Description
Senior Director, Human Resources
Location: New York City (In-Person Role)
Reports to: Chief Operating Officer & Corporate Secretary (COO), in close collaboration with the Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
Manages a team of 8-10 HR professionals, including 2-3 direct reports.
Position Summary
The Senior Director of Human Resources is responsible for advancing the strategic and operational HR goals of the School. This individual will oversee a complex and dynamic workforce—including faculty, union and nonunion staff, part-time and seasonal employees—with care, sensitivity, and strategic foresight. Reporting to the COO, the Senior Director serves as a compliance-focused steward, a values-based leader, and a trusted partner to staff and faculty across the institution.
The Senior Director will help lead the school through a transformational shift—building on existing HR foundations to create a future-ready human resources function serving faculty and staff alike. This role collaborates closely with Payroll and Finance functions of the school, as well as peer leaders including the AVP for Community and Culture and the Director of the Office of Non-Discrimination and Title IX. It also works closely with the Provost’s Office, Legal, Technology, Facilities, and other departments.
Working at Juilliard
Founded in 1905, The Juilliard School is a world leader in performing arts education. The school’s mission is to provide the highest caliber of artistic education for gifted musicians, dancers, and actors from around the world so that they may achieve their fullest potential as artists, leaders, and global citizens.
Excellence and professionalism are important guides in how we go about our work, but we also connect to the mission as individuals in the workplace. We thrive because of our variety of backgrounds and our ability to be open and honest, and we also thrive because we enjoy each other’s company. We believe that each employee has the responsibility to help shape the Juilliard organizational culture, and we provide opportunities to participate in team-building throughout the year. Our organizational values focus on excellence, creative enterprise, and equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging.
We encourage you to read more about how we achieve our mission on our website, juilliard.edu.
Key Responsibilities and Early Priorities Strategic HR Leadership
Lead the development and execution of a multi-year strategic HR roadmap aligned with institutional priorities.
Serve as a strategic advisor to the COO and senior leadership, providing guidance on sensitive and complex personnel matters, workforce planning, and HR implications of key initiatives.
Continue to develop a high-functioning, forward-looking HR team committed to excellence, innovation, and efficiency, all in the service of the school’s overarching mission and core values.
Policy, Compliance & Infrastructure
Establish and implement a comprehensive policy and procedure framework that includes the consolidation of existing policies into a unified Employee Handbook.
Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws, wage and benefits requirements, union agreements, and internal guidelines.
Standardize and update job descriptions to enable position banding and informed compensation decisions.
Employee Engagement & Organizational Culture
Foster a positive, inclusive, knowledgeable workforce
Promote trust and transparency by facilitating regular feedback loops and proactive communication channels.
Partner with Community & Culture, and Title VI & Title IX leaders to support a cohesive People & Culture ecosystem.
Compensation & Benefits
Oversee total rewards strategy, including compensation structures, health and wellness benefits, and recognition programs.
Lead data-informed compensation analyses to ensure internal equity and external competitiveness.
Collaborate with Finance and other departments on budgeting and workforce planning, with the school’s strategic priorities in mind.
Participate with Finance in management of health insurance and 403b retirement plan, including sitting on retirement investment committee.
Ensure good communication about benefits to ensure employees are aware and fully participate
Learning, Development & Change Management
Lead strategic initiatives to promote leadership development, continuous learning, and skill-building.
Establish learning needs assessments and evaluation metrics to ensure learning and development meet ongoing needs of the organization.
Champion change management efforts and support staff through organizational transitions.
Build capacity for cross-functional collaboration and team performance through facilitated trainings.
Coach managers across the school to lead their teams effectively, including hiring, advancement, performance management, performance improvement, and documentation.
Talent Management & Workforce Development
Oversee talent acquisition, onboarding, and retention strategies for a diverse employee base.
Drive the continued evolution of a pilot performance evaluation program into an institution-wide, reflective and actionable tool.
Labor Relations
Participate in collective bargaining
Assist with managing disputes, disciplinary matters and grievances
Act as a key liaison between management and employees, promoting positive and productive labor relations
Signature Initiatives – First 12–18 Months
Develop and implement comprehensive policy and procedure frameworks, including an updated Employee Handbook.
Lead the next phase of the staff annual review process and support its expansion across the organization.
Ensure every employee has a current, accurate job description to support future banding and equitable compensation work.
Qualifications
10+ years of progressive HR leadership experience, ideally in a mission-driven, creative, or higher education setting.
Strong working knowledge of HR operations, HR principles, employment laws (including compliance), and labor relations (union and non-union).
Experience developing and implementing HR strategy and change management.
Commitment to maintaining and further developing internal controls for all matters under their supervision, exemplifying the traits of honesty, transparency, accountability, and responsibility in actions and decisions.
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build trust across all levels of an organization, exercising discretion and good judgment at all times.
Knowledge of applicant tracking systems, HRIS systems and performance management systems
Strong organizational skills and project management skills with the ability to plan, execute and manage multiple projects simultaneously, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and deadlines.
Upholds ethical standards and ensures fair and consistent application of HR policies.
Cultural sensitivity: possesses cross-cultural awareness and sensitivity to work effectively in different socio-cultural contexts.
A collaborative, empathetic, responsive, and strategic leadership style
Bachelor’s degree required, with a preference for a field related to Human Resources or Organizational Development. Advanced degree or certification (e.g., SHRM-SCP) strongly preferred.
Compensation & Benefits
The salary range for this position is $200,000–$220,000, commensurate with experience. The school offers a comprehensive benefits package, including generous paid time off, retirement contributions, and access to artistic programming.
Submission of a cover letter is a requirement of all applicants for this role. An application will not be considered without a cover letter.
Nondiscrimination Policy:
The Juilliard School is committed to a policy of equal treatment and opportunity in every aspect of its relations with its faculty, staff, students, and other members of the Juilliard community, and does not discriminate on the basis of actual or perceived race, color, religion, creed, age, sex, national origin, alienage, ancestry, citizenship, sexual orientation or preference, gender identity, physical or mental disability, medical condition, predisposing genetic characteristics, marital status, partnership status, or any other basis prohibited by applicable local, state, or federal law. This nondiscrimination policy covers, but is not limited to, recruitment, hiring, training, benefits, rates of pay and other forms of compensation as well as student admission, access, and treatment in school programs and activities.
