Vice President for People and Culture (Apply via Search Firm)

Job Summary

*All applicants must apply via the search firm. Please see Application Procedure section.*

The Vice President for People and Culture is a cabinet-level executive leader reporting directly to the President and serving as San José State University’s (SJSU) chief executive authority on workforce strategy, personnel governance, labor relations, and employment compliance.

The Vice President provides enterprise-wide leadership and strategic direction for all aspects of the University’s people infrastructure, including faculty and staff employment across the full employee lifecycle. The role establishes institutional standards for personnel governance, ensures regulatory and collective bargaining compliance, oversees employment-related risk management, and advances a modern, high-performing, people-centered culture aligned with the University’s mission and strategic priorities.

Key Responsibilities

• Sets enterprise-wide human capital strategy aligned with institutional mission and academic priorities.
• Leads executive-level fiscal oversight and resource stewardship of the People & Culture portfolio.
• Establishes governance frameworks for employment practices, workforce planning, and organizational effectiveness.
• Drives modernization of people systems, processes, and service delivery models to improve efficiency, compliance, and user experience.
• Ensures accountability, performance standards, and strategic alignment across divisional leadership, including direct oversight of senior administrators within the portfolio.
• Oversees institutional workforce analytics and reporting to inform executive decision-making.
• Acts as the President’s designee for interpretation and application of collective bargaining agreements for faculty and staff.
• Leads strategic labor engagement and partnership frameworks with union leadership.
• Anticipates and mitigates institutional labor risk exposure within a multi-union higher education environment.
• Oversees grievance administration architecture and ensures consistent and legally sound contract interpretation.
• Provides executive guidance on disciplinary matters, dispute resolution, mediation, and arbitration.
• Aligns bargaining strategy with institutional priorities and workforce sustainability goals.
• Advises the President and Cabinet on workforce implications of institutional decisions, restructuring initiatives, and strategic investments.
• Participates in Academic Senate, executive committees, and campus governance forums as the senior employment authority.
• Leads enterprise-wide organizational development and change management initiatives.
• Oversees complaint management systems and investigation integrity standards to ensure fairness, consistency, and regulatory compliance.
• Directs institutional risk mitigation strategies related to Title IX, equal opportunity, and employment law compliance.
• Advises executive leadership on compliance risk posture and policy implications associated with Title IX and related mandates.

Required Qualifications

• A master’s degree in human resources management, business administration, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience
• Eight to ten years of progressively responsible Human Resources management experience