Strategic HR Leader: Operations & Talent

Columbia University; New York (NY); On-site; USD 180,000 - 211,000; Full time

Job summary

Columbia University in New York seeks a Senior HR Director to lead the HR function within the VP&S Medicine Pod. This role shapes workforce strategy, oversees onboarding, offboarding, leaves, visas, and ensures compliant HR operations across a complex academic medical environment.

You will partner with clinical, operational, and finance leaders to design people strategies, manage talent acquisition, employee and labor relations, and performance management, with a focus on continuous improvement

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in HR, business, or related field.
• Minimum of seven (7) years of progressive human resources experience.
• Experience in workforce strategy, talent management, employee relations, and HR operations.
• Strong knowledge of employment law, compensation practices, and HR best practices.
• Proven ability to effectively partner with executive leadership.
• Strong analytical, communication, and organizational skills.
• Experience in a healthcare, academic medical center, or corporate environment preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide senior‑level leadership across the full spectrum of human resources and faculty affairs functions within the Medicine Pod.
• Ensure workforce strategies, HR operations, and people initiatives align with VP&S goals and institutional priorities.
• Partner with clinical, operational, and finance leadership to assess workforce implications of business initiatives and design people strategies that support organizational effectiveness.
• Lead and oversee comprehensive HR services aligned with VP&S Human Resources strategy, including: Talent acquisition and onboarding; Employee and labor relations; Performance management; Compensation administration; Professional development and engagement; Faculty affairs processes.
• Maintain HR reporting and workforce analytics, including turnover analysis, workforce trends, and HR pod operational metrics.
• Supervise and develop HR staff, including HR Directors, Associate Directors, Senior HR Managers and HR Generalists.

Skills

HR leadership

Change management

Workforce analytics

Stakeholder collaboration

Policy compliance

Education

Bachelor’s degree in HR/related field

Master’s degree preferred

Tools

Visual Vault

PeopleSoft

Excel

Job description

Columbia University in New York seeks a Senior HR Director to lead the HR function within the VP&S Medicine Pod. This role shapes workforce strategy, oversees onboarding, offboarding, leaves, visas, and ensures compliant HR operations across a complex academic medical environment.

You will partner with clinical, operational, and finance leaders to design people strategies, manage talent acquisition, employee and labor relations, and performance management, with a focus on continuous improvement