Senior Director, Wharton Human Resources & People Operations

University Overview The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn’s distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America’s Best Large Employers in 2023.

Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.

The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.

Posted Job Title Senior Director, Wharton Human Resources & People Operations

Job Profile Title Director D, Human Resources, School/ Center

Job Description Summary Wharton School Overview

Founded in 1881 as the world’s first collegiate business school, the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania is shaping the future of business by incubating ideas, driving insights, and creating leaders who change the world. With campuses in both Philadelphia and San Francisco, Wharton has over 850 staff, a faculty population of more than 235 renowned professors, and 5,000 undergraduate, MBA, executive MBA, and doctoral students. Each year 13,000 professionals from around the world advance their careers through Wharton Executive Education’s individual, company-customized, and online programs. More than 104,000 Wharton alumni form a powerful global network of leaders who transform business every day. Wharton is home to a dynamic community of staff, bringing a wide range of skills, experiences, and perspectives. To learn more, visit www.wharton.upenn.edu.

Job Description 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. 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.

As a dynamic and influential leader, the Senior Director plays a pivotal role in creating a thriving organizational culture that advances the strategic mission of the Wharton School. They spearhead the transformation of traditional HR services, such as recruitment, comprehensive training programs, and performance management systems, to innovate and drive excellence and employee well-being.

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. Additionally, they will have the opportunity to engage in cross-school collaborations to disseminate best practices and realize strategic objectives.

Responsibilities

Strategy & Leadership: Craft and execute advanced, progressive HR strategies supportive of the Wharton School’s leadership objectives and drive culture. Transition the school HR function from being process-oriented to adopting an end-to-end tactical and strategic mindset, introducing proactive and holistic strategies to support the employee lifecycle and organizational optimization. Oversee the HR needs of Wharton's extensions, including San Francisco and any global engagements. Ensure compliance with regional employment regulations and institute global best practices that recognize and address local nuances. Nurture cross-organizational partnerships, collaboratively working to propel both the school and broader university toward achieving their mission-critical objectives. Play a pivotal role in Core HR initiatives, including committees, task forces, and cross-school collaborations aimed at advancing organizational effectiveness and HR innovation. Serve as a mentor within the HR community at Penn.

Talent Management: Spearhead & optimize the school’s ability to recruit, develop, and retain top talent to advance strategic objectives. Innovate onboarding practices to ensure seamless integration of new talent. Develop proactive solutions for talent pipelines and recruitment optimization. Employ data analytics to anticipate turnover trends and implement strategies to address them. Oversee staff compensation-related matters, including setting competitive salaries, counteroffers, reclassifications, salary adjustments, additional pay, and bonuses.

Employee Relations & Engagement: Adopt a data-driven and people-centered approach to address intricate employee relations concerns, encompassing investigations, reorganizations, conflict resolution, and disciplinary processes. Implement analytics to analyze trends in employee relations challenges and craft proactive interventions. Provide thought partnership, coaching, and guidance to managers and leaders on a wide range of employee topics.

Operational Excellence: Establish an innovative, technology-enabled HR and people operations function, leveraging automation and AI to optimize processes. Design, implement, and utilize people analytics to understand targets of opportunity, trends, and proactive approaches. Leverage technology to foster greater clarity around HR policies and practices. Stay abreast of the latest trends in HR and People Analytics to ensure Wharton remains a pioneer in employee-centric innovation. Infuse workplace practices with insights from Wharton research to fortify our brand, ensuring internal experiences resonate with our external promotion of premier business school research.

Wharton HR team Management: Lead and empower a team of HR professionals, fostering a culture of continuous learning and innovation. Design opportunities for their skill augmentation and professional growth, supported by regular, insightful feedback & coaching.

Workforce Development & Learning: Design, facilitate, and/or organize a comprehensive suite of professional development opportunities for employees to nurture both personal and professional growth.

Job Location - City, State Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Required Qualifications:

Preferred Qualifications:

Applicants must submit a cover letter.

Department / School Wharton School

Pay Range $135,327.00 - $186,000.00 Annual Rate Salary offers are made based on the candidate’s qualifications, experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to the requirements of the position, and in alignment with salary ranges based on external market data for the job’s level. Internal organization and peer data at Penn are also considered.

Equal Opportunity Statement The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin (including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics) , citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any class protected under applicable federal, state or local law .

Special Requirements Background checks may be required after a conditional job offer is made. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job.

University Benefits