Human Resources Director - UWC-USA : Job Details

Primary Position Objectives

The UWC-USA program - a two-year experience that integrates our Academic, UWC CAS (Creativity, Activity and Service), and Residential curricula - prepares students to serve as catalysts for greater unity, peace and sustainability in the world. We support students in the practice of our mission during their two years on campus and challenge them to live our mission for a lifetime.

Inspire. Lead. Transform.At UWC-USA, we believe that education should be a force to unite people, nations, and cultures for peace and a sustainable future. As the Director of Human Resources, you will be a vital member of our leadership team, championing the people and policies that support this bold mission. This is not just an HR job - it's a calling to lead with purpose in a globally minded, mission-driven educational community.

What You'll Do: As our HR Director, you will be both a strategic partner and hands-on leader, responsible for shaping and advancing a workplace culture that empowers our staff, faculty, and students to thrive. You will:

• Leads the full HR function, including talent acquisition, onboarding, professional development, compensation and benefits, compliance, and employee engagement.
• Serves as a trusted advisor to senior leadership and department heads, providing insight and strategy on organizational structure, workforce planning, and employee relations.
• Ensures HR compliance with federal, state, and local laws, as well as internal policies, while supporting the school's values and international community standards.
• Designs and implements HR systems and policies that reflect best practices, are data-informed, and support a high-performance, inclusive, and values-aligned culture.
• Oversees sensitive and confidential matters with integrity, discretion, and professionalism, ensuring trust and transparency across the campus.
• Promotes and facilitates DEI initiatives, reinforcing our commitment to belonging, representation, and respect in every area of school life.
• Plays a key role in campus planning, supporting space allocation, organizational reporting, and strategic initiatives tied to institutional priorities.

Who You Are:You're not just an HR professional - you're a people-first strategist, a systems thinker, and a compassionate leader. You bring:

• A proven track record in progressive HR leadership, ideally within education, nonprofits, or mission-driven environments.
• Deep expertise in HR operations, compliance, and policy development, with a passion for people-centered, equity-informed practices.
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills - you're as comfortable coaching a department head as you are resolving a complex employee matter.
• High emotional intelligence, sound judgment, and the ability to navigate confidential and sensitive issues with diplomacy and discretion.
• A commitment to the values of UWC and a global, collaborative mindset.

Why Join Us?UWC-USA is more than a school - it's a movement. With students from over 90 countries, a breathtaking campus in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, and a vibrant culture of service and sustainability, we offer a deeply fulfilling professional environment where your leadership will make a lasting impact.

For full consideration, please submit a cover letter and resume.

Position Responsibilities

Recruiting & Staffing

• Implements human resources strategies through department accountabilities for (but not limited to) talent acquisition, compensation and benefits, training and development, employee retention, and various compliances.
• Performs pre-employment and current employment background checks.
• Prepares and processes new hires/terminations/retirees to include but not limited to documentation, notification to the department/payroll, keys and key card requests.
• Maintains employee records and assists in conducting wage surveys within the labor market.
• Conducts Exit Interviews and provides applicable COBRA information.
  • Notifies IT/Advancement/Security departments of new/departing employees.
• Creates, updates, and maintains job descriptions as required.
• Performs preparation of vacancy announcements, surveys, and/or statistical research and analysis.

Organizational Reporting and Space Planning

• Prepares and reports the progress of the HR department to the school's Associate Head for Finance and Operations/President/and Senior Leadership Team, where needed/requested.
• Collaborates with the Associate Head for Finance and Operations in maintaining the Employee Life-Cycle.

School Compensation & Benefits

• Presents benefits package (Medical, dental, life, LTD, Section 125, Handbook), and annuity options to eligible employees upon hire. Counsels employees through questions related to school benefits.
• Leads benefit renewals with oversight by the Associate Head for Finance and Operations.
• Manages benefit portals.
• Initiates COBRA with 3rd party administrators for departing employees.
• Responds to all unemployment claims and represents the school in all unemployment hearings.
• Manages time clock system, adds/edits/deletes employees as needed.
• Ensures employee forms are filled out correctly and submitted in a timely fashion.
• Provides individual advice and problem resolution to employees on employee benefits issues; administers individual employee benefits within policy parameters and monitors compliance with policy, procedure, and documentation requirements.
• Assists with support and problem resolution including, but not limited to, implementation of FMLA and catastrophic leave policies, compliance with ADA, FLSA, and other related regulations and internal policies.
• Maintains sick and annual leave database and distributes reports to applicable departments. Tracks patterns in usage.
• Provides updates to payroll regarding salary increases, additions/changes/updates to benefits billing.
• Responsible for all aspects of benefit administration to include annual benefit comparisons and/or requests for proposals, creating/updating census or existing reports for benefit providers.

Employee Relations

• Collaborates with other department managers to deliver employee training programs, employee feedback, ensure compliance, and facilitate performance management.
• Implements, maintains, and continually improves the school's employee life-cycle initiative.
• Prepares all employment letters for review by the Associate Head for Finance and Operations.
• Creates, updates, and distributes organizational charts, employee recognition and miscellaneous MS Excel spreadsheets.
• Reviews, verifies, and securely stores incoming and outgoing employment documentation for completeness, accuracy, and compliance with established policies and procedures.
• Maintains and tracks retiree information and/or benefits.
• Prepares documents and composes routine correspondence, as required, on specific policy and procedural issues.
• Updates staff of any changes to handbook, and/or benefit premiums/coverage.

Employee Orientation, Development, and Training

• In coordination with other departments on campus, designs and executes employee orientations in the fall and during the school year as needed.
• Ensures employees' adherence to company policies and procedures.
• Disciplines and facilitates termination of employees per school's policies.
• Leads and completes employee-related HR investigations.
• Coordinates and oversees Employee Assistance Program (EAP) referrals.
• Researches and suggests training/seminars/conferences to employees or departments, particularly in areas of risk to the school or areas of growth to the employee(s).
• Motivates, develops, and supervises all HR staff in the department.

Compliance & Regulatory

• Implements fair employment practices that meet the needs of the school.
• Advises managers on employee and labor policies, such as ADA, FMLA, and OSHA.
• Prepares salary/wage increase and other compensation letters and forms.
• Resolves or assists in the resolution of policy-related, process-related, or procedural problems and/or inquiries received from department representatives, employees and/or applicants.
• Gathers information, conducts basic data analysis, and assists in the development of reports.
• Prepares, submits and tracks accident reports. Prepares Survey of Occupations Injuries and Illnesses report.
• Reviews employee handbook and makes suggestions and edits as needed. Applies handbook policy to campus situations as they arise.
• Assists with School records retention policies.
• Performs miscellaneous job-related duties as assigned.
• Leadership: All UWC-USA employees are expected to provide varying levels of leadership in order to support the UWC mission. Examples include but are not limited to:
  • Actively participating and contributing to committee or task force assignments, providing leadership in campus-wide events or initiatives, strategic planning efforts, in the experiential education program, the dormitories, dining hall, and/or in physical plant initiatives.
  • Initiating strategic discussions and sharing thoughtful and innovative ideas with your co-workers for carrying out the UWC mission and successfully completing day-to-day work assignments.
  • Demonstrating a growth mindset by believing and acknowledging that intelligence, skills, learning, and creativity can all grow with time and experience.
  • In all interactions, upholding the UWC mission and values, and creating an environment that promotes and values diversity, equity, and inclusion.

In addition to core HR functions, the Director of Human Resources at UWC-USA is expected to provide forward-thinking leadership in the following areas:

• Organizational Strategy Partner: Serves as a key advisor to executive leadership, contributing to long-term strategic planning and aligning people strategies with the school's mission, values, and global impact goals.
• Workforce of the Future: Proactively assesses and prepares for evolving workforce needs, trends in education and labor, and innovations in workplace culture to ensure UWC-USA remains a competitive and compelling employer.
• Culture Architect: Cultivates a purpose-driven, inclusive, and adaptive workplace culture that reinforces UWC-USA's identity as a global community committed to peace, sustainability, and social justice.
• Talent Strategy and Succession Planning: Designs and implements robust succession pipelines and talent development strategies that ensure institutional resilience and leadership continuity.
• Innovation in HR Systems and Technology: Leads the modernization of HR infrastructure by identifying and implementing technologies and tools that enhance employee experience, decision-making, and operational efficiency.
• Metrics and Impact Evaluation: Develops and uses key HR metrics and people analytics to assess the effectiveness of HR strategies, inform leadership decisions, and foster accountability across the organization.
• Change Leadership: Acts as a champion for change management initiatives, helping guide the school community through periods of transformation with clarity, empathy, and alignment.
• Mission Integration: Ensures that all HR practices are deeply aligned with and reflective of the UWC mission, embedding global citizenship and intercultural understanding into the employee lifecycle.

Position Qualifications

Required Experience & Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree
• 5+ years of experience directly related to HR.
• 3+ years of meaningful record maintenance experience.
• Ability to create, compose, and edit written materials.
• Ability to gather data, compile information, and prepare reports.
• Ability to analyze and solve problems.
• Ability to work effectively in a diverse community.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Skill in use of personal computers and related software applications

Desired Experience & Qualifications

• Master's Degree in HR-related field or HR-related certification(s).
• 9+ years of experience directly related to the duties and responsibilities specified.
• 2-3 years of experience in secondary school or international/boarding school environment(s).
• Ability to interpret and analyze informational needs, and provide general technical advice and guidance in the area of specialty.