"Vice President of Human Resources"

Vice President, Human Resources

The College of DuPage is a comprehensive community college located 27 miles west of downtown Chicago, vitally connected to our local area for over 50 years. We prepare students for a lifelong passion for learning on our 273-acre campus which is home to nine associate degrees and a wide variety of professional and technical certificates. Many of these credentials prepare students to seamlessly articulate into the baccalaureate programs of our higher education partner institutions.

College of DuPage is committed to student success and values an inclusive and welcoming community environment. We are an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity in the workforce. Our connection to the larger metropolitan area is essential to our success and provides a wealth of diverse cultural and recreational opportunities.

The Vice President of Human Resources (VPHR) is a senior executive and member of the President's Cabinet, responsible for providing vision, strategic leadership, and operational oversight for all human resources functions across College of DuPage. This role directs the planning, design, and administration of HR strategy, policies, and services for all campuses and centers, ensuring a responsive, equitable, and future-focused human resources organization that supports the College's mission and culture of care.

The VPHR serves as a strategic advisor and trusted partner to the President and Cabinet, contributing to institutional decision-making that impacts the College's diverse workforce. The successful candidate will be a collaborative, innovative, and forward-thinking leader with the ability to align human capital strategies with institutional goals, foster employee engagement, design competitive and equitable compensation and benefits programs, and provide support to the General Counsel's office in the administration of collective bargaining agreements. This leader will drive organizational effectiveness in a complex, multi-campus, and suburban college environment.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Advise the President and College leadership on complex human resources matters, serving as a strategic partner in shaping policies and decisions that impact the institution’s workforce.
• Provide strategic leadership and oversight for the planning, development, implementation, and evaluation of all human resources functions to ensure organizational effectiveness and alignment with institutional priorities.
• Translate the College’s strategic goals into actionable human resources strategies and operational plans that support institutional growth, employee engagement, and a culture of care.
• Design and implement progressive, proactive, and equitable compensation and benefits programs that meet the needs of employees while supporting the College’s mission and long-term sustainability.
• Develop and guide the administration of human resources policies and programs that ensure effective management of the College’s workforce, including initiatives for employee development, recognition, recruitment, staffing, and human resource information systems.
• Develop business processes and analytics to improve service delivery to the campus community and support the evaluation of performance metrics across human resources operations.
• Other duties as assigned by the President.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in business administration, public administration, human resources management, or another relevant field required. SHRM-SCP or SPHR preferred.
• 10 to 15 years of progressively responsible human resources experience, including at least 5 years in a senior or executive HR leadership role, preferably within government, the public sector, or higher education.
• Must demonstrate comprehensive knowledge of employment laws and regulations and a proven ability to apply this expertise within complex organizational settings
• A demonstrated commitment to the College’s culture of care and to understanding and respecting the diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, ethnic, and disability backgrounds of students and employees in a suburban community college setting is essential.
• Highly skilled in building relationships at all organizational levels and experienced in facilitating the resolution of conflicts between parties.
• Experience working in a collective bargaining environment is preferred.
• Experience in managing or implementing HRIS solutions is desirable.

Key Criteria

College of DuPage seeks the following experience and attributes for the Vice President of Human Resources:

Higher Education & Labor Relations Expertise

• Significant HR leadership experience in public higher education, with a deep understanding of complex operational models
• Proven track record leading collective bargaining processes and successfully negotiating union contracts, ideally with experience managing multiple established unions simultaneously
• Strong grasp of higher education HR compliance, policies, and legal frameworks specific to public institutions

Strategic Leadership & Change Management

• Demonstrated success leading organizational transformation in environments undergoing significant transition, with the ability to balance urgency with patience
• Experience developing comprehensive HR strategies with clear KPIs and milestones, and proven ability to drive initiatives through to completion
• Process and systems orientation with a track record of modernizing HR infrastructure while maintaining service continuity
• Ability to lead and develop high-performing HR teams within complex organizational structures while fostering cross-functional collaboration

Collaborative Leadership & Stakeholder Partnership

• Strong leader with executive presence, emotional intelligence, and diplomatic skills to navigate a complex, unionized college environment with diverse stakeholders.
• Leads with transparency, consistency, and integrity to build trust and unify departments around shared policies, procedures, and goals
• Active listener and strong communicator who is accessible, seeks input appropriately, and facilitates difficult conversations with tact
• Positions HR as a valued strategic partner in institutional decision-making while maintaining a collaborative, supportive approach to serving faculty, staff, and leadership

Salary packages starting at a minimum of $186,141 based on experience. College of DuPage also offers a generous benefits plan. This position requires a pre-employment background and drug screen.

College of DuPage has retained Stanton Chase, an executive search and leadership advisory firm, as its search partner.

Please direct expressions of interest and nominations to DC_DuPage_VPHR@stantonchase.com.

Iris Drayton-Spann              Prianka Maharaj
Managing Director                  Talent & Operations Manager
Stanton Chase DC                    Stanton Chase DC