"Associate Director of Human Resources"

Position Summary

The Associate Director of Human Resources, working closely with the Senior Executive Director and the Associate Director of Human Resources, serves as a critical member of the leadership team of the Office of Human Resources at the Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) and engages in unit-wide oversight and initiatives. The incumbent develops, manages, and enforces HR policies and processes with specific reference to the School’s instructional and research faculty populations and manages related compensation.  The Associate Director plays a central role in data management and analysis to inform leadership decision-making. The incumbent ensures compliance with federal, state, local, and University rules and regulations by staying abreast of HR regulations, policies, and laws. The position reports to the Senior Executive Director of HR and Finance.

Responsibilities

Human Resources

• Serves as a member of the HR leadership team and as a critical resource for general HR, benefits and payroll policies and procedures for the School’s employees.
• Provides guidance on the provisions of relevant CBAs.
• Maintains and expands knowledge and understanding of existing and proposed laws and Columbia University policies affecting human resource management.
• Works closely with the Senior Executive Director to identify trends that affect organizational objectives and/or operational resources.
• Interprets policies and advises management, employees and retirees accordingly.
• Manages the School’s instructional and research faculty appointment process.
• Responsible for establishing and modifying faculty onboarding protocols, including faculty orientations covering hiring, training, leave guidelines and requirements, visa and employment eligibility guidelines and requirements, payroll and related administrative matters.
• Directs the Assistant Director on aspects of this process, developing new content and making style modifications to reflect the School’s branding initiatives.
• Serves as the unit’s principal liaison with CUIT on the use of DocuSign functionality in this effort.
• Supervises an Assistant Director of Human Resources in the management of SIPA's student officer appointments; has oversight on the submission of paperwork; directs staff in appointment/salary protocols; researches and resolves higher-level and sensitive salary/appointment issues.
• Interfaces regularly with the Provost’s Office and advises the Office of Academic Affairs on pending appointments or those requiring special clearances.
• The Associate Director assists in data management and analysis to inform leadership decision-making.

Finance

• Works closely with the Senior Executive Director and key personnel in the Controllers and Human Resources offices to address all payroll suspense-related issues; duties include identifying incorrect salary disbursements against annual salary budgets, researching and correcting errors, routing related issues to the Finance team for resolution as appropriate.
• Manages SIPA’s $2.7M annual additional compensation operation for faculty payments, including SIPA’s Tenured Faculty Research Program and faculty housing program, and payments related to the Picker Center’s executive training programs.
• Advises faculty and the Faculty Affairs Office on policies and procedures governing faculty eligibility for compensation.
• Oversees the online additional compensation requesting mechanism and trains users on the same.
• Has 1st approver role in vetting electronic salary transactions in ARC, including cost transfers, salary distributions, and additional compensation.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and four years of full-time related professional experience required.
• Thorough familiarity with Microsoft Office and Excel in particular is essential.
• Excellent organizational, verbal/written communications, and interpersonal skills.
• Customer service-oriented, a team player, and a self-starter.
• Must have thorough familiarity with all aspects of HR administration.
• Must have significant prior experience in financial management and data analytics.
• Prior experience in supervising administrative staff is essential.

Preferred Qualifications

• 6+ years of directly related professional experience in academic or non-profit settings is highly preferred.
• A Master's degree in a related field, such as higher education administration or human resources administration preferred.
• Familiarity with Columbia University's personnel, payroll, and accounting systems, or similar systems, is a plus.