Opportunity

Tulane University
Associate Vice President for Workforce Management Organization
New Orleans, LA

ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT FOR WORKFORCE MANAGEMENT ORGANIZATION

Tulane University, one of the foremost independent national universities in the South, invites inquiries, nominations and applications for the position of Associate Vice President for Workforce Management Organization. Tulane is ranked among the top quartile of the nation's most highly selective universities. With schools and colleges that range from the liberal arts and sciences through a full spectrum of professional schools, Tulane gives its 11,000 students a breadth of choice equaled by few other independent universities in the country.

Tulane University's nine academic divisions enroll approximately 5,500 undergraduates and about 4,800 graduate and professional students. The Schools of Architecture, Business, Liberal Arts, Public Health and Tropical Medicine, and Science and Engineering offer both undergraduate and graduate programs. Other divisions include the Schools of Law, Medicine, Social Work, and Continuing Studies. All divisions except the medical complex, which includes a teaching hospital and clinic, are located on Tulane's 110-acre campus in uptown New Orleans. The University has a $1 billion endowment and is successfully completing a $700M campaign. The annual operating budget exceeds $700M. Employing over 2700 staff, Tulane University is the largest employer in New Orleans.

The Associate Vice President (AVP) for Workforce Management Organization will lead a restructured organization for Human Resources, Payroll and HRIS functions. This position will report to the Chief of Staff and Vice President, who reports to the President. The Workforce Management Organization consists of a staff of 34 full time professional staff, and the operating budget is over $1 M. The Associate Vice President will oversee these units: Customer Service; Strategy, Planning and Implementation; and Operations (including Payroll and HRIS, Compensation and Benefits, and Employee Support Systems and Employment). The organization has been realigned to correspond with Tulane's commitment to sustaining the highest quality employment experience for its staff and faculty. To this end, staff teams within the new organization have made significant improvements to work processes and are eager to address the organizational development and management challenges associated with a transformational change.  

Tulane seeks a proactive Workforce Management operation which plays a prominent role in the management and leadership of the University.   In accord with this vision, the successful candidate will have a demonstrated ability to utilize an organized and positive approach in working with all areas within the organization. The candidate will have a record of success in ensuring that policies and practices comply with all regulatory and legal requirements and with high professional and ethical standards.  

The successful candidate will have prior senior level HR and Payroll generalist and management experience, ideally in a not-for-profit or professional services organization. A minimum of ten (10) years of progressively responsible human resources experience is a must.   An advanced degree is preferred. The ideal candidate should have a strong background in process improvement and be well rounded in experience with all functional areas noted above. Excellent interpersonal and supervisory skills are essential characteristics for success in this position, along with a strong work ethic, the ability to lead by example, the ability to manage change effectively, agility and adaptive approaches to issues and concerns, and a track record of developing and mentoring staff. A sense of urgency in implementing plans and the ability to "roll up his/her sleeves" to capitalize on opportunities for success is highly valued. Finally, the candidate must have a track record as a manager and decision maker that demonstrates the ability to maintain a high priority on quality of life for staff and faculty while acting in the best interests of the institution.

Interested individuals should send a letter describing their interest in and qualifications for the position, a resume and contact information for five references.   The packet should be sent electronically (Microsoft Word attachments preferred) to Megan@wspelman.com . The subject line should be AVPTULANE. Confidential inquiries will be received at 585.787.9742.

Documents that must be mailed should be sent to William Spelman Executive Search at 667 Midship Circle, Webster, NY 14580.   Confidentiality will be maintained and references will not be contacted without prior knowledge or approval of the candidate. For full consideration, all materials must be received by May 19, 2008. The process will continue until the position is filled.

AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY/AFFIRMATIVE ACTION INSTITUTION

• Printer Friendly Version of this Opportunity (PDF)

(PDF requires Adobe Acrobat,
a free reader.)