Director, Employee Experience

Bucknell University • Winchester, VA

2d • $106,800 - $133,500 • Hybrid

About The Position

Reporting directly to the Interim Vice President for Talent, Culture, and Human Resources, the Director of Employee Experience is a strategic and hands-on leader dedicated to strengthening leadership effectiveness, manager capability, employee relations, and overall organizational health across campus. Balancing high-level strategy with active execution, this role serves as a trusted advisor to leaders, managers, faculty, and staff by moving seamlessly between consultation, organizational strategy, leadership coaching, and direct case management. The Director designs leadership initiatives, personally conducts complex workplace investigations, facilitates conflict resolution, and advises on sensitive performance and workforce challenges—all to cultivate a supportive, high-performing environment built on accountability, fairness, respect, continuous learning, and compassion.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in related field
• Minimum of eight (8) years of related experience
• Four (4) years of supervision/management experience
• Demonstrated experience personally conducting complex workplace investigations
• Experience coaching leaders and managers on employee relations and performance matters
• Experience leading organizational effectiveness, leadership development, or culture initiatives
• Must be authorized to work in the US without a need for current or future visa sponsorship.

Nice To Haves

• SHRM-SCP or SPHR certification
• Association of Workplace Investigators (AWI) certification or equivalent investigation training

Responsibilities

• Align institutional priorities with HR execution by strengthening leadership effectiveness, manager capabilities, and organizational health.
• Leverage workforce, engagement, and performance data to identify trends, resolve organizational challenges, clarify roles, and facilitate difficult conversations.
• Balance long-term strategic initiatives (e.g., change management, strategic planning, culture building) with day-to-day operational demands.
• Conduct impartial, thorough, and confidential investigations into misconduct, harassment, discrimination, and policy violations.
• Coach leaders through performance concerns, workplace conflict, and corrective action.
• Facilitate conflict resolution and restorative conversations.
• Partner with the Vice President, General Counsel, and Deputy Title IX Coordinator on high-risk institutional matters.
• Analyze employee relations data and trends to identify systemic patterns, mitigate organizational risk, and recommend policy enhancements, education, and strategic interventions.
• Drive manager capability, accountability, and organizational performance through direct executive coaching, leadership consultation, and practical resource development.
• Direct leadership development, supervising onboarding, manager education, and succession planning.
• Continuously evaluate and refine leadership programming using institutional outcomes, performance trends, and organizational feedback.
• Lead Bucknell's performance development strategy, driving an equitable, consistent, and growth-focused evaluation process.
• Develop practical tools for continuous feedback, coaching, and accountability in performance management.
• Directly coach managers on setting expectations, documenting performance, delivering feedback, and implementing performance improvement plans or corrective actions.
• Monitor the quality and consistency of performance activities, identify manager capability gaps, and collaborate on targeted interventions.
• Provide strategic leadership and operational oversight for key talent, culture, and engagement initiatives.
• Lead manager and leadership development alongside comprehensive professional development for faculty and staff.
• Ensure seamless new employee orientation and onboarding.
• Direct employee engagement, community engagement programming, employee recognition, and respectful workplace and prevention education.
• Provide direct leadership, coaching, and performance management to foster collaboration across leadership development, learning, employee relations, and community engagement functions.
• Retain accountability for the institution's most complex employee relations matters.
• Support staff professional growth through mentoring, delegation, succession planning, and hands-on participation in daily operational work.
• Partner closely with the Deputy Title IX Coordinator on employee-related prevention education, consultation, and coordinated response efforts.
• Develop, interpret, and apply University policies with up-to-date expertise in employment law and higher education HR practices.
• Recommend proactive policy revisions informed by legal requirements, institutional priorities, and employee relations trends.
• Exercise exceptional judgment and strict confidentiality in sensitive situations.
• Manage institutional risk by collaborating with General Counsel on complex legal issues.
• Partner with the Deputy Title IX Coordinator to ensure employee concerns comply with institutional policy and state and federal laws.

Benefits

• Flexible scheduling options determined by role
• Medical, prescription drug, vision, dental, life, and long-term disability insurance options
• An outstanding 10% employer contribution to your retirement plan
• Generous paid time off, including vacation and sick time, a community service day, and 19 paid holidays (including two full weeks off for Winter Break!)
• Tuition remission for themselves
• Tuition remission for their spouse/spousal equivalent
• Tuition programs for their children
• A comprehensive employee wellness program including program incentives
• Parental leave
• An employee assistance program
• Fitness center membership

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director