"Associate Vice President for People and Culture"

Job Details

Position Purpose:

Aurora University (AU) invites nominations and applications for the position of Associate Vice President for People and Culture (AVPPC). Located in Aurora, Illinois, AU is a four-year, private, nonprofit higher education institution offering baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral degrees to nearly 4,000 undergraduate and 1,800 graduate students. AU is home to approximately 425 full-time faculty and staff and another 1,000 part-time faculty and student workers. The new AVPPC is expected to take office in Fall 2025. Please review the position profile for more information.

Essential Job Functions:

Reporting to the Senior Vice President for Business and Finance, the AVPPC serves as the Chief Human Resources officer for Aurora University with responsibility for university-wide strategic, people-centered human resources leadership. As a strategic partner to the leadership team, the incumbent will spearhead the university’s evolution toward becoming an employer of choice, and this role represents a pivotal position in advancing President Rivera-Mills’ vision of transforming AU into an institution renowned for its exceptional treatment of faculty and staff. Leading a team of four individuals, the AVPPC will provide direction and thought leadership across the university on matters involving recruitment and retention, comprehensive onboarding experiences, leadership development and succession planning, employee relations, total rewards, performance management, and human resource technology and data.

AU seeks a visionary leader who understands that effective people and culture work transcends traditional HR functions. The AVPPC’s foremost responsibility is to ensure delivery of timely, effective, responsive, and customer-focused HR services, and the AVPPC will play a key role in providing strategic leadership and transformational vision for leading the human resources team as a high-functioning office of people and culture. Central to this role will be the implementation of AU’s strategic plan’s “Engage and Value” pillar, which provides a clear framework for the AVPPC’s work in establishing AU as an employer of choice through comprehensive management strategies, policy improvements that support shared governance, and the creation of an inclusive learning and working community where all members thrive. The successful candidate will be a proven administrator who brings strong leadership capability and a steady focus on delivering excellence in people and culture services that aligns with AU’s strategic goals and commitment to making the institution an employer of choice.

Essential Job Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in human resource management, business administration, employment law, organizational leadership, or a closely related field is required
• Five or more years of progressive HR leadership experience with strong preference for experience in the higher education sector or nonprofit organization.
• Prior experience in an HR leadership role such as director, vice president, or assistant/associate director is essential.
• A master’s degree in a related field is preferred, along with SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP), SHRM Certified Professional (SHRM-CP), or Senior Professional in HR (SPHR) certification

Skills:

The search for Aurora University’s next Associate Vice President for People and Culture is being assisted by Maya Ranchod Kirkhope at Academic Search. Applications, nominations, and expressions of interest can be submitted in confidence to AuroraAVPPC@academicsearch.org.

Applications should consist of a detailed letter of interest that describes the candidate’s alignment with President Rivera-Mills’ vision for transforming Aurora University into an employer of choice, along with specific examples of how the candidate has successfully invested in employee growth and development in previous roles. A current curriculum vitae should accompany the letter, with both documents sent as separate PDFs.

The Search Committee will begin reviewing applications on a rolling basis and will continue to review applications as they are received until the position is filled.

The anticipated pay rate for this position is $135,000 - $175,000 per year. This compensation is subject to change at the sole discretion of the university, based on institutional needs.