Vice President of Human Resources

Location: Hybrid, Chicago, IL

Job-Type: Full-Time

Compensation Range: $128,700 - $154,500 

The compensation above is the estimated hiring range for this position. Final offers are determined based on a variety of factors including skills, experience, qualifications, internal equity, and other job-related considerations.

To access a list of benefits for full-time jobs, click here.

What You Will Be Doing:

The Vice President of Human Resources serves as the Institute’s senior human resources leader and a key member of the Senior Leadership Team. This role is responsible for developing and executing a comprehensive people strategy that advances Moody’s mission, supports institutional priorities, and fosters an organizational culture rooted in Moody’s values. The VP of HR partners closely with the executive team to provide strategic counsel on workforce planning, talent development, organizational design, and change management during a season of institutional growth and transformation.

This position requires a leader who combines strategic vision with operational excellence who can elevate the HR function to a proactive, mission-aligned driver of organizational health. The VP of HR must be a trusted advisor to the Executive Team, and Board of Trustees on all matters related to talent, culture, and organizational effectiveness.

Essential Functions:

Strategic Leadership & Executive Partnership

• Serve as a strategic partner to the Executive Team and Senior Leadership Team providing counsel on organizational design, workforce planning, succession planning, and culture development.
• Develop and execute a multi-year human resources strategy aligned with the Institute’s strategic plan, enrollment trajectory, and financial realities.
• Lead organizational change management efforts, particularly during periods of leadership transition, restructuring, or strategic pivots.
• Provide regular, transparent reporting to the CFO/COO and Board of Trustees on HR metrics, workforce trends, and people-related risks and opportunities.
• Represent the human resources perspective in executive-level decision-making, contributing to institutional strategy beyond the HR function.
• Champion a culture of accountability, collaboration, servant leadership, and continuous improvement across the organization.
• Participate actively in the Senior Leadership Team, including retreat planning, institutional goal-setting, and cross-functional initiatives.

Talent Management & Organizational Development

• Oversee the full employee lifecycle: recruitment, onboarding, development, performance management, retention, and succession planning.
• Partner with academic and operational leaders to ensure recruiting strategies attract mission-aligned, high-caliber talent in a competitive market.
• Design and lead a robust leadership development pipeline, with particular attention to mid-level and senior leader readiness.
• Implement and continuously improve a performance management system that drives accountability, professional growth, and alignment with institutional goals.
• Guide the Director of Learning & Organizational Development in building training programs that measurably improve organizational capability and employee engagement.
• Lead the adoption and sustainment of organizational operating systems (e.g., EOS) in partnership with the executive team.

Total Compensation & Benefits

• Oversee the design and administration of competitive compensation and benefits programs, ensuring alignment with market benchmarks and institutional budget constraints.
• Partner with the CFO on annual salary budgeting, position control, and total compensation strategy.
• Direct the employee benefits program, including oversight of the Employee Benefits Administration Committee as directed by the Board of Trustees.
• Evaluate and recommend enhancements to total rewards that support recruitment, retention, and employee well-being.

Compliance, Policy & Risk Management

• Ensure institutional compliance with all federal, state, and local employment laws and regulations, including Title IX, ADA, FMLA, FLSA, and EEO requirements.
• Serve as the EEO compliance officer and guide the organization’s response to any employment-related legal matters in coordination with General Counsel.
• Develop, maintain, and communicate clear, consistent HR policies that reflect both legal requirements and Moody’s values and culture.
• Oversee employee relations, workplace investigations, and ethics reporting systems, ensuring fair and timely resolution of concerns.
• Manage HR-related risk proactively, including workforce data privacy, employment practices liability, and regulatory change.

HR Operations & Technology

• Oversee HR systems (HRIS) and data infrastructure to ensure accurate, secure, and efficient management of employee records and reporting.
• Drive continuous improvement in HR processes, leveraging technology and data analytics to inform decision-making and increase operational efficiency.
• Prepare and manage the HR department’s annual operating budget and the institutional employee benefits budget.
• Organize, develop, and lead the HR team, fostering a collaborative, high-performing departmental culture.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Organizational Development, or related field. Master’s degree strongly preferred.
• Minimum 10 years of progressive HR leadership experience, with at least 5 years in a senior HR role (VP or equivalent) in a complex organization.
• Demonstrated experience as a strategic business partner to C-suite leaders, not solely a functional specialist.
• Deep expertise in employment law, organizational development, compensation strategy, and change management.
• Experience in higher education, nonprofit, or mission-driven organizations preferred; understanding of faith-based institutional culture is a significant advantage.
• SHRM-SCP, SPHR, or equivalent professional certification preferred.
• Strong executive presence, emotional intelligence, and ability to build trust across diverse stakeholder groups.
• Proven ability to lead through ambiguity, navigate complex personnel situations with discretion, and drive results in a collaborative environment.

Spiritual & Cultural Expectations:

• A mature and growing personal faith in Jesus Christ, with a lifestyle consistent with Moody Bible Institute’s doctrinal statement and community standards.
• Commitment to the mission of Moody Bible Institute: to equip people with the truth of God’s Word to be faithful and fruitful in their callings.
• Ability to lead with humility, grace, and pastoral sensitivity in a Christ-centered institutional environment.
• Active membership in a local church.

Work Environment/Conditions:

Moody Bible Institute is a Christian-based Higher Education and Media Ministry. We exist to equip people with the Truth of God’s Word. If you are mission-minded, and have a servant’s heart, join us as we look to further impact the Kingdom of God.

This is a full-time position based primarily at our downtown Chicago location. Standard hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Occasional travel may be required, primarily to Moody’s Spokane campus.

This role operates in a professional office environment using standard office equipment. While performing the duties of this position, the employee is regularly required to communicate verbally and in writing, stand, walk, and use hands. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.

Additional Information:

Moody Bible Institute is a Christ-centered, multicultural community that values and seeks faculty and staff who are committed to diversity, work effectively with diverse populations, and engage others in ways that honor our rich cultural mosaic and biblical foundation. Candidates must align with MBI’s Christian identity. Employees are expected to sign a Statement of Faith and adhere to the Community Standards.

We comply with all applicable laws pertaining to nondiscrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, and any other applicable legally protected category. As a religious institution, we have the right to, and do, require that employees hold beliefs consistent with our Doctrinal Statement and conduct themselves in a manner consistent with our religious beliefs, as explained in our Community Standards.

Please note this position description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this position. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.