you and your family can enjoy many of theseactivities for free.
- Discounts and Special Services: From arts andentertainment to transportation and mortgages, you'll find greatdeals for University faculty and staff. Not only do Penn arts andcultural centers and museums offer free and discounted admissionand memberships to faculty and staff. You can also enjoysubstantial savings on other goods and services such as new carsfrom Ford and General Motors, cellular phone service plans, movietickets, and admission to theme parks.
- Flexible Work Hours: Flexible work options offercreative approaches for completing work while promoting balancebetween work and personal commitments. These approaches involve useof non-traditional work hours, locations, and/or jobstructures.
- Penn Home Ownership Services: Penn offers a forgivableloan for eligible employees interested in buying a home orcurrently residing in West Philadelphia, which can be used forclosing costs or home improvements.
- Adoption Assistance: Penn will reimburse eligibleemployees on qualified expenses in connection with the legaladoption of an eligible child, such as travel or court fees, for upto two adoptions in your household.
To learn more, please visit: https://www.hr.upenn.edu/PennHR/benefits-pay
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