Senior Director, Human Resources

Senior Director, Human Resources

Location: New York City (In-Person Role)

Reports to: Chief Operating Officer & Corporate Secretary (COO), in close collaboration with the Chief Financial Officer (CFO)  

Manages a team of 8-10 HR professionals, including 2-3 direct reports.

 

Position Summary

The Senior Director of Human Resources is responsible for advancing the strategic and operational HR goals of the school. This individual will oversee a complex and dynamic workforce—including faculty, union and nonunion staff, part-time and seasonal employees—with care, sensitivity, and strategic foresight. Reporting to the COO, the Senior Director serves as a compliance-focused steward, a values-based leader, and a trusted partner to staff and faculty across the institution.
 
The Senior Director will help lead the school through a transformational shift—building on existing HR foundations to create a future-ready human resources function serving faculty and staff alike. This role collaborates closely with Payroll and Finance functions of the school, as well as peer leaders including the AVP for Community and Culture and the Director of the Office of Non-Discrimination and Title IX. It also works closely with the Provost’s Office, Legal, Technology, Facilities, and other departments. 

 

Working at Juilliard

Founded in 1905, The Juilliard School is a world leader in performing arts education. The school’s mission is to provide the highest caliber of artistic education for gifted musicians, dancers, and actors from around the world so that they may achieve their fullest potential as artists, leaders, and global citizens.

Excellence and professionalism are important guides in how we go about our work, but we also connect to the mission as individuals in the workplace. We thrive because of our variety of backgrounds and our ability to be open and honest, and we also thrive because we enjoy each other’s company. We believe that each employee has the responsibility to help shape the Juilliard organizational culture, and we provide opportunities to participate in team-building throughout the year. Our organizational values focus on excellence, creative enterprise, and equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging.

We encourage you to read more about how we achieve our mission on our website, juilliard.edu.

 

Key Responsibilities and Early Priorities Strategic HR Leadership

• Lead the development and execution of a multi-year strategic HR roadmap aligned with institutional priorities.
• Serve as a strategic advisor to the COO and senior leadership, providing guidance on sensitive and complex personnel matters, workforce planning, and HR implications of key initiatives.
• Continue to develop a high-functioning, forward-looking HR team committed to excellence, innovation, and efficiency, all in the service of the school’s overarching mission and core values.

Policy, Compliance & Infrastructure

• Establish and implement a comprehensive policy and procedure framework that includes the consolidation of existing policies into a unified Employee Handbook.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws, wage and benefits requirements, union agreements, and internal guidelines.
• Standardize and update job descriptions to enable position banding and informed compensation decisions.

Employee Engagement & Organizational Culture

• Foster a positive, inclusive, knowledgeable workforce
• Promote trust and transparency by facilitating regular feedback loops and proactive communication channels.
• Partner with Community & Culture, and Title VI & Title IX leaders to support a cohesive People & Culture ecosystem.

Compensation & Benefits

• Oversee total rewards strategy, including compensation structures, health and wellness benefits, and recognition programs.
• Lead data-informed compensation analyses to ensure internal equity and external competitiveness.
• Collaborate with Finance and other departments on budgeting and workforce planning, with the school’s strategic priorities in mind.
• Participate with Finance in management of health insurance and 403b retirement plan, including sitting on retirement investment committee. 
• Ensure good communication about benefits to ensure employees are aware and fully participate 

Learning, Development & Change Management

• Lead strategic initiatives to promote leadership development, continuous learning, and skill-building.
• Establish learning needs assessments and evaluation metrics