Director, Human Resources (HR Business Partner), The James

Position Overview

The Director, Human Resources serves as a senior strategic HR leader embedded within The James Cancer Hospital, a nationally recognized academic cancer program within The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. Seeking an accomplished HR leader who will lead a dynamic team of HR professionals in delivering exceptional guidance and support to the operational executive team. This strategic leader will be instrumental in cultivating organizational effectiveness and driving forward HR operational priorities that enable our clinical, research, and educational mission.

Acting as a trusted advisor to executive leadership, this position will drive alignment of enterprise HR strategies, particularly the influence on the strategic plan and the unique needs of the James Cancer Hospital and Comprehensive Cancer Center, into actionable solutions that support workforce effectiveness, organizational growth, and a high-performance culture. The Director partners closely with senior leaders across The Comprehensive Cancer Center Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute to advance strategic initiatives while ensuring alignment with the broader medical centers people strategy, policies, and compliance requirements.

The ideal candidate will

• Excel in facilitating robust two-way communication between operational stakeholders and HR, ensuring that evolving operational needs are met with innovative and responsive HR solutions.
• Demonstrate the ability to anticipate future needs, identify opportunities, and partner on functional HR solutions.
• Be skilled in relationship-building across diverse stakeholder groups to champion enterprise strategies and initiatives.
• Have expertise guiding teams through organizational change and fostering an engaging culture.

About The Organization

The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer CenterArthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute is an international leader in cancer prevention, detection, treatment and survivorship, and is driven by its vision to create a cancer-free world, one person, one discovery at a time. The James is the only cancer program in the United States that features a National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated comprehensive cancer center aligned with a nationally ranked academic health center, and a free-standing cancer hospital on the campus of one of the nations largest public universities.

A key component of The Ohio State University, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center is driven by its mission to improve health in Ohio, and across the nation and world, through innovation in research, education, and patient care.

The Wexner Medical Center is one of the largest, and most diverse academic medical centers in the country, and the only one in central Ohio, and is aspiring to take a regional, national, and international leadership position in several clinical areas of distinctiveness, including cancer, heart, neurology, transplantation, diabetes, musculoskeletal, digestive diseases, and critical care.

Scope of Role

This senior HR leader is accountable for leading HR strategy and operations for The James and The Comprehensive Cancer Center, managing and developing a team of HR professionals, driving organizational effectiveness, and serving as a liaison between hospital leadership and enterprise HR.

Responsibilities

Strategic HR Leadership

• Serve as senior HR advisor to executive leadership
• Translate operational needs into people-first strategies
• Guide workforce planning and growth opportunities and pathways
• Partner and provide expertise in organizational design and change management
• Foster a culture of engagement and high-reliability performance

Operational Excellence

• Oversee HR program delivery and ensure compliance
• Provide expertise in employee relations, talent acquisition, and compensation
• Utilize HR metrics, reporting, and workforce analytics to support leadership and business objectives
• Partner with HR Centers of Expertise for integrated solutions
• Foster consistent practices of performance management

Leadership and Team Management

• Enable, mentor, and develop HR team
• Foster accountability and engagement through example
• Establish strong communication structures

Engagement and Culture

• Promote employee engagement and retention strategies
• Build strong relationships across all levels
• Provide and guide onboarding for local senior leadership

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience required. Master's degree preferred.
• 10 years of progressive experience in Human Resources required. Significant experience in leadership of a team of Human Resources professionals is strongly preferred.
• Expertise in organizational development and change management.
• Strong executive influence and consulting skills.
• Healthcare, research or academic experience is strongly preferred.

Why This Role Matters

This is a high-impact leadership opportunity to shape workforce strategy, influence executive leadership, and contribute to a mission-driven healthcare organization.