Assistant Vice President for Human Resources

About the role

The Assistant Vice President for Human Resources (“AVP”) will provide strategic leadership for the College’s talent management, learning and development, and employee relations functions. Reporting to and serving as a key strategic partner to the Vice President for Human Resources (“VP”), the AVP will help shape a cohesive human resources strategy that supports the College's mission, strategic plan, academic excellence, and the evolving needs of its workforce.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for talent management, talent alignment, and professional development.
  • Lead the College’s talent management strategy, overseeing staff hiring processes and, as appropriate, participating in or leading search committees for senior-level positions while supervising the Assistant Director of Talent Management.
  • Develop and implement a forward-looking talent strategy that proactively builds diverse and high-caliber talent pipelines.
  • Monitor and, in collaboration with the VP, respond as appropriate to trends in higher education and the liberal arts sector, including the growing impact of artificial intelligence on workforce practices.
  • Collaborate closely with the Compensation Director on career progression and other initiatives that align talent management and compensation strategies.
• Strengthen employee recognition, employee relations practices, and mitigate institutional risk.
  • Design and oversee employee recognition programs that reinforce institutional values and contributions, ensure recognition practices are equitable and meaningful, and continually assess and enhance the employee experience to support the attraction, development, engagement, and retention of talented staff.
  • Provide leadership for the College’s employee relations function, establishing standards and governance for conflict mediation, corrective action, and workplace conduct, while conducting investigations as needed and facilitating the resolution of interpersonal conflicts to support a collaborative and respectful campus environment.
  • Supervise the Manager of Employee Relations, providing guidance on complex employee relations and risk management matters; ensure the consistent interpretation and application of College policy and sound HR judgment; identify trends, institutional risks, and recurring concerns; and recommend strategies to strengthen consistency, decision-making, and risk mitigation.
  • Promote a safe and equitable campus environment, including serving as a Deputy Title IX Coordinator with responsibility for supporting fair processes and institutional compliance.
  • Partner with the Manager of Leaves and Wellness on complex FMLA and ADA matters that require senior HR judgment and collaborate closely with the Office of General Counsel and the Office for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion to ensure compliance while delivering practical and effective solutions for employees.
• Advance learning, leadership development, and performance management.
  • Provide leadership for the College’s learning, development, and performance management strategies by supervising the Manager of Learning and Development and ensuring the design and delivery of staff programs that support leadership development and professional growth.
  • Oversee onboarding initiatives that help new colleagues feel welcomed and connected to the College’s history and values, direct modern performance management practices that foster professional growth, meaningful feedback, and proactive succession planning, and guide the enhancement and creation of professional development offerings that maximize the capabilities and benefits of Workday Learning once implemented.
• Execute HR technology transformation, workforce innovation, and Workday optimization.
  • Serve as the strategic process owner for the Workday Talent, Onboarding, Learning, and Performance modules, as well as other Workday functions that support their areas of responsibility.
  • Work closely with colleagues across the HR leadership team, playing a central role in the continued development, implementation, and optimization of Workday while leveraging data, analytics, and practical technology solutions to strengthen decision-making and operational effectiveness.
  • Help the College navigate the evolving impact of artificial intelligence on the workforce, identifying opportunities to improve processes, enhance service delivery, and adapt talent strategies while maintaining the relationship-centered approach essential to Swarthmore’s collaborative and highly engaged campus culture.

Qualifications and characteristics

• Bachelor’s degree in human resources, business administration, or a related field; advanced degree preferred.
• Eight or more years of progressively responsible human resources leadership experience with a focus on talent management, learning and development, employee relations, or related areas.
• Demonstrated success leading talent acquisition, talent alignment, employee relations, and learning and development initiatives.
• Comprehensive knowledge of employment laws, regulations, and human resources best practices.
• Experience conducting employee relations investigations and addressing complex workplace issues with sound judgment and discretion.
• Demonstrated ability to build trust and credibility across diverse constituencies through a consultative and collaborative leadership style.
• Experience leveraging data, analytics, and technology to improve human resources programs, decision-making, and institutional effectiveness.
• Experience leading and developing high-performing teams.
• Demonstrated skill in change management and institutional transformation initiatives.
• Exceptional communication, relationship-building, and problem-solving skills.
• Unquestioned integrity, professionalism, discretion, and commitment to fostering an inclusive workplace culture.