Description

TITLE: Vice President, People and Culture
STATUS: Full-time, exempt
REPORTS TO: President
 
PRIMARY PURPOSE & POSITION SUMMARY

Reporting to the President, the Vice President of People and Culture (VPPC) will serve as the senior administrator responsible for advancing a people-centered culture aligned with the University's mission, values, and strategic priorities.  The VPPC embodies experience with the critical synergies among human resources, justice, equity, and inclusion, compliance, risk management, and organizational effectiveness essential for fostering a thriving people and relationship-centered culture.  In addition, the VPPC will partner closely with the Chief Operating Officer on progress toward strategic priorities and systems enhancements, and with the Vice President of Finance and Administration on institutional budget priorities.

As the VPPC at Dominican, this position will be instrumental in cultivating a culture of belonging, accountability, engagement, and organizational effectiveness for our employees. The successful candidate will be critical in advancing our culture as a Catholic, Hispanic-Serving Institution and continuing to drive progress on our equity and inclusion goals outlined in our strategic plan. Priorities in the first two years include:  1)  evaluate the organizational structure for the unit and identify systems that can be streamlined to increase efficiency;  2) revise our faculty and staff handbooks in partnership with the Provost, COO, and other senior leaders and governance representatives; 3) work with an external consultant to complete a compensation analysis across the institution; and 4) in partnership with the CFO, evaluate potential changes to our employee benefits packages based on market trends.
 
The People and Culture unit currently has six staff members. The current direct reports of the VPPC include three Human Resources professionals and the Chief Diversity Officer (who currently oversees Title IX).

About Dominican University
Dominican University is a Catholic, comprehensive teaching university located in River Forest, a suburb of Chicago, with an additional campus in the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago. Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, Dominican University offers associate, baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral degrees. It is highly regarded for its academic rigor, thoughtful accompaniment of students, intentional affordability, and values-based, relationship-centered learning environment.

Dominican currently enrolls over 3,800 students, including 2,690 undergraduates and 1,114 graduate students. Sixty-eight percent (68%) of undergraduate students identify as Latinx, 5% as Black or African American, and 3% as Asian. Underrepresented minority students comprise 77% of undergraduate enrollment and 38% of graduate enrollment. Over 90 percent of undergraduates receive some form of financial aid. Nearly half of all undergraduates are first-generation college students; over half are federal Pell Grant recipients, reflecting their families’ income levels; and 58% are eligible for low-income MAP grants from the State of Illinois.
 
Recognized since 2011 as a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) by the U.S. Department of Education, Dominican is committed to expanding and enhancing educational opportunities for Latinx students and all students from historically underrepresented groups. For more information, visit www.dom.edu.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES
 
Strategic Leadership

Develop visionary, strategic goals for the unit to support the ongoing development of a climate and culture agenda that supports Dominican employees and advances the institution's mission and strategic priorities. This will include:

• Establish robust campus communication channels to reinforce and sustain cultural strategies and goals.
• Create an environment focused on collaboration and cooperation both within the unit and with university-wide partners to champion policies, initiatives, and an inclusive and equitable work environment.
• Work collaboratively through appropriate shared governance committees and structures to develop and refine related policies. Work closely with staff and faculty leadership to foster engagement, seek input on university policies that may impact employees, and improve communication and morale.
• Support institutional leaders regarding complex human resource issues and guide organizational structure and development throughout the organization.
• Develop and continuously evaluate institutional strategies aimed at maintaining a healthy workplace culture, including inclusion and belonging, through employee communications, engagement, and relations.
• Foster a university culture that stresses accountability, collaboration, problem-solving, and continuous improvement at all levels of the University to create a shared responsibility for a healthy work environment.
• Build a culture that embraces change to help university leaders address the needs of a complex and changing workforce.

Human Resource Operations and Talent Management, and Culture
Provide strategic oversight of competitive recruitment, selection, onboarding, retention, compensation, benefits, workforce planning, and employee development processes. This will include:

• Lead continuous improvement efforts within the units and data management.
• Ensure operational excellence and efficiencies are reflected in the University’s processes and procedures.
• Set a cultural expectation that all questions and concerns expressed by internal and external stakeholders are met with top standards in customer service and at a minimum, a timely response.
• Provide strong and empowering leadership within the HR vertical, maximizing the potential, expertise, and professional growth of the team members.
• Work collaboratively with the IT team on implementation of advanced technology solutions that will support the full HR suite of functions, including tracking and compliance functions to enhance overall institutional effectiveness.
• Provide team oversight of data management of all employment records and compliance case files and ensure the timely completion of internal and external reporting requirements.
• Ensure strategies and resources are available to meet current employee needs related to complex immigration issues and procedures
• Confirm that all policies are compliant with federal, state, and local guidelines.
• Systematize onboarding and ongoing orientation processes to cultivate a welcoming and inclusive work environment for all employees.
• Partner with the Provost and Deans to align faculty personnel-related procedures with organizational best policies and practices.
• Integrate the mission and identity of the institution into recruitment and interview processes, onboarding strategies, and ongoing employee evaluation and development.
• Analyze problems and partner with managers and supervisors to develop creative solutions to address complex human resource and workforce issues.
• Foster an institutional culture of continuous learning; emphasizing growth, development, internal advancement, and talent mobility opportunities.
• Provide leadership for the ongoing institutional work to foster an inclusive and supportive work environment, enhancing employee engagement, satisfaction, and retention.
• Promote cultural competency, inclusive leadership development, and an anti-racist workforce to support the needs and aspirations of our students.
• Provide leadership for equity goals and campus climate assessment.
• Provide leadership for Title IX, including effective case management, training, policies and procedures, and ensure compliance with federal guidelines.
• Provide leadership for the university system for bias reporting (OneProcess), and ensure reports are handled appropriately and efficiently, and that tracking of patterns is reviewed.
• Direct the design and administration of a competitive and equitable total rewards program encompassing compensation, benefits, and wellness.
• Work closely with the Chief Financial Officer to balance and prioritize personnel changes, benefits, and compensation planning yearly within the overall university budget.
• Ensure regular market trends analysis and external compensation benchmarking are regularly completed to remain competitive in attracting and retaining talent.
• Ensure equitable salary administration guidelines and operational processes for salary-related decisions regarding offers and promotions are in place.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS
- Ability to spend long durations of the workday sitting at a desk and working on a computer
- Must be able to lift up to 15 pounds at times
 
Note: Accommodation will be made for candidates who do not meet these physical demands

SALARY AND FLSA STATUS
- Salary: $160,000 – $185,000 annually
- FLSA Status: Exempt, Full-time (37.5 hours)
 
This position is based in River Forest, IL, and requires an in-person presence on campus.  University policies currently allow one remote workday per week when possible.  Occasional travel to our Pilsen Campus in Chicago and to other meetings will be required.

BENEFITS
- Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance
- Retirement plan with employer matching contributions (currently 8%)
- Professional development opportunities
- Tuition remission for employees and their dependents
- Flexible spending accounts (FSA)
- Generous paid time off (PTO)

Employment at Dominican University is contingent upon the successful completion of a background investigation and references.
 
Expectations for all Dominican Employees:
To support the University's mission of preparing students to pursue truth, give compassionate service, and participate in the creation of a more just and humane world, engage in university service work that promotes collaboration and community building. This includes participating in organizational initiatives, supporting campus events, contributing to community outreach, and fostering a diverse and inclusive environment through involvement in various staff-driven activities and groups.

Institutional Statement
Dominican University is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive academic community. We encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds. Upon request, reasonable accommodations in the application process will be provided to individuals with disabilities.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
Dominican University is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from women, minorities, individuals with disabilities, protected veterans, and candidates from diverse backgrounds. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

If you need accommodations due to a disability, you may contact us at opc@dom.edu for assistance.

Requirements

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor’s degree required.  Candidates should have either a Master’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Organizational Leadership, Higher Education Administration, or Professional HR certifications (e.g., SHRM-SCP, SPHR)
- 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 and employment laws, compliance, and risk management frameworks.
- Ability to develop and implement comprehensive cultural strategies to make sure suggested organizational change is complementary to the University’s mission and core values.
- Highly developed communication and interpersonal skills, diplomacy, sensitivity, and the proven ability to exercise judgment, discretion, and strict confidentiality.
- Proven ability to build positive relationships, collaboration, and trust with diverse institutional stakeholders.
- Strategic thinker with demonstrated experience in generating results within a diverse community.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
-Prior leadership experience in higher education or related industry with similar employment issues. 
-Professional certifications (e.g., SHRM-SCP, 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 model) environment.
-Experience managing a team of no less than three employees