Job Description

The Associate Vice President (AVP) of Human Resources serves as both a Human Resources strategic partner and an operational expert. This position provides leadership in planning, developing, and executing comprehensive human resources functions aligned with Chemeketa’s mission, vision, and long-term goals.

The AVP is responsible for shaping and advancing HR strategy while remaining closely engaged with day-to-day operations across all HR disciplines—including recruitment, employee & labor relations, benefits, classification, compensation, protected leaves, payroll, and technical operations. The ideal candidate brings a balanced approach: capable of high-level thinking and executive collaboration, while also comfortable diving into operational details and providing hands-on guidance to staff when needed. As a member of the college’s executive leadership team, the AVP plays a critical role in institutional planning, policy development, and fostering a healthy, inclusive, and high-performing organizational culture.

Chemeketa is a proud Hispanic-Serving Institution that aspires to be an inclusive environment where we honor and value the unique contributions of our diverse students, employees, and community. We seek to foster cultural competence and pursue equitable solutions that support all students in achieving their educational goals. If you are interested in joining the work of the college to pursue a supportive and inclusive culture, we encourage you to apply.

Duties & Responsibilities

Human Resources Operations & Leadership

• Provide leadership and oversight for the day-to-day operations of the Human Resources department, ensuring effective and compliant service delivery across key functions, including recruitment, classification & compensation, benefits, protected leaves, employee & labor relations, payroll, and operations.
• Maintain close visibility into operational processes and outcomes; step in to support or guide on complex cases, decisions, or escalated matters as needed.
• Supervise and mentor Human Resources managers and staff; promoting a culture of accountability, continuous learning, and strong customer service.
• Oversee the review and improvement of Human Resources processes, systems, and policies to ensure clarity, consistency, and responsiveness to institutional needs.
• Develop and implement effective strategic HR policies and programs college-wide, aligning HR objectives with the college-wide strategic plan, vision, mission, and values.
• Build, motivate, retain and lead a strong, results-oriented and respected human resources department that is proactive, operationally excellent and meets the varied needs of institutional stakeholders.
• Serve as a resource to department leaders and supervisors on performance management, conflict resolution and corrective action.

Strategic Planning & Organizational Leadership

• Provide advice and counsel to the President and Executive Leadership on HR policy issues, employee labor relations matters and related litigation.
• Active member of Executive Team, Presidential Leadership Teams and College Counsel, contributing to strategic planning, institutional priorities, and cross-departmental initiatives.
• Balance high-level vision with a practical understanding of how strategies will be implemented operationally across employee groups and departments.
• Lead initiatives to strengthen employee culture, engagement, and organizational best practices.
• Sponsors, oversees, and supports HR/Payroll initiatives and maintains momentum for strategic priorities. Utilizes data-driven decision making to drive results.
• Acts as custodian of records for the Human Resources department.

Budget & Resource Management

• Develop, oversee, and manage the annual budget and unit planning for the Human Resources department.
• Monitor department resources and utilization, identify opportunities for cost-effective operations where appropriate.

Labor Relations & Employee Engagement

• Provide guidance and strategic consultation to the Director of Labor Relations on collective bargaining strategy, grievance resolution, and employee relations matters.
• Interpret collective bargaining agreements and ensure consistent application, serve as a knowledgeable resource to leadership on contract provisions, employee rights, and management responsibilities.
• Partner with college leadership to ensure fair, transparent, and contract-compliant practices in employee relations, performance management, and dispute resolution.
• Actively support and collaborate to support labor/management relationships, ensuring consistency and responsiveness in contract administration.
• Contribute to maintaining a positive and communicative workplace culture.

Compliance & Risk Management

• Ensures compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local employment laws, regulations and reporting requirements.
• Maintain knowledge and awareness of evolving legal and regulatory issues and proactively recommend policy or procedural changes as needed.
• Assess internal HR and payroll practices to minimize risk and ensure compliance.
• Serve as a key advisor to leadership on issues of employment risk and personnel matters.

Affirmative Action/EEO/Diversity and Equity Partnerships

• Acts as college ADA 504 Coordinator and Affirmative Action Officer. Maintains and updates Affirmative Action Reporting.
• Responsible for yearly AA/EEO reporting to the Board of Education.
• Partners with the Associate VP of Culture & Community to ensure that human resource functions are aligning with the needs of the students and college goals. Provide strategic partnership for recruitment and retention goals.

Institutional Expectations

• Embraces diversity and actively collaborates effectively with a variety of students, staff and the public from diverse cultural, social, economic and educational backgrounds.
• Participates in recruitment and retention of students at an individual and institutional level in promotion of student success.
• Embraces, understands and uses appropriate technology tools to accomplish job functions.
• Provides high quality, effective service to internal and external customers through continuous improvement and adoption of lean office practices.

Candidate Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution and at least ten years of Human Resources experience.
• At least two years of high-level administrative experience in human resources.
• Experience in leadership, budget development and management, and supervision.
• Experience working in higher education or public sector Human Resources in a leadership role.
• Experience working with collective bargaining agreements.

Core Competencies

• Knowledge of state and federal laws relating to employment, equal opportunity, affirmative action, diversity programs, compensation management, classification, and employee relations including performance management.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills promoting Human Resources and contributing to a healthy work environment.
• Strong project and resource management skills including analytical ability and attention to detail. Facilitation and management skills that promote team collaboration.
• Strong organizational and time management skills to align resources with HR initiatives, outcomes and college goals.
• Ability to prioritize and respond to a variety of simultaneous demands accurately within deadlines.
• Accountable, ethical decision making.
• Bicultural/multicultural skills sufficient to select appropriate behaviors, values and attitudes within different cultures during interactions with others.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree.
• SHRM, CLRP, or HRCI Certification.
• HR Leadership in a unionized environment.
• Human Resources specific courses such as classification compensation, selection, contract management and labor law.
• Experience in a community college or educational setting.
• Experience working with culturally, linguistically, and economically diverse employees, students and communities.
• Bilingual English/Spanish.