Human Resources Director

Universities of Wisconsin • Madison, WI

19h • $150,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

The Human Resources Director for the Division of Facilities Planning & Management (FP&M) is a mission driven, strategic leader at the heart of one of campus’s most essential operations. FP&M is the team that builds, maintains, and keeps the UW–Madison campus running 24/7 so that world class teaching, research, and student life can thrive. As HR Director, you will shape and support the incredible workforce behind this mission: more than 1,300 employees across eight departments, all working together to keep campus moving forward. FP&M is the division responsible for planning, building, operating, and sustaining the UW‑Madison campus. Bringing together planning, design, construction, operations, safety, transportation, sustainability, and administrative services, FP&M supports the full life of the campus- from long‑range and capital planning to the daily work that keeps spaces safe, functional, and welcoming. This breadth makes FP&M uniquely complex and people‑focused, with a workforce that includes many different types of roles across the division. The Human Resources Director plays a critical role in supporting this division by partnering with leaders and employees to strengthen workforce planning, labor and employee relations, talent development, and a respectful and supportive workplace culture that enables FP&M’s people to do their best work in service of the university. In this role, you’ll lead HR strategy for a diverse, multi shift, multilingual workforce and collaborate closely with leadership to design thoughtful, forward-looking solutions in recruitment, labor and employee relations, staff development, performance management, compensation, and compliance. You’ll help build a workplace where people feel respected, supported, and engaged, and where inclusion is part of our everyday work. Reporting to the Deputy Chief Facilities Officer for FP&M, the HR Director is a trusted advisor to managers and supervisors and a strong partner to campus HR leadership. You’ll also collaborate with campus partners to ensure shared services are delivered smoothly and effectively to support employees and daily operations. This is a meaningful opportunity for a collaborative, people centered HR leader who wants to make a lasting impact guiding the HR vision for a division that keeps UW–Madison safe, welcoming, and fully operational every single day.

Requirements

• Minimum of 6 years of progressively responsible experience in HR, including at least 3 years in an HR leadership or supervisory role.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills with the ability to adapt communication style to meet different audiences and situational needs.
• Experience in at least 3 of the following technical competencies: - Interpreting human resources–related laws, policies, and procedures, such as the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action (EEO/AA), Title IX, and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
• Workforce relations, including recommending dispute resolution approaches and building strong cross-functional partnerships.
• Proven ability to develop and implement multi‑year strategic workforce plans aligned with organizational goals.
• Recruitment, assessment, and selection of talent.
• Titling and compensation administration.

Nice To Haves

• Experience as a direct supervisor, including performance management, providing mentorship, and fostering a positive team environment.
• Experience leading and advocating for change management initiatives.
• Experience working in higher education, facilities, or manufacturing environment.
• Experience supporting large, complex organizations with diverse roles and job functions.
• Experience working in a multi-shift, multi-lingual environment.
• Experience working with organizations that operate 24/7.
• Experience working with labor relations and/or unionized trades workers

Responsibilities

• Develops resolution strategies regarding HR matters such as workforce performance and competency gaps, organizational structures, and compensation, and develops training plans and mitigation strategies as needed
• Serves as an advisor and liaison to internal and external stakeholders providing organization information and interpretation of human resources policies and procedures and represents the interests of the division
• Develops and monitors the division's HR budget
• Serves as Divisional Representative for all Trades/Union related matters
• Oversees HR activities such as recruitment, pay administration programs, new hire orientations, employee benefits, and health and safety plans through managerial HR staff
• Develops, recommends, and implements policies and procedures to comply with laws, regulations, institutional policies, and divisional objectives
• Exercises supervisory authority, including hiring, transferring, suspending, promoting, managing conduct and performance, discharging, assigning, rewarding, disciplining, and/or approving hours worked of at least 2.0 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees
• Plans, directs, implements, and manages strategic initiatives for multiple human resources functions

Benefits

• generous paid time off
• competitively priced health/dental/vision/life insurance
• tax-advantaged savings accounts
• participation in the nationally recognized Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) pension fund

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed
• Number of Employees: 251-500 employees