Senior Human Resources Manager

Stanford University School of Medicine; Palo Alto (CA); Hybrid; USD 154,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Stanford University School of Medicine is seeking a Senior HR Manager to support more than 750 benefits-eligible staff within the VPDOR organization. The role emphasizes strategic HR, policy guidance, and change management, partnering with senior leaders and managers across the university.

The position is hybrid with a strong focus on collaboration, autonomy, and continuous process improvement, translating complex policies into practical operations and staff well-being.

Qualifications

• Strategic HR expertise across multiple HR functions with ability to guide leaders through complex situations
• Project leadership of cross-functional HR initiatives from conception to completion
• Executive communication to translate data and policies for diverse audiences
• Consultative partnership and negotiation with senior leaders and faculty
• Data-driven decision making using quantitative and qualitative data for improvements
• Autonomy and collaborative leadership with stakeholder partnership across the university

Responsibilities

• Serve as SME and project/team lead for strategic initiatives, programs, processes, and policies.
• Lead implementation of HR programs and processes in department/school/unit.
• Provide expert specialized HR knowledge to managers, faculty, and senior leadership.
• Provide specialized knowledge, research, data analytics, reporting, etc., to support and inform decision-making.
• Partner with UHR function/COE on initiatives, services provided, or to solve problems.
• Provide guidance and mentorship to junior HR team members as needed.
• Maintain consistency with, support, and promote Stanford HR policies, procedures and requirements, and applicable laws.
• Change Management: support leadership with local and university-wide change management efforts; develop communications strategy.
• Compensation: consult on complex compensation matters and may oversee salary planning; coordinate with UHR Compensation.
• Disability and Leaves/Worker's Comp: advise on complex disability/leave matters and worker’s comp; plan staffing accordingly.
• ELR: guide managers on employee relations and investigations; collaborate with UHR-ELR.
• Employee Engagement: lead surveys and initiatives to foster positive work environment; analyze data and develop programs.
• HRIS/People Analytics: design complex HR functions and reporting; provide analytics to leadership.
• Performance Management: advise on complex performance matters and lead appraisal processes.
• Talent Acquisition: advise on hard-to-fill roles; develop new talent programs; train managers.
• Talent Development: align development with business goals; create local initiatives.
• Talent Management/Workforce Planning: analyze metrics and support action plans.
• May manage direct reports and oversee HR support across the school/unit.
• Maintain compliance with policies and laws.
• Foster an inclusive workplace culture.

Skills

Strategic HR Expertise

Project Leadership

Executive Communication

Consultative Partnership

Data-Driven Decision Making

Autonomy & Leadership

Education

Bachelor’s Degree + 10 years

Job description

Job Description

BUSINESS TITLE:

Senior Human Resources Manager

Work Schedule

Hybrid work arrangement with 2 days per week onsite.

Budgeted Salary

The expected pay range for this position is $153,632 to $190,000 per annum.

School/Unit Description

The Office of the Vice Provost and Dean of Research (VPDOR) provides guidance and support to facilitate, nurture and safeguard a thriving research ecosystem at Stanford. To this end, the VPDOR assumes dual roles. As Cognizant Dean for the independent academic units, the VPDOR oversees the program scope and resources for the sixteen multi-disciplinary and independent laboratories, centers, and institutes which operate outside of the schools’ boundaries. As Vice Provost and the University’s Chief Research Officer, the VPDOR recommends and promulgates new policy and its implementation; manages the mission-support offices that provide services of research compliance and administration, health and safety, and technology transfer to Stanford’s research enterprise; oversees the program and appointment of Academic Staff - Research; and advises the President and Provost in a broad array of academic issues pertaining to and beyond research.

We invite you to learn more about our organization here: https://doresearch.stanford.edu/office/office-vice-provost-and-dean-research

Position Summary

The Senior HR Manager works together with the rest of the VPDOR HR team to support more than 750 benefits-eligible staff within the organization. The ideal Senior HR Manager candidate will have exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, as well as experience influencing people leaders and individual contributors. Primary responsibilities of this position include, but are not limited to, 1) collaborating with hiring managers to identify and develop job descriptions (JCRFs) for recruitment and retention efforts – including explanation of employment laws, policies, and procedures; and 2) providing guidance to people leaders during various processes (e.g., salary planning, performance management, leaves of absence, change management initiatives, etc.).

The Senior HR Manager must possess and demonstrate a positive outlook on continuous process improvement efforts while maintaining a team-based and customer-focused mindset. It is critical that this position exhibit the abilities to practice sound judgment and decision-making, effective written & oral communication, respectful relationship management, and selflessness. This position must also exhibit a strong desire to continuously learn new and unfamiliar business topics, policies, and procedures as they relate to HR functions – the ability to translate this information into operational successes will be critical. The VPDOR HR team regularly engages in conversations, ideas, and initiatives to help benefit those that we serve – the Senior HR Manager must be able to understand, develop, and practice a servant leadership philosophy.

This is a 100% FTE, benefits-eligible position. The position will be based on Stanford's main campus and will be considered for an option of hybrid work arrangement , subject to operational need.

Preferred/Desired Qualifications

• Strategic HR Expertise: Deep consultative expertise across multiple HR functions (e.g., employee relations, compensation, talent management, change management), with a proven ability to guide leaders through complex, sensitive, and high-risk situations in a dynamic academic environment.
• Project & Initiative Leadership: Proven ability to lead and orchestrate complex, cross-functional HR initiatives (such as system implementations or annual performance cycles) from conception to successful completion, demonstrating exceptional priority-setting and project management skills.
• Executive Communication & Influence: Sophisticated communication skills with the ability to translate complex data and policies into clear, compelling messages and strategic recommendations for diverse audiences, including senior leadership, faculty, and central university partners.
• Consultative Partnership & Negotiation: Advanced interpersonal and negotiation skills with a demonstrated ability to build trust and credibility with senior leaders and faculty, navigate sensitive conversations with diplomacy, and drive consensus toward effective solutions.
• Data-Driven Decision Making: Advanced analytical and critical thinking skills with the ability to translate quantitative and qualitative data (e.g., from Sequoia, engagement surveys) into actionable insights and strategic recommendations that drive organizational improvements.
• Exceptional Judgment & Discretion: Impeccable judgment and professional integrity, with a demonstrated ability to handle highly confidential information and complex personnel matters with the utmost discretion and care.
• Autonomy & Collaborative Leadership: A self-starter who can operate with a high degree of autonomy and strategic ownership, while also acting as a collaborative and supportive leader within the HR team and a key partner to stakeholders across the university.

Responsibilities

• Serve as SME and project/team lead for strategic initiatives, programs, processes, and policies.
• Lead implementation of HR programs and processes in department/school/unit.
• Provide expert specialized HR knowledge to managers, faculty, and senior leadership.
• Provide specialized knowledge, research, data analytics, reporting, etc., to support and inform decision-making.
• Partner with UHR function/COE on initiatives, services provided, or to solve problems. Suggest efficiencies or process improvement opportunities.
• Provide guidance and mentorship to junior HR team members as needed.
• Maintain consistency with, support, and promote Stanford HR policies, procedures and requirements, and applicable laws.
• Change Management: Support senior leadership with local and university-wide change management efforts (stakeholder analysis, measures of success, risk assessment, implementation, monitoring), serving as a lead on local workstreams. Collaborate with subject matter experts on highly complex or specialized matters as needed. Participate in developing, drafting, and implementing a communications strategy.
• Compensation: Consult with managers and senior leaders on highly complex or specialized compensation-related matters (salary actions, bonuses, and supplemental pay, assignment of employees to job titles, including senior levels). Consult with UHR Compensation on highly complex or specialized matters, including the development of incentive and bonus programs. May oversee the area's salary planning program, partnering with managers to meet university guidelines.
• Disability and Leaves / Worker's Comp: Consult with managers on highly complex or specialized disability/leave and workers’ compensation matters (eligibility, process, accommodations), liaising with subject matter experts as needed. Partner with senior leaders in the development of staffing plans resulting from absences of critical managers and staff, ensuring alignment with organizational goals.
• ELR: Provide expert guidance to managers and senior leaders on employee relations matters, with a focus on the most complex and/or specialized investigations, corrective actions, workplace accommodations, etc. Partner closely with UHR-ELR. Educate and train managers and senior leaders to meet university guidelines.
• Employee Engagement: Serve as project lead, developing surveys and initiatives to assess and support a positive work environment for the organization. Analyze resulting survey data and partner with leadership on the development of programming and action plans as appropriate.
• HRIS/People Analytics: Support, provide guidance on, and/or design complex functions and record retention processes. Analyze, interpret, and present data (turnover, movement, accrual usage, etc.) to senior leaders regarding their teams and the broader organization, utilizing human resources expertise to provide analysis and recommendations. Develop custom reports upon request and consult with subject matter experts as needed. Educate and train managers on people analytics.
• Performance Management: Consult with managers and senior leaders on highly complex and/or specialized performance management matters (setting expectations and goals, regular check-ins, developing positive performance/behaviors, conducting annual reviews), partnering with subject matter experts as needed. Educate and train managers and senior leaders on best practices to foster strong performance and meet university guidelines. May lead the annual performance appraisal process for the entire school/unit, ensuring appropriate processes are followed.
• Talent Acquisition: Consult with managers and senior leaders on highly complex and/or specialized talent acquisition matters (hard-to-fill and high turnover roles critical to the school/unit, determining job-specific competencies). Serve as project lead in the development of new talent acquisition programming or revision of existing programming to align with overall organizational strategy. Collaborate with subject matter experts as needed. Educate and train managers and senior leaders to foster a positive candidate experience and meet university guidelines.
• Talent Development: Consult with senior managers and school/unit leadership on highly complex and/or specialized talent development matters (aligning business goals with personal motivation & talents, promoting professional development opportunities, coaching/mentoring/networking), liaising with subject matter experts as needed. Develop new, local professional development initiatives for managers and employees.
• Talent Management/Workforce Planning: Generate, analyze, interpret, and apply relevant reports for insights on talent metrics within the respective school/unit. Present findings and recommendations to senior leadership. Support the development and implementation of action plans (e.g., succession and workforce plans).
• May be responsible for the management of direct reports, including their recruitment, onboarding, development, compensation, and performance management. Guide direct reports in providing fundamental and moderately complex HR support and services to employees and managers in the school/unit.
• Maintain consistency with and support UHR and Stanford policies, procedures and requirements, and applicable local, state, and federal laws.
• Facilitate initiatives to foster an inclusive workplace culture where all employees feel valued, respected, and empowered.

Minimum Education And Experience

Bachelor’s Degree and 10 years of relevant human resources experience or combination of education and relevant experience.

Technical Competencies

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Strong HCM/ATS experience and proficiency with business applications, Microsoft Office suite, Google suite, etc. Demonstrated ability to manage sensitive issues with professionalism, confidentiality, and care. Experience leading an HR initiative/program.

Trust and Accountability

• Understands the link between own job responsibilities and overall organizational goals and needs.
• Accepts responsibility for all outcomes of own work.
• Looks beyond the requirements of own job to offer suggestions for improvements of overall organizational operations.
• Takes ownership of job responsibilities, seeks and integrates feedback, and communicates proactively when assistance is needed or issues to expected timelines arise.
• Cooperates and works to gain support and commitment from others when performing tasks.
• Develops trusting relationships with others within and outside of the team through strong communication, collaboration and accountability.
• Demonstrates behaviors that are consistent with standards for professional and ethical conduct.

Operational and Organizational Insights

• Considers organization's capabilities, mission, vision, and strategic goals and objectives in work efforts.
• Knows capabilities, capacities and constraints of the organization.
• Reviews external information and news to learn about political and social issues that might affect the organization.
• Knows both when and how to effectively elevate issues that warrant immediate attention.
• Understands relevant policies and procedures and their integration in work activities.
• Utilizes network to collaborate on issues requiring specific influence or expertise.
• Analyzes data to make sound decisions and explores opportunities to integrate technology into HR processes and services.

Customer Focus

• Works to gain insights into customer needs.
• Balancing the needs of customer expectations and delivering on solutions.
• Establishes and maintains effective customer relationships.
• Reliably resolves customer issues and requests fully and quickly.
• Leverages customer point-of-view when identifying priorities and presenting solutions.
• Sets expectations for delivery and quality with customers.
• Articulates impacts to customers completely and in a timely fashion.

Communication

• Always demonstrates empathetic, attentive listening.
• Asks thought-provoking questions to peers and superiors to clarify and align understanding.
• Regularly checks for understanding.
• Takes action based on understanding.
• Expertly demonstrates understanding of audience by custom-tailoring messaging and style.
• Engages audience effectively.
• Adjusts style and messaging on the fly if necessary.
• Helpful and timely when providing information.

Collaborative Problem Solving

• Effectively and reliably solves problems.
• Consistently delivers high-quality work products on time in the field of service, while effectively solving problems and developing new technical skills for personal and team benefit.
• Demonstrates proficiency in solving problems requiring a developed understanding of disciplines, using judgment to provide solutions of moderate scope and complexity.
• Actively contributes to team goals by providing ideas, participating in team activities, and resolving conflicts positively and constructively.
• Coordinates efforts with stakeholders early and often to ensure awareness, share information, and provide updates until completion.
• Builds effective networks across teams and departments, identifying when to elevate issues to senior professionals.

Courage

• Draws sound, fact-based conclusions, particularly when under pressure or faced with ambiguity.
• Demonstrates ability to influence others when appropriate.
• Anticipates impact to projects and/or work when there is a shift in strategic direction.
• Remains calm and focused, maintaining composure, when things are uncertain.
• Develops scenarios or options in response to uncertain conditions to anticipate possible outcomes.
• Shifts gears when presented with new information, priorities, and/or direction.
• Works to achieve task or project outcomes even when the complete picture or scope is unknown.

Exhibiting Leadership

• Evaluating the organization's readiness for change through surveys, interviews, and assessments.
• Making informed decisions based on data, analysis, and consultation with relevant stakeholders.
• Offering coaching and support to managers and leaders to help them effectively lead their teams through change.
• Providing support and resources to help employees adapt to change and overcome resistance.

Certificates And Licenses Required

SHRM-CP / PHR or specialized certification preferred (e.g., compensation, employee & labor relations, project management).