Senior Director, Wharton Human Resources & People Operations

Role Overview

The Senior Director of Wharton Human Resources & People Operations is a key leadership role responsible for driving strategic human resources and talent management initiatives within the Wharton School. They play a key role in shaping HR strategies that align with the organization’s vision and values while fostering a positive and high-performing work environment.

What You Will Do

Responsibilities include overseeing the optimization and digital transformation of talent acquisition, performance management, employee relations, compliance, and employee development. As a key thought partner for senior leadership, this role is responsible for taking a holistic view of the School’s objectives and bridging the gap between workforce challenges and solutions.

Why It Might Be a Fit

This role will actively contribute to and participate in HR initiatives that extend beyond their immediate school environment, directly engaging with Core HR. Involvement will include participation in committees, working groups, and task forces focused on enhancing organizational effectiveness and driving HR initiatives at the University.

Requirements

• Significant HR leadership experience, including responsibility for developing and executing human resources and people strategies in a large, complex organization.
• Demonstrated expertise across multiple HR disciplines, including employee relations, talent management, organizational development, performance management, compensation, workforce planning, and employee engagement.
• Substantial experience advising and coaching senior leaders on complex and sensitive workforce, organizational, and employee relations matters, including investigations, conflict resolution, performance concerns, reorganizations, and organizational change.
• Proven ability to lead, develop, and empower a team of HR professionals, including setting direction, establishing accountability, coaching for performance, and building team capability.
• Demonstrated ability to lead organizational change and improve HR practices, processes, or service delivery through innovative and employee-centered approaches.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities, including experience using workforce data, metrics, and other insights to identify trends, inform decisions, and develop proactive solutions.
• Exceptional interpersonal, communication, consultation, and influencing skills, with demonstrated ability to build trusted relationships and navigate effectively across multiple levels and stakeholder groups.
• Demonstrated discretion, sound judgment, and ability to manage highly sensitive and confidential matters in a complex organizational environment.
• Experience serving as a strategic HR advisor to executive or senior leadership teams and contributing to organization-wide workforce and business decisions.

Benefits

• Health, Life, and Flexible Spending Accounts
• Tuition
• Retirement
• Time Away from Work
• Long-Term Care Insurance
• Wellness and Work-life Resources
• Professional and Personal Development
• University Resources
• Discounts and Special Services
• Flexible Work Hours
• Penn Home Ownership Services
• Adoption Assistance

Tagged as: Change Management