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Vice President of Human Resources

California College of the Arts
Full-time
On-site
San Francisco, California, United States
HR Leader
The Vice President of Human Resources (VP) is a key leadership role at California College of the Arts (CCA), reporting to the President and serving on the Senior Leadership Team. This position drives HR strategy, labor relations, workforce planning, and organizational development, ensuring alignment with institutional goals and fostering a people-centered, inclusive workplace.

Overseeing union negotiations, compliance including policy development, performance management, compensation and benefits, and workforce analytics, the VP will provide strategic guidance to leadership while managing an HR team of three professional staff and partnering with senior leaders, academic affairs, legal counsel and other third parties. This role requires strong analytical, negotiation, and leadership skills, with expertise in unionized environments and higher education HR structures.

The VP will foster a safe, productive, and collaborative environment for all.

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES:

Strategic HR Leadership & Workforce Planning

  • Lead strategic HR planning to align workforce management with institutional priorities and long-term goals.

  • Identify current and future HR-related challenges and proactively implement interventions and policies to address them.

  • Serve as a key advisor to the President and Senior Leadership Team, providing expert guidance on HR strategy, labor relations, and workforce development.

  • Oversee staffing plans, talent acquisition, employee engagement initiatives, and succession planning.

  • Partner with senior leadership to shape organizational design, recruitment, and retention strategies.

  • Oversee a service-oriented HR team providing guidance and associated HR budget.

Management & Compliance

  • Oversee the collection, analysis, and review of HR data and metrics to develop insights and recommendations that enhance HR programs, including employee engagement initiatives.

  • Ensure HR compliance by guiding the development and implementation of college policies in alignment with federal and state employment laws and regulations, as well as effectively communicating policy updates to employees and leadership..

  • Oversee HR communications, ensuring clear and transparent engagement with employees at all levels.

  • Lead a performance management strategy for supervisors and staff, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and accountability.

  • Collaborate with college leadership on senior-level staffing and workforce planning across academic and administrative units.

  • Direct training, organizational development, and change management strategies to support staff and institutional growth.

Labor Relations & Employee Engagement

  • Partner with legal counsel in union negotiations and oversee contract administration. Provide strategic direction and oversight for labor relations and collective bargaining matters.

  • Foster strong, collaborative relationships with union representatives to address workplace concerns proactively.

  • Manage employee relations activities, ensuring effective conflict resolution practices, investigative practices, and partnering with external HR and legal teams on complex cases

  • Ensures campus Title IX compliance, ensuring policies, investigations, and training align with federal and institutional standards.

  • Ensure compliance with all federal, state, and local employment laws, including wage and hour laws, anti-discrimination policies, and workplace safety regulations

  • Serves as a cultural steward, fostering and promoting an inclusive and collaborative environment that embraces and strengthens CCA’s culture through equitable programs and initiatives.

  • Champion initiatives that enhance employee engagement, well-being, and workplace satisfaction.

Workforce Analytics & Talent Management 

  • Provide strategic leadership in developing and refining talent management frameworks, ensuring that recruitment, compensation, and benefits strategies align with organizational goals, drive workforce engagement, and support long-term growth.

  • Partner with senior leaders to implement effective succession planning and retention strategies.

  • Analyze staffing trends, engagement metrics, and operational efficiencies, delivering data-driven reports and recommendations to leadership.

  • Collaborate with benefits brokers to research, evaluate, and negotiate competitive employee benefit plans, including health insurance, retirement, flexible spending accounts, and workers' compensation contracts.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

  • 10+ years of progressive HR leadership experience, preferably in higher education, arts institutions, or non-profits.

  • Proven expertise in union negotiations, labor relations, and employment law.

  • Strong analytical skills with experience in workforce data, compensation structures, and HR systems.

  • Proficiency in HR technology (including Workday), AI-driven tools, and data analytics to enhance decision-making, efficiency, and workforce planning.

  • Experience advising and partnering with senior leadership and implementing HR strategies at an institutional level.

  • Excellent communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills.

  • Demonstrated success in leading and developing teams.

  • Deep commitment to fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace.

  • Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field required, Master's degree preferred; HR certification (SPHR, SHRM-SCP) preferred.

Please note a successful completion of a background check is required for this position.

Application Process

Interested candidates should submit a resume and cover letter outlining their qualifications and vision for HR leadership at CCA.

Please note that in an effort to keep the CCA community safe, the College encourages all staff, faculty, and students who are on campus to be fully vaccinated, including to have received a booster shot (if eligible). Please note CCA on campus Covid-19 protocols. Please reach out to hr@cca.edu with any questions.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS:

  • The range for this position is $170,000 - $180,000/annually

  • CCA offers a comprehensive benefits package, including the choice of five medical plans, generous holiday, sick & vacation time, a retirement match and tuition remission. CCA covers an average of 91% of the medical plan cost for the employee only and an average of 82% for employees with dependents. More information can be found here: https://portal.cca.edu/working/office-human-resources/employee-benefits.

POSITION DETAILS:

  • CCA considers a full-time work week to be 37.5 hours per week.

  • Work Mode: Hybrid

Location

San Francisco

FLSA

Exempt

Additional Locations

Application Instructions

Applicants are required to attach a cover letter and resume. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Recommended document file formats are Word or PDF.  If there are multiple attachments, we recommend compressing/zipping your files into a zip format file. There is also a place in the application for you to provide a link to large documents. Please submit an application form for each position for which you believe you are qualified. Applications are not kept on file for future positions.

Application Deadline

For staff positions, screening begins immediately and continues until the position is filled.

EEO Statement

As an educational and cultural institution, California College of the Arts has a responsibility to provide access and opportunities for all people, with special attention to supporting groups historically underrepresented in higher education.

We believe that a culturally diverse campus is integral to academic excellence, and our student, faculty, staff, and trustee bodies should reflect the diverse world in which we live, with attention to race, ethnicity, religious creed, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, and ability.

California College of the Arts is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from individuals who will contribute to its diversity. If you require reasonable accommodation in completing this application, interviewing, or otherwise participating in the employee selection process, please direct your inquiries to hr@cca.edu. In alignment with the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records for employment. If a background check is required for a position, it will be noted in the job posting.

Questions?

Please address any questions to hr@cca.edu.