Senior Director, Talent Strategies & Workforce Planning

Worcester Polytechnic Institute•Worcester, MA

1d•$127,500 - $153,000

About The Position

Reporting to the Vice President of Talent & Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO), the Senior Director, Talent Strategies & Workforce Planning serves as a senior advisor to institutional leaders and leads the Talent Strategy Partner (TSP) team, which includes two Senior TSPs and a Talent Specialist. The team delivers consultative Talent & Inclusion (T&I) solutions to faculty, staff, and union-represented employees across the University. The Senior Director partners with senior leaders to understand unit goals and challenges and align integrated T&I solutions with institutional strategy. The role provides guidance on workforce strategy, organizational design, talent planning, and change management in a complex, unionized higher education environment. In addition to leading the team, the Senior Director manages an assigned portfolio of departments and serves as the escalation point for complex employee and labor relations matters, ensuring consistent application of university policies, collective bargaining agreements, and legal requirements. The role coaches and develops TSPs as strategic consultants and drives continuous improvement in T&I service delivery.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Organizational Development, Business Administration, or a related field.
10 or more years of progressive HR experience, including advanced employee and/or labor relations experience in a highly complex organizational environment.
At least five years of people leadership or team management experience.
Executive-level experience leading resolution strategies for high-risk or sensitive employee and/or labor relations matters and advising senior leaders on organizational risk and conflict navigation.
Demonstrated experience as a strategic HR business partner or HR leader advising senior-level clients.
Strong knowledge of workforce and succession planning, employee relations, performance management, organizational design, labor laws, and collective bargaining agreements, with experience navigating a complex, matrixed, or unionized environment.
Strategic thinking and a proven ability to lead change and align T&I services with organizational goals.
Exceptional communication, critical thinking, conflict resolution, and facilitation skills.
Sound judgment and ability to build relationships with and influence faculty, staff, union representatives, and leaders at all levels.
Ability to handle confidential and sensitive information with discretion.

Nice To Haves

Master's degree in Human Resources, Labor Relations, Public Administration, Business, or a related field.
Higher education or public-sector experience, including familiarity with faculty governance and academic personnel processes.
Experience interpreting and applying collective bargaining agreements and labor relations practices.
Experience with job architecture, workforce analytics, and conducting workplace investigations.
Active SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, or SPHR certification.

Responsibilities

Serve as a senior advisor to assigned deans, department heads, and administrative leaders, aligning T&I solutions with institutional strategy and advising on workforce strategy, organizational design, talent planning, and change management.
Partner with units to develop and implement workforce and succession plans that anticipate current and future talent needs.
Facilitate talent reviews with leadership teams, assess leadership bench strength with Learning & Development, and identify development opportunities.
Analyze workforce, turnover, and talent data to identify trends and barriers to organizational success and recommend solutions to improve organizational effectiveness.
Promote inclusion, accountability, engagement, and continuous improvement across assigned areas.
Lead, coach, and develop two Senior TSPs and a Talent Specialist; set priorities, expectations, and performance goals; and develop TSPs through case consultation and professional development.
Hire, onboard, and evaluate team members.
Provide direction and support to ensure consistent, high-quality TSP service delivery, practices, tools, and standards across the University.
Assign departments and manage workload and coverage for portfolios and strategic initiatives.
Oversee the Talent Specialist's front desk operations, I-9 compliance, and administrative support to the TSP team, ensuring timely, accurate, and compliant processes.
Serve as the primary T&I contact for an assigned portfolio, providing consultative guidance to leaders, managers, faculty, and staff, including in units with union-represented employees.
Develop and execute T&I strategic plans for assigned departments focused on talent acquisition, performance management, culture and engagement, and retention.
Partner with Talent Acquisition on strategic recruitment plans and with Learning & Development on departmental learning needs and leadership, manager, and continuous learning opportunities.
Build working relationships with assigned departments through regular check-ins with leaders, managers, faculty, and staff.
Lead and support the TSP team in employee relations matters, including performance management, corrective action, and workplace concerns; serve as the escalation point for complex or high-risk matters and guide investigations and resolutions.
Advise senior leaders on conflict navigation and institutional response strategies for sensitive or high-risk matters.
Collaborate with divisional and university leadership and the Office of General Counsel to resolve conflicts and provide counseling, mediation, support, and advice.
Advise academic leaders on faculty employment matters in accordance with applicable faculty governance procedures and policies.
Partner with Labor & Talent Programs and union representatives on collective bargaining agreements, formal grievances, and union engagement, ensuring employee relations actions meet contractual obligations.
Ensure consistent interpretation and application of university policies, procedures, collective bargaining agreements, and legal requirements to mitigate organizational risk.
Represent university T&I with external agencies on employee-related activities, including the EEOC, human rights agencies, unemployment agencies, and the Department of Labor.
Lead or advise on organizational assessments, restructurings, and change initiatives aligned with institutional priorities and financial sustainability.
Advise on job architecture, promotions, organizational structure, job redesigns, spans of control, and reporting structures to improve operational effectiveness.
Coordinate with other T&I teams to ensure seamless implementation of programs such as performance management, engagement surveys, and merit increases.
Track trends and program impact and recommend improvements to T&I programs and policies based on stakeholder feedback and institutional needs.
Ensure HRIS information is accurate and approved in a timely manner across the TSP team.
Contribute to T&I leadership planning, goals, and reporting on team outcomes.
Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned or directed by the supervisor.