Leadership Profile

This leadership profile is intended to provide information about Ithaca College and the position of vice president for human and organizational development, innovation and planning. It is designed to assist qualified individuals in assessing their interest in the position.

Download a PDF file of the full Leadership Profile.

The Role of the Vice President for Human and Organizational Development, Innovation and Planning

The vice president will serve as principal steward for the college’s human capital, providing strategic leadership and service to advance and strengthen Ithaca College’s place as an employer-of-choice and to promote a human capital and organizational development vision and

strategy that attracts, develops and retains the talent needed to advance the college’s mission. The office currently consists of 17 full-time staff within a centralized structure and is organized into the following functional areas: payroll services, training and development, employee benefits and work/life, student employment, compensation and workforce planning, and talent management. The division strives to positively impact the life experiences of all members of the Ithaca College community. Staff collaborate to create inclusive, engaged and rewarding experiences that promote an environment and culture of excellence.

Additionally, the vice president will serve as the senior planning officer and collaboratively lead the college through implementation of an institution-wide strategic plan that centrally places students, human capital management and organizational development at its core. To be successful, the vice president must be a results-oriented, relationship-driven and high- performance leader who thrives in a dynamic, fast-paced environment. The role requires an innovative, driven executive who values high engagement with all faculty and staff, is committed to working in a student-centered shared governance model, and is focused on contemporary human capital management delivery and inventive business strategy.

The following provides additional detail on the vice president's leadership responsibilities:

Serve as chief human and organizational development and planning officer and senior-level advisor to the president and senior leadership team by providing strategic and operational guidance on all workforce matters including: talent management, compensation and benefits, student employment, payroll, and other overarching organizational development-related and institutional planning matters;
Mentor, coach and engage employees in an effort to promote a common understanding and appreciation for the college's mission, and for the role that all employees play in addressing the needs of an increasingly diverse and global community;
Oversee comprehensive employee initiatives and programs that create and foster a productive, diverse, equitable and inclusive environment in which employees can work and thrive, with an emphasis on career development and culture as the college advances its standard as an employer-of-choice in the region;

Lead an effective, efficient business operation, delivering on a full suite of human capital management initiatives and services, and deploying a highly motivated team of professionals focused on client centered strategic, consultative and customized support;
Establish and maintain collaborative partnerships between the Office of Human and Organizational Development, Innovation and Planning and the schools, administrative units and governance structure to best recruit, train, mentor, develop and retain high-performing employees;
Promote effective employee services, initiatives and programs that foster an inclusive, equitable and affirming learning and working environment;
Value diversity, equity and full participation and build a culture of respect and engagement;
Serve as the college’s senior planning officer; and
Ensure that all employees feel supported in their educational, research, service and professional activities in pursuit of social and civic leadership and responsibility, and to thrive in an intellectual environment where the human mind and spirit are nurtured for success.

Opportunities and Expectations for Leadership

The vice president will be asked to attend to a number of key areas within the first 12 to 18 months:

A Culture of Engagement and Recognition

As a champion of Ithaca's overall culture, the vice president will work to deepen and enhance employee connections with the college's values and beliefs, including a continuing commitment to greater diversity of people and ideas, to equity and full participation, to nurturing a workplace- of-choice and to celebrating a talented, accomplished workforce and their contributions to Ithaca College and its mission.

Ithaca's workforce is becoming more global, culturally fluid and responsive to the needs of today's work/life balance. In addition to its main campus in Ithaca, the college has regional locations in New York City, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C. and London as well as an expanding footprint in online and virtual education. The college aspires to meet the demands of today's global workforce by educating its students and preparing its staff and faculty to thrive in a dynamic, international professional environment. The vice president will be responsive to the unique needs, personal and professional, of its employment base around the world.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

The vice president will place a high and uncompromising value on the importance of a diverse, equitable, inclusive and affirming community and full participation so that all Ithaca College employees can thrive and achieve their potential. The vice president will active a learning and working environment that is committed to civility, mutual respect, social justice and the free exchange of ideas. The vice president will be steadfast in promoting excellence and equity, ensuring that, through department initiatives, programming and resources, community members feel they have a safe, brave and engaging place to live, learn, work and grow. Building toward a more inclusive, innovative and collaborative culture, the vice president will play a key role in advancing the college's ability to attract, retain and celebrate high-performing employees at all levels. The vice president will be mindful of developing a workforce that reflects the diverse, professional and lived perspectives of Ithaca College's student body and the surrounding community.

Contemporary Best Practices

The vice president will bring a clear and solid understanding of human capital management and organizational development best practices and solutions and lead efforts to ensure that these practices are in place. The vice president will have the vision and skills to create and lead any needed change to activate best practices by first evaluating the institution’s human capital management function, purpose, structure, services and delivery models as well as staff resources.

The vice president will also execute core process improvements while applying data-infused decision making to drive human capital decisions and metrics to establish a baseline for measuring progress and tools to evaluate results, assessing impact and communicating outcomes. The vice president will design a consultative approach to contemporary human capital management to ensure a model centered on holistic employee and organizational development versus a more traditional transactional delivery model.

Strategic Innovation, Planning and Implementation

The vice president will play a critical role in shaping the college's future as it moves forward on an institution-wide strategic plan – Imagining Ithaca. The vice president will be committed to the value of a rigorous and thorough strategic plan effort and will successfully lead the implementation of a college-wide plan through strong collaboration with the provost, president and senior leadership team. To that end, the vice president will strengthen collaborative relationships across the campus and among Ithaca's many stakeholders and partners, including students, staff, faculty and administrative leadership. The vice president must exhibit an enthusiasm for organizational change management and be a frontline advocate for the broader community to understand their role in the ownership, implementation and execution of the strategic plan. For additional information on the college's strategic planning efforts: https://www.ithaca.edu/imagining-ithaca.

Human and Organizational Development Initiatives

Ithaca College seeks a vice president with a successful track record of leadership and management during a period of significant institutional change. The new vice president will play a pivotal role in fully implementing a comprehensive Oracle human capital management (HCM) platform with a progressive rollout in 2019; socialize and implement a recently completed compensation study and reclassification; transform talent acquisition policies and practices and workforce planning strategies; assess the changing needs of a growing globally dispersed workforce and compliment with best practices in recruitment, retention and compensation; and design a robust professional development and training program. This is a unique opportunity to craft a culture specifically tailored to adding value to a world-class institution of higher education.

The college is in an assessment period intended to clarify and consolidate policies, streamline processes, utilize updated technologies and redefine roles to ensure a streamlined, strategic and effective workforce. The vice president will add value to these initiatives by ensuring smooth implementation and by working closely with colleagues to demonstrate the benefits of a more coordinated approach to the structure and deployment of college resources.

Professional Qualifications and Personal Qualities

Ithaca College seeks a driven, innovative and highly skilled vice president to serve as a strategic partner committed to the college’s success as a pre-eminent, innovative institution of higher education in the 21st century. The candidate will possess some or all of the following professional qualifications and personal characteristics:

Leadership and Vision

Capability to develop a clear vision and strategy consistent with the college’s mission and best practices, and the leadership and talent to advance the division and make it a national model for human and organizational development and innovation;
Executive skills capable of leading and developing a high-performance team that executes at a high level of excellence;
Collaborative leadership style with a deep appreciation for the value of shared governance;
Problem solver and risk taker who can work seamlessly across the institution connecting with all key stakeholders;
Strategic thinking with the capability to contribute to the senior leadership team;
Direct experience working collaboratively with – and supporting – a governing board, president and senior leadership team;
A "systems-thinker" who can keep strategic long-range initiatives in focus; and
Unquestionable integrity and moral character; an individual whom the institution and community can trust completely and without reservation.

Establishing a Dynamic, Inclusive and Equitable Environment

Demonstrated commitment to the development of employees as individuals; support for employee engagement across a wide variety of talent, experiences and activities; and the establishment and maintenance of strong employee relationships;
Demonstrated commitment to advancing diversity, equity, inclusion and full participation so as to align with the college's values and president’s vision for Ithaca College; and
Demonstrated commitment to fostering collaboration and innovation in an organization.

Change Management, Innovation and Institutional Planning

Capacity to lead a complex organization through the implementation of a transformative institution-wide strategic plan ensuring alignment of vision and tactical execution;
Demonstrated leadership with organizational change for culture, programmatic and systemic improvement; and
Demonstrated record in managing change for a diverse and complex organization.

Communication and Collaboration

Propensity to deeply value a student-centered organization and inspire cross collaborative partnerships, leading through influence and empowering the college community to have a voice in advocating for their needs;
Effective communication skills and strong interpersonal skills that ensure an institution-wide understanding of human capital management practices and availability of resources;
Capacity to serve as a highly-valued confidant and close advisor to Ithaca College’s leadership and community;
Confidence as an executive who values relationships with faculty, staff, peers and senior leadership equally; and
Secure and self-directed leadership with an ability to work effectively in a consensus-driven environment where direct feedback and constructive criticism is expected and admired.

Management

Extensive, progressively responsible administrative and leadership experience in multifaceted organizations, with accountability for programmatic oversight, resource management and employee and organizational development;
Steadfastness in the pursuit of process improvement, organizational effectiveness and dedication to executing swiftly, precisely and effectively;
Ability to ensure that the human and organizational development division is run effectively and systems and processes are consistent with policies; and
Financial acumen suitable to appreciating the college's business goals and the impact of human resources practices and their attainment.

Experience, Knowledge and Education

Irrespective of diverse professional backgrounds, professional credentials that include progressively responsible human and organizational development leadership including evidence of administrative success; knowledge of contemporary human capital management practices; expertise in strategic, collaborative and consultative services; and an entrepreneurial approach to problem-solving;
Demonstrable track record of sustained success in establishing and maintaining sophisticated, innovative, cross-collaborative and high-impact initiatives projects and programs;
If candidates do not have direct experience with higher education, they must present a demonstrated passion for the higher education environment and an appreciation for the shared governance model of decision-making;
Deep knowledge and expertise in the laws, policies and regulations related to the hiring, employment, benefits and separation processes;
Demonstrated record of continuous improvement based on evaluation and use of assessment data;
Demonstrated record of innovation and collaboration across groups, areas and/or sectors;
Experience in strategic planning and long-term institutional planning is a plus; and
A bachelor's degree is required and candidates with an earned advanced or terminal degree will have a decided advantage.