Vice President, People and Culture

Dominican University•River Forest, IL

5d•$160,000 - $185,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Vice President of People and Culture (VPPC) is the senior administrator responsible for advancing a people-centered culture aligned with Dominican University’s mission, values, and strategic priorities. The VPPC brings together human resources, justice, equity and inclusion, compliance, risk management, and organizational effectiveness to foster a thriving, relationship-centered culture. The role partners closely with the Chief Operating Officer on strategic priorities and systems enhancements, and with the Vice President of Finance and Administration on institutional budget priorities. The position reports to the President and leads the People and Culture unit, which has six staff members. Direct reports include three Human Resources professionals and the Chief Diversity Officer, who currently oversees Title IX. The VPPC will cultivate belonging, accountability, engagement, and organizational effectiveness for employees, while advancing Dominican’s identity as a Catholic, Hispanic-Serving Institution and its equity and inclusion goals. Priorities for the first two years include evaluating the unit’s organizational structure and streamlining systems, revising faculty and staff handbooks with university leaders and governance representatives, completing an institution-wide compensation analysis with an external consultant, and evaluating potential employee benefits changes with the CFO based on market trends. The position provides strategic leadership for workplace culture, human resource operations, talent management, and total rewards. It oversees recruitment, selection, onboarding, retention, compensation, benefits, workforce planning, employee development, compliance, Title IX, bias reporting, and employee engagement. The VPPC is based on campus in River Forest, Illinois, with one remote workday per week currently permitted when possible. Occasional travel to the Pilsen campus and other meetings is required. The role is full-time, exempt, and 37.5 hours per week, with an annual salary of $160,000–$185,000.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required.
At least 7 years of progressively responsible leadership experience with measurable success in HR management.
Demonstrated experience building an inclusive and welcoming environment and supporting equity work.
Strong, current knowledge of HR best practices, employment laws, compliance, and risk-management frameworks.
Ability to develop and implement comprehensive cultural strategies aligned with the University’s mission and core values.
Highly developed communication and interpersonal skills, diplomacy, and sensitivity.
Demonstrated judgment, discretion, and strict confidentiality.
Proven ability to build positive relationships, collaboration, and trust with diverse institutional stakeholders.
Strategic thinking and demonstrated ability to generate results within a diverse community.
Candidates should have either a master’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Organizational Leadership, or Higher Education Administration, or professional HR certification such as SHRM-SCP or SPHR.

Nice To Haves

Prior leadership experience in higher education or a related industry with similar employment issues.
Professional certifications such as SHRM-SCP or SPHR, and/or training related to Title IX, compliance, or risk-management certification.
Experience leading and making strategic decisions in a shared-governance or similar collaborative decision-making environment.
Experience managing a team of at least three employees.

Responsibilities

Develop strategic goals for the People and Culture unit that support a healthy workplace culture and the university’s mission and priorities.
Establish campus communication channels to reinforce cultural strategies and goals.
Promote collaboration, cooperation, inclusion, equity, accountability, problem-solving, and continuous improvement across the unit and university.
Work through shared governance structures to develop and refine policies, engage faculty and staff, gather input, and improve communication and morale.
Advise institutional leaders on complex human resource issues and guide organizational structure and development.
Develop and evaluate strategies for inclusion, belonging, employee communications, engagement, and relations.
Provide strategic oversight of recruitment, selection, onboarding, retention, compensation, benefits, workforce planning, and employee development.
Lead continuous improvement and data management efforts and ensure efficient, high-quality processes and procedures.
Set and maintain high customer-service standards and timely responses to stakeholder questions and concerns.
Lead and develop the HR team, supporting its expertise, professional growth, and effectiveness.
Collaborate with IT on technology solutions for HR functions, tracking, and compliance.
Oversee employment records and compliance case files, and ensure timely internal and external reporting.
Ensure resources are available to address employee immigration issues and procedures.
Ensure university policies comply with federal, state, and local guidelines.
Systematize onboarding and ongoing orientation to create a welcoming and inclusive employee experience.
Partner with the Provost and Deans on faculty personnel procedures and best practices.
Integrate the institution’s mission and identity into recruitment, interviews, onboarding, evaluation, and employee development.
Partner with managers and supervisors to solve complex human resource and workforce issues.
Foster continuous learning, employee growth, internal advancement, and talent mobility.
Advance an inclusive and supportive workplace to strengthen employee engagement, satisfaction, and retention.
Promote cultural competency, inclusive leadership development, and an anti-racist workforce.
Lead equity goals and campus climate assessment.
Lead Title IX case management, training, policies, and procedures, and ensure compliance with federal guidelines.
Lead the university’s OneProcess bias-reporting system, ensuring reports are handled appropriately and efficiently and patterns are tracked and reviewed.
Design and administer competitive and equitable compensation, benefits, and wellness programs.
Work with the Chief Financial Officer on annual personnel, benefits, and compensation planning within the university budget.
Ensure regular market-trend analysis and external compensation benchmarking.
Establish equitable salary-administration guidelines and processes for salary decisions, offers, and promotions.
Participate in university service work, organizational initiatives, campus events, community outreach, and staff activities that promote collaboration, community building, and inclusion.