Senior Director, Human Resources & People Strategy

At CSUN we aspire to continually grow as an inclusive, cooperative community! 

CSUN strives to be a destination workplace, where everyone understands that they belong to a community that is vital in advancing student success and providing exemplary service to all stakeholders. We foster an environment of success, both for our students and our employees. We have a relentless passion for celebrating diversity, equity, and inclusion as well as being an employer of choice. You will also have the opportunity to realize your own personal goals and be recognized for the work you do and enjoy the unique value the CSUN community can offer. As a leader you will have the opportunity to thrive in a community in which our leaders share common traits as identified in our Leadership Principles https://www.csun.edu/leadership-principles. If this sounds like you, you've come to the right place.

 

Responsibilities

The Senior Director, Human Resources & People Strategy serves as a strategic leader within Human Resources and a trusted advisor to the Associate Vice President (AVP) of Human Resources and university leadership. Reporting to the AVP of Human Resources, this role provides vision, strategy, and oversight for Employee Relations, Employee Development and Communications, and Benefits Administration and Workers’ Compensation. The Director partners with campus leadership to foster a positive, respectful, and high-performing workplace culture while ensuring fair and consistent employment practices, proactive conflict resolution, strong labor-management relationships, and programs that enhance employee engagement and organizational effectiveness.

 

As the most senior HR administrator reporting to the AVP, the Senior Director serves as the senior HR leader for the institution in the AVP's absence and strategic counsel on the full scope of HR operations. The Director exercises independent judgment on complex strategic and operational matters, leads cross-functional HR initiatives, and represents Human Resources at senior leadership tables. Beyond direct portfolio responsibilities, the Senior Director assists in oversight of divisional operations as directed and needed by the AVP, providing strategic guidance and operational leadership across all HR functions. This role requires both the breadth of knowledge and institutional presence to lead comprehensively across human resources and the depth of expertise to drive excellence in employee relations, development, and engagement.

 

In addition, the Senior Director supports the overall leadership and operational management of Human Resources, assuming responsibility for running Human Resources operations and serving in the capacity of the AVP’s designee, as needed. This includes providing executive-level guidance, ensuring continuity of HR services, and representing the division in strategic and operational matters in the AVP’s absence.

 

The Director plays a critical role in positioning CSUN as an employer of choice by strengthening the employee experience across the full employment lifecycle.

Strategic Leadership & Organizational Partnership

• Serve as a strategic partner to the AVP across the spectrum of HR operations, including organizational strategy, workforce planning, and institutional priorities.
• Function as the senior HR leader for the university in the AVP's absence, as needed, exercising full authority and decision-making responsibility for HR operations.
• Assist in oversight of divisional operations as directed and needed by the AVP, including strategic guidance on resource allocation, operational priorities, and service delivery standards across all HR functions.
• Lead cross-functional HR strategy, integrating employee relations, talent management, benefits, and employee experience initiatives into a cohesive operational framework.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to senior leadership, deans, and managers on complex employee relations matters, organizational effectiveness, workforce planning, and change initiatives.
• Provide senior-level guidance on risk mitigation, workplace culture, and policy implementation
• Develop and implement forward-looking employee relations strategies aligned with the University’s mission and values.
• Provide senior-level guidance on risk mitigation, workplace culture, and policy implementation.
• Monitor workforce trends, climate indicators, and grievance data to identify systemic issues and recommend improvements.
• Lead initiatives that enhance employee engagement, accountability, and inclusion across the institution.
• Represent Human Resources in senior leadership forums, university committees, and strategic planning processes