JOB DESCRIPTION

• Applications are accepted electronically ONLY at www.cu.edu/cu-careers *
  The Associate Vice Chancellor for Human Resources (Chief Human Resources Officer) at CU Denver is a strategic and visionary leader responsible for serving as a change agent and strategic partner to the CU Denver executive leadership team as well as to senior administrators, HR Directors, and HR staff within the schools/colleges and other institutional units. At its essence, this role exists to foster a people-centered HR strategy that supports the university’s strategic plan. The position also ensures that Human Resource practices reflect CU Denver’s commitment to equity, innovation, and impact, while fostering a culture of trust, inclusion, and continuous learning. A central focus of this position is employee advocacy—ensuring that faculty and staff voices are actively heard, respected, and integrated into institutional decision-making. The incumbent will complete the four primary roles of HR by driving operational excellence in compensation, workforce planning, HR data analytics, and talent management strategies across a distributed, hybrid work environment.
  Due to the demands of the role, the incumbent will work primarily in-person on the Denver Campus, with some remote work opportunities once credibility and key relationships have been established.

Guided by CU Denver’s Purpose, Vision, and Values:

• Purpose: Make education work for all.
• Vision: Be the nation’s leading public urban research university, serving as a model for equity, innovation, and impact.
• Values: Learning, Discovery, Belonging, Courage, and Impact.

The AVC of HR will embody, foster, and operationalize these institutional values in all aspects of HR leadership and service delivery. Base expectations include a deep sense of integrity, cheerful helpfulness, and an expansive breadth and depth of HR expertise.

QUALIFICATIONS YOU ALREADY POSSESS (MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS)

Applicants must meet minimum qualifications at the time of hire.

• Master’s degree in human resources, business administration, public administration, or related field.
• 10+ years of progressive HR leadership experience, preferably in higher education or a complex public sector organization.
• Demonstrated expertise in Operational Excellence in all aspects of HR (selection, compensation, performance, training & development, etc,)
• Experience managing HR in a flexible work environment.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATION TO POSSESS (PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS)

• HR certifications (e.g., SHRM-SCP, SPHR).
• Familiarity with common higher-education HR software and tools (e.g., HCM, PeopleSoft).
• Experience working in shared governance environments.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• Deep understanding of strategic HR leadership aligned with institutional goals.
• Knowledge of higher education operations and governance structures.
• Demonstrated competence in organizational development and change management.
• Ability to lead with innovation and align HR initiatives with the university’s strategic plan.
• Competence in managing and aligning HR budgets with institutional priorities
• Ability to collaborate effectively with executive leadership, faculty and staff
• Demonstrated excellence in written and oral communication, with the ability to convey complex information clearly.
• Skilled in tailoring messaging for a varied audience and navigating sensitive or high-stakes conversations with professionalism, diplomacy, and strategic insight.
• Ability to navigate complex organizational structures and drive continuous improvements.

WHAT YOU WILL DO:

Strategic Partner and Change Agent

• Serve as the university’s senior HR expert, guiding leadership on workforce strategy, organizational development, institutional culture, and change management.
• Lead the design, development, consistent implementation, and compliance with HR policies and programs that support CU Denver’s strategic plan and inclusive excellence goals.
• Oversee HR operations across CU Denver, in partnership with schools and colleges, as well as administrative units.
• Facilitate a strong and effective partnership between the University of Colorado Denver and the other campuses within the CU System, as well as Auraria campus partners.
• Promote alignment with system-wide goals in HR strategies, policies, and implementation plans, while advocating for CU Denver’s unique needs.

Employee Relations, Advocacy, & Engagement

• Serve as a visible and accessible advocate for faculty and staff, promoting a culture of listening, respect, and responsiveness.
• Collaborate with shared governance groups (faculty assembly, staff council) and employee resource networks and affinity groups to ensure inclusive representation in HR decision-making.
• Provide leadership coaching to CU Denver leaders to support proactive team building, clarity, conflict resolution, change management, and the effective handling of employee concerns, while fostering a positive, human-first, and inclusive workplace culture engaging strategies such as climate surveys, listening sessions, and feedback loops.
• Ensure compliance with employment laws, university policies, and institutional processes. Promote consistency in policy application across schools, colleges, and administrative units, while upholding ethical standards and instilling accountability as a foundation for campus operations.
• Collaborate with legal counsel, risk management, the Office of Equity, and the FAST team to address sensitive personnel matters with consistency, care, and compliance.

Talent Management & Workforce Planning

• Oversee recruitment, onboarding, retention, and succession planning strategies that reflect CU Denver’s commitment to education for all.
• Support professional development, career mapping, and performance management frameworks that foster growth and accountability.
• Promote a contemporary work/life balance focused on student success.

Learning and Development

• Cultivate supervisor and leadership development pathways that build institutional capacity and foster equity, connection, and growth among senior leaders, managers, and supervisors.
• Partner across institutional units to embed learning into the employee experience, ensuring that professional development opportunities — from skill-building workshops to strategic training — are inclusive, scalable, and aligned with CU Denver’s values and Strategic Plan.
• Use data and collaboration to drive continuous learning by leveraging learning analytics, participant feedback, and cross-functional partnerships.
• Collaborate on culture-building components of onboarding and orientation that reinforce CU Denver’s commitment to belonging and strategic engagement from day one.

Compensation & Classification

• Direct the development and implementation of a compensation and classification system aligned with CU System guidelines and market data (e.g., CUPA-HR) in collaboration with campus leadership, shared governance and School and Colleges.
• Guide ongoing salary benchmarking and internal equity reviews to foster fair and transparent pay practices for all employees.
• Ensure compliance with federal and state wage laws and university compensation policies.

HR Data & Analytics

• Lead the development of HR dashboards and analytics to support strategic planning, compliance, and workforce insights.
• Oversee institutional HR reporting (e.g., IPEDS, EEO, affirmative action) and ensure data integrity across systems.
• Partner with the Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness and IT to enhance data governance and reporting capabilities.

Guided by CU Denver’s Purpose, Vision, and Values:

• Purpose: Make education work for all.
• Vision: Be the nation’s leading public urban research university, serving as a model for equity, innovation, and impact.
• Values: Learning, Discovery, Belonging, Courage, and Impact