Working/Functional Title

Director of Human Resources

Position Summary

The Director of Human Resources serves as the human resources leader for the College of Music and provides strategic leadership, operational oversight, and consultation across all human resources functions within the College. This position partners with college leadership, faculty, staff, and university stakeholders to foster a collaborative, inclusive, service-oriented, and high-performing organizational culture that supports the mission of the College of Music.

The Director provides leadership and guidance in staffing and recruitment, employee and labor relations, compensation and payroll administration, organizational development, performance management, onboarding and offboarding, workforce planning, training and professional development, compliance with university policies, employment regulations, collective bargaining agreements and other duties as assigned. The position serves as the College’s primary human resources subject matter expert and maintains collaborative relationships with support staff performing HR-related functions across the College.

This role requires sound judgment, attention to detail, strong interpersonal and communication skills, a high degree of confidentiality, and the ability to navigate complex personnel matters   in a dynamic academic environment that includes faculty, academic staff, support staff, student employees, graduate assistants, temporary employees, and visiting artists and scholars.

Key Responsibilities

Human Resources Leadership, Personnel Administration, and Employee Relations

• Reports to the Dean of the College of Music. Maintains dual reporting relationship with shared HR and Finance support staff and collaborates with administrative units across the university.
• Plans, directs, and manages human resources operations and personnel activities for the College of Music, including exercising responsibility for the management authorization of personnel transactions for faculty, academic staff, support staff, temporary employees, graduate assistants, student employees, and on-call personnel.
• Oversees recruitment, hiring, onboarding, offboarding, employee relations, labor relations, performance management, payroll-related actions, compliance processes, and personnel documentation.
• Coordinates with Dean, College Advisory Committee, and College Finance Director on aspects of annual tenure system and fixed term faculty reviews.
• Advises leadership and supervisors on workplace concerns, corrective action, collective bargaining agreements, and organizational climate initiatives while ensuring compliance with university policies and employment regulations.
• Coordinate, review and approve transactions related to biweekly payroll for students, temp/on-call and IATSE employees.

Strategic Planning, Policy Development, and Operational Leadership

• Determines best practices and develops policies, procedures, and operational practices consistent with university standards, organizational values, and College goals.
• Partners with college leadership to support organizational effectiveness, workforce planning, succession planning, employee engagement, and change management initiatives.
• Leads HR-related process improvement initiatives and collaborates with university administrative units to enhance operational effectiveness, customer service, and organizational alignment.

Data Analysis, Compliance Knowledge, and Professional Expertise

• Maintains advanced knowledge of human resources administration, employment law, labor relations practices, ethics standards, and emerging trends in higher education HR.
• Develops reports, queries, and data analyses to support operational planning, accreditation and decision-making.
• Utilizes HR metrics, benchmarks, evidence-based research, and compliance standards to inform personnel practices, compensation processes, and strategic initiatives.
• Maintain confidential personnel records and HR-related documentation in accordance with university requirements.
• Oversee the College Performance Excellence Program and support performance evaluation processes.

Organizational Culture, Training, and Employee Development Initiatives

• Executes training initiatives, onboarding programs, professional development opportunities, and organizational learning activities designed to enhance employee satisfaction, workplace communication, and organizational culture.
• Supports Culture, Climate, and Community initiatives and assists supervisors and employees with professional growth planning and transition support.
• Lead College all-staff meetings and annual staff retreat.
• Assist leaders in developing employee growth plans and professional advancement opportunities.

Impact of the Position

This position plays a critical leadership role in supporting the operational excellence, employee experience, and organizational effectiveness of the College of Music. Through strategic leadership and effective administration of human resources functions, the Director helps foster a positive workplace culture that supports artistic excellence, academic innovation, student success, and employee well-being.

Work Environment

This position operates primarily in an on campus professional academic environment with frequent interaction among faculty, staff, students, administrators, and external partners. The role requires regular use of university systems and technology platforms, management of multiple concurrent priorities, and active participation in college meetings, events, and activities.

During the first year of employment, the position is expected to maintain a full in office presence to support onboarding, relationship building, operational integration, and familiarity with college and university processes. Following successful completion of the first year and based on operational needs and supervisor approval, the position may transition to a hybrid work arrangement consisting of four days in office and one remote workday per week.

About the College of Music

With approximately 85 faculty members, the College of Music enrolls 600 music majors. In addition, the College annually serves approximately 2,800 non-majors and over 3,000 individuals through the Community Music Schools located in East Lansing and Detroit.

Minimum Requirements

Knowledge equivalent to that which normally would be acquired by completing a four-year college degree program in a human resources area or a related degree; 3 to 5 years of related and progressively more responsible or expansive work experience in accounting, management, budget preparation and data base system analysis and maintenance; or an equivalent combination of education and experience. 

• Demonstrated experience interpreting and applying employment policies, procedures, and collective bargaining agreements.
• Demonstrated experience managing complex personnel processes in a large or decentralized organization.

Desired Qualifications

• Master’s degree in human resources, organizational leadership, higher education administration, business administration or a related field. PHR or SHRM-CP certification preferred.
• Five to eight years of progressively more responsible professional experience in human resources administration, employee relations, labor relations, organizational development, or related administrative functions.
• Experience working in higher education, arts administration, or a unionized environment.
• Experience supporting faculty hiring, academic appointments, summer appointments, and international employee processes.
• Demonstrated commitment to inclusive excellence and employee engagement.
• Experience using MSU payroll, reporting, and personnel management systems.
• Ability to serve as a trusted advisor to leadership, and to build collaborative relationships with faculty, staff, students, and university partners.
• Ability to lead and support organizational change including process improvement, staffing transitions and culture building efforts.
• Articulate understanding of how HR decisions affect operations, culture, retention and leadership effectiveness.
• Excellent organizational, interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills, and attention to detail.
• Demonstrated ability to exercise sound judgment, maintain confidentiality, and effectively manage multiple priorities.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, age, disability or protected veteran status.

Required Application Materials

A complete application will include:

• Cover letter
• Resume
• Names and contact information for three professional references

Work Hours

STANDARD 8-5

Website

MUSIC.MSU.EDU

Remote Work Statement

MSU strives to provide a flexible work environment and this position has been designated as remote-friendly. Remote-friendly means some or all of the duties can be performed remotely as mutually agreed upon.

Bidding eligibility ends June 9, 2026, 11:55 PM

About Michigan State University

Spartans work every day to advance the common good in uncommon ways.Together, we tackle some of the world?s toughest problems to find solutions that make life better?from alternative energy to better food safety to breakthrough medical and environmental applications achieved through rare isotope research.We teach. We explore and we discover. We collaborate and lead. We innovate, inspire, and empower. We achieve our potential and create circumstances that help our students and others achieve theirs.We're good at it, and we've been at it for more than 150 years.The nation?s pioneer land-grant university, MSU began as a bold experiment that democratized higher education and helped bring science and innovation into everyday life. The revolutionary concept became a model for the nation.Today, MSU is one of the top research universities in the world?on one of the biggest, greenest campuses in the nation. Home to nationally ranked and recognized academic, residential college, and service-learning programs, we?re a diverse community of dedicated students and scholars, athletes and artists, scientists and leaders.In ways both practical and profound, we work to create a stronger, more sustainable, and more hopeful future for all.

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