Director, People & Performance

About the role

The Director, People & Performance will partner with the Associate Vice President of Human Resources and the HR team to advance the school’s Human Resources function. This role leads the People & Performance pillar—encompassing HR Operations, Employee Relations (ER), Talent Acquisition, Engagement, and Learning & Development—to cultivate strong people acquisition and development, a positive and safe workplace, and a consistent, high-quality employee experience.

Responsibilities

• Employee Relations & HR Partnering
• Develop strong, trusted relationships with colleagues across the entire school.
• Meet regularly with managers to proactively address employee-related issues, identify trends, and develop solutions.
• Provide nuanced employee relations guidance tailored to the distinct cultural and policy environments of both administrative staff and academic faculty constituents.
• Advise, counsel, and coach managers on complex employee relations and performance management issues.
• Partner with leadership to develop performance improvement plans (PIPs) and manage the involuntary exit process compassionately and compliantly when necessary.
• Analyze data from multiple sources (HCM-Oracle, employee surveys, exit interviews, etc.) to develop and implement continuous improvement in HR operations and measure the effectiveness of training programs to improve future learning initiatives.
• Share feedback constructively with managers and use data-driven insights to improve the work environment for current and future staff.
• Establish and maintain modern ER standards, investigation protocols, and process-time targets.
• Utilize case management software for security and confidentiality of ER related information.
• Serve on the policy committee as requested by the AVP.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
• Coordinate closely with Legal, Community and Culture, and Non-Discrimination & Title IX departments to ensure a unified intake process and resolution of employee issues.
• Labor Relations Disciplinary & Grievance Procedures
• Responsible for investigations, grievance processing for union employees, disciplinary actions, and separations.
• Labor & CBA Interpretation
• Assist with Labor Relations as needed, working closely with organized staff and management on all labor-management and health and safety issues.
• In coordination with the AVP, interpret and advise managers and union employees on collective bargaining agreement contracts.
• Strategic Talent Acquisition
• Partner with school constituents and the People Operations & Engagement Manager to develop innovative recruitment strategies that meet institutional talent needs and ensure equitable sourcing methods and search committee protocols.
• Enhance employer branding and market open positions creatively to extend sourcing efforts beyond traditional channels.
• Performance Management & Learning & Development
• Coordinate the comprehensive performance management system and utilize data to inform professional learning and development strategy.
• Partner with the AVP and People Operations & Engagement Manager to provide a comprehensive learning and development strategy that supports employee growth, skill enhancement, and leadership development at all levels.
• Support the AVP in building 'learning-enabled' change management plans and communication toolkits to help managers and staff navigate institutional transformations and minimize operational friction.
• Policies & Procedures
• Ensure widespread institutional adoption and understanding of HR policies, job description standards, and performance management practices.
• Team Leadership & Service Excellence
• Support and supervise the HR Partner, People Operations & Engagement Manager, People Operations Coordinator, and the People Operations Assistant by fostering a team culture of collegiality, professionalism, and customer forward philosophy in HR operations.
• Own and optimize the HR service commitment including standards of service, HR office hours and the team's institutional visibility cadence.
• Engage in employee engagement programs and events.
• HRIS Management
• Partner with the Associate Director, Total Rewards to ensure all employee information in the HRIS system related to new hires, employment status, and the onboarding/offboarding of employees is accurate.
• Project Management, Compliance & Risk Management
• Proactively identify problems, developing options and recommendations to drive critical decisions.
• Review the mitigation of risks, resolution of issues, and management of resources to successfully meet project goals and deliverables.
• Financial Analysis
• Work closely with the AVP of HR and People Operations & Engagement Manager on annual budgets, conducting cost analysis, and estimating expected costs for initiatives.

Qualifications

• A minimum of 7–10+ years of progressive HR experience with a strong background in Employee Relations, HR partnering, and full-cycle talent acquisition.
• Comprehensive knowledge of the end-to-end employee lifecycle, including workforce planning, onboarding, performance management, retention strategies, and offboarding.
• Advanced expertise in managing complex employee relations cases, conducting thorough, objective workplace investigations, and guiding disciplinary and grievance procedures.
• Strong foundational knowledge of federal, state, and local employment laws, regulations, and institutional reporting requirements.
• Ability to advise managers on union contract compliance and maintain productive labor-management relationships.
• General familiarity with benefit programs and leave administration (such as FMLA, NYS/NYC Leave Laws) to advise employees as needed and coordinate effectively with benefits, total rewards, and legal partners.

Skills & Attributes

• Detail-oriented, with excellent communication, listening, interpersonal, and organizational skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook).
• Maintain the highest degree of confidentiality and diplomacy at all times, having a high level of professionalism, flexibility, and a customer-service-driven mindset.
• Demonstrated ability to prioritize multiple assignments and responsibilities.
• Sound judgment, with an open and collaborative style that encourages teamwork and cooperation; serves as a strong role model and coach.
• Demonstrated ability to work with a wide range of constituencies (staff and faculty) with diplomacy and tact.
• Understanding of and commitment to the strategic mission of The Juilliard School.

Benefits

The annual salary range for this role is $165,000-$180,000. Additional benefits include:

• Exclusive access to world-class performances
• One of NYC’s premier cultural hubs
• Generous time-off policy
• Tuition remission for Juilliard Extension classes
• A high-performing, mission-driven environment
• A workplace grounded in respect and connection

Pay

The annual salary range for this role is $165,000-$180,000.

Schedule

On-site, New York, NY; One remote day/week