Director, Employee Relations and Benefits

San Jacinto College System - Pasadena, TX

Full-time - Senior

Remote - Pasadena, TX

Educational Services

About the position

The Director of Employee Relations and Benefits at San Jacinto College is a pivotal leadership role within the Human Resources department, responsible for designing, developing, leading, executing, and championing the vision, philosophy, and strategy of the college's employee relations, benefits, and performance management programs. This position requires a proactive approach to facilitate efficient operations that meet both current and future business needs. As a key member of the HR Leadership team, the director will partner with leaders across all campuses to address all aspects of employee relations, performance management, and benefits for faculty, administrators, and staff. In this role, the director will lead and direct staff within the employee relations and benefits functions, ensuring compliance with federal, state, and local regulations. The director will also focus on the ongoing development of talent within these functions to maintain employee skill sets and provide sustainable leadership through effective succession planning. Essential job functions include mentoring and developing the employee relations and benefits team to ensure high levels of customer service, providing problem resolution and conflict management guidance, and administering the college's retirement and benefits programs. The director will also manage relationships with outside vendors, develop and implement college policies and procedures related to employee relations and benefits, and administer training programs for employees and leaders. Additionally, the director will serve as the college's HIPAA compliance officer, ensuring that all necessary information is properly entered into the Banner system for eligibility premium payments and employee contributions. This role requires a strong understanding of laws and regulations applicable to employee relations and benefits, as well as the ability to communicate effectively with employees to enhance their understanding of policies.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, lead, execute, and champion the vision and strategy of employee relations, benefits, and performance management programs.
• Partner with leaders across campuses regarding employee relations, performance management, and benefits for faculty, administrators, and staff.
• Lead and direct staff within employee relations and benefits functions to ensure compliance with regulations.
• Mentor and develop the employee relations and benefits function to ensure high customer service levels.
• Provide problem resolution and conflict management guidance for employees and leaders.
• Administer the College's retirement and benefits program and manage relationships with outside vendors.
• Develop, interpret, and implement college policies and procedures related to employee relations and benefits.
• Develop and administer training programs on best practices in employee relations and benefits.
• Serve as the College's HIPAA compliance officer and manage privacy rules implementation.
• Communicate with employees to enhance understanding of policies in employee relations and benefits.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Organizational Development, or Business with HR concentration.
• Master's degree in Human Resources, Organizational Development, or Business with HR concentration preferred.
• Seven or more years of experience in employee relations, performance management, and benefits with a Bachelor's degree in HR or related field.
• Ten or more years of experience in employee relations, performance management, and benefits with a Bachelor's degree in an unrelated field.
• Experience leading and managing exempt level professionals with supervisory responsibilities in the last three years.
• Experience investigating Title IX complaints.

Nice-to-haves

• Certification as Professional in Human Resources (PHR) or Senior Professional Human Resources (SPHR) preferred.
• Experience in a higher education environment.

Benefits

• Opportunity for limited remote work arrangements with appropriate approvals.
• Professional development opportunities.
• Competitive salary based on the Board-approved salary schedule.