Senior Director, People & Culture

Job location is at 10240 Science Center Drive, San Diego, CA 92121 

The Senior Director, People & Culture serves as a strategic leader and trusted advisor to the Vice President, Office of People & Culture, faculty, executive leadership, and managers across the Institute. The position provides leadership for employee relations, compensation, organizational effectiveness, performance management, immigration services, learning and development, compliance, and People Operations while helping advance a culture of collaboration, accountability, innovation, and inclusion that supports Salk's mission.

This position partners closely with Institute leadership to develop workforce strategies, strengthen organizational capability, improve employee engagement, support organizational change, and ensure People & Culture programs align with institutional priorities and long-term strategic objectives.

In conjunction with the OPC team, administers Institute policies, programs and practices, including planning, organizing, developing, and implementing programs.  Designs new approaches, policies and procedures to effect continual improvements in the efficiency of the OPC function.  Ensures policies, programs and processes are compliant with all applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations.  Oversees OPC budget and is responsible for OPC audit and reporting requirements under the employment umbrella.  Provides management support to faculty and managers as needed. 

What You'll Do

• Lead and oversee OPC functions including employee relations, immigration services, performance management, compensation, learning and development, OPC operations, and compliance.
• Identifies legal requirements and government reporting regulations affecting OPC functions (e.g., EEOC, DOL, IRS, Wage & Hour). Manages and minimizes Institute exposure to lawsuits.  Directs the preparation of information requested or required for compliance.
• Protects interests of employees and the Institute in accordance with policies and governmental laws and regulations. Works closely with managers, providing training on OPC policies, practices and forms and ensures consistency of application to applicable policies.  Builds rapport with and maintains good working relationship with faculty, management and staff. 
• Play a lead role in our total rewards strategy related to compensation philosophy, salary administration, market benchmarking, and pay equity.
• Champion HR technology modernization, AI-enabled workflows, automation, HRIS optimization, and people analytics. Reviews and evaluates work products, methods and procedures. Participates in the evaluation, development, and implementation of procedures and practices to ensure efficient team operations.
• Supervises hires, trains, and evaluates assigned staff. Works actively with employees to correct deficiencies and recommends and implements corrective action and discipline.  Independently evaluates performance of staff, ensuring work performance is consistent with department and Institute expectations.
• In partnership with the CSO office, ensures transparent and active relationships with the laboratory Research Administrative Assistants and Lab Admin Managers.
• Provide guidance on complex employee relations matters, investigations, performance management, conflict resolution, and risk mitigation. Escalates issues to VP, Office of People & Culture as needed.
• Develop and oversee the Office of People & Culture operating budget and operational excellence initiatives.
• Act as the Responsible Officer for the J-1 SEVIS program and E-Verify program. Represents OPC on administrative management and emergency preparedness teams.
• Perform other related duties as assigned by VP, Office of People & Culture.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• Directly supervises Associate Director, People & Culture, Sr. People & Culture Partners, Manager, Learning & Development, and Immigration Advisor.
• Indirectly supervises OPC personnel through subordinate managers.
• Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization's policies and applicable laws.

Who We Are

The Salk Institute is an internationally renowned research institution that values all members of our scientific community. We seek bold and interactive leaders passionate about exploring new frontiers in science. Our collaborative community embraces perspectives across discipline, professional acumen, and unique life experiences, fostering innovation, and a sense of belonging. Together, we strive to improve the wellbeing of humanity th