Director of Human Resources and Labor/Employee Relations

Category: Professional

Department: Human Resources

Locations: Boston, MA

Posted: Jan 22, 2025

Closes: May 1, 2025 - 11:59 PM EDT

Type: Full-time

PositionID: 184887

About MassArt:

Founded in 1873, having celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2023, Massachusetts College of Art and Design (MassArt) is the nation's first and only independent, free-standing public college of art and design in the country. MassArt is an inclusive community of thinkers, doers, makers, educators, innovators, and leaders striving to shape the future through art and design. Located in Boston's hub of arts and culture along the Avenue of the Arts, MassArt enrolls 2,000 students and offers a comprehensive range of undergraduate and graduate degrees in 18 disciplines, as well as continuing education and youth programs.

MassArt strives to be a model of diversity and inclusion; the campus community reflects the layers of cultural and self-identity that proudly make up our region, nation, and world.

Job Description:

Reporting to the Chief Human Resources Officer, the Director of Human Resources will be a key member of a highly collaborative team. The Director will play a critical role in shaping and executing the HR strategy to support MassArt's mission, vision, and goals. The Director is responsible for labor and employee relations, medical and other leaves, benefits administration, and belonging functions within the organization. The Director also provides responsive, strategic, transparent human resources leadership and consulting services to the MassArt community.

The Director takes a customer service approach with their work so that people seek out HR for help in working through organizational and people opportunities and have confidence in HR's ability to deliver high-quality and efficient solutions.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED: Chief Human Resources Officer

SUPERVISION EXERCISED: Students and temporary employees as assigned

Salary: The salary range for this position is between $105,000-$120,000

Key Responsibilities:

• Acts as a strategic partner, working closely with the Chief Human Resources Officer and Executive Director of HR and Payroll, in developing, implementing, and evaluating ongoing HR policies, programs, functions, and activities ensuring alignment with the overall goals of the College.
• Assists with the implementation and administration of the collective bargaining agreements, ensuring compliance with contractual provisions and advising faculty and staff to ensure observance of timelines and procedures.
• Responsible for labor and employee relations services to faculty and staff including policy interpretation, job-related counseling, and conflict resolution.
• Develops and recommends strategies for labor management and employee relations, ensuring compliance with applicable bargaining agreements and relevant state and federal regulations.
• Provides ongoing guidance to supervisors related to performance management/improvement and disciplinary actions.
• Ensures the effectiveness of professional development, engagement, and recognition programs, to provide all employees opportunities for professional growth and advancement.
• Administers and serves as advisor to employees on personnel matters including benefits, medical leaves, and interpretation of collective bargaining agreement benefits.
• Maintains and improves systems to process human resources transactions and records and conducts research, collects data, provides analysis, and prepares reports relevant to the College's leaves, benefits, and employee and labor relations activities.
• Ensures that supervisors and College leaders consistently administer College policies and procedures related to human resource management.
• Represents MassArt by presenting and participating at conferences.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree required in HR or related field with at least three years of progressively responsible relevant experience.
• Demonstrated ability to prioritize tasks, handle and follow through on competing assignments, and meet deadlines.
• Demonstrated experience in employee and labor relations, medical leaves, and benefits administration.
• Strong customer service, organizational, interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills.
• Proficiency with Google Suite and/or Microsoft Office applications.
• Must have flexibility with changing work conditions and assignments.
• Excellent critical thinking, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Demonstrated commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusivity.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bilingual ability to speak, write and read Spanish.
• Experience working with Collective Bargaining Agreements preferably AFSCME, APA, MSCA.
• Ability to exercise discretion and good judgment with confidential/sensitive material and information.

Additional Information:

Please note MassArt:

• Does not support employment-based visa sponsorship or non-student exchange visitor visa sponsorship.
• Is not an E-Verify institution.

Selected candidates must be eligible to work in the US at the time of employment.

MassArt provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, age, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, disability, military status, genetic information, pregnancy or a pregnancy-related condition, or membership in any other legally protected class.

MassArt complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the college operates.