Vice President for People and Culture (Apply via Search Firm)

 

Job Summary

*All applicants must apply via the search firm. Please see Application Procedure section.*

The Vice President for People and Culture is a cabinet-level executive leader reporting directly to the President and serving as San José State University’s (SJSU) chief executive authority on workforce strategy, personnel governance, labor relations, and employment compliance.

The Vice President provides enterprise-wide leadership and strategic direction for all aspects of the University’s people infrastructure, including faculty and staff employment across the full employee lifecycle. The role establishes institutional standards for personnel governance, ensures regulatory and collective bargaining compliance, oversees employment-related risk management, and advances a modern, high-performing, people-centered culture aligned with the University’s mission and strategic priorities.

As a member of the President’s executive leadership team, the Vice President advises on the workforce implications of institutional strategy, leads organizational design and institutional change initiatives, and ensures that human capital strategy supports academic excellence, operational effectiveness, and long-term institutional sustainability.

The Vice President serves as the President’s designee for collective bargaining interpretation and labor governance and provides executive oversight of civil rights compliance, Executive Order implementation, and employment-related legal matters.

The role leads a comprehensive People and Culture portfolio that includes, but is not limited to:

• Civil Rights, Title IX & Equal Opportunity
• Classification & Compensation
• Employee & Labor Relations
• Faculty Services & Academic Personnel
• HR Systems & Workforce Analytics
• Payroll & Benefits
• Professional & Organizational Development
• Talent Acquisition & Workforce Planning
• Workers’ Compensation and Employment Compliance

The position functions as an enterprise governance authority rather than a transactional HR administrator and is responsible for shaping institutional policy, mitigating workforce risk, and modernizing people systems and practices across the University.

 

Key Responsibilities

• Sets enterprise-wide human capital strategy aligned with institutional mission and academic priorities.
• Leads executive-level fiscal oversight and resource stewardship of the People & Culture portfolio.
• Establishes governance frameworks for employment practices, workforce planning, and organizational effectiveness.
• Drives modernization of people systems, processes, and service delivery models to improve efficiency, compliance, and user experience.
• Ensures accountability, performance standards, and strategic alignment across divisional leadership, including direct oversight of senior administrators within the portfolio.
• Oversees institutional workforce analytics and reporting to inform executive decision-making.
• Acts as the President’s designee for interpretation and application of collective bargaining agreements for faculty and staff.
• Leads strategic labor engagement and partnership frameworks with union leadership.
• Anticipates and mitigates institutional labor risk exposure within a multi-union higher education environment.
• Oversees grievance administration architecture and ensures consistent and legally sound contract interpretation.
• Provides executive guidance on disciplinary matters, dispute resolution, mediation, and arbitration.
• Aligns bargaining strategy with institutional priorities and workforce sustainability goals.
• Advises the President and Cabinet on workforce implications of institutional decisions, restructuring initiatives, and strategic investments.
• Participates in Academic Senate, executive committees, and campus governance forums as the senior employment authority.
• Leads enterprise-wide organizational development and change management initiatives.
• Oversees complaint management systems and investigation integrity standards to ensure fairness, consistency, and regulatory compliance.
• Directs institutional risk mitigation strategies related to Title IX, equal opportunity, and employment law compliance.
• Advises executive leadership on compliance risk posture and policy implications associated with Title IX and related mandates.

 

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Executive-level experience in personnel governance within a complex, unionized higher education environment
• Deep knowledge of CSU policies, collective bargaining agreements, and state and federal employment law
• Demonstrated ability to lead enterprise workforce transformation and organizational redesign initiatives
• Experience advising senior executive leadership on labor strategy, compliance risk, and workforce planning
• Proven leadership in modernizing HR systems, workforce analytics, and service delivery models
• Ability to manage institutional risk in highly regulated environments
• Strong strategic decision-making capability with sound judgment in sensitive personnel matters
• Demonstrated ability to build trust across faculty, staff, and administrative constituencies
• Capacity to lead cross-functional change initiatives and align diverse stakeholder groups

 

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree
• Eight to ten years of progressively responsible Human Resources management experience

 

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree, Juris Doctor (JD), or other advanced degree from an accredited institution
• Experience leading or managing Human Resources and Faculty Affairs functions within a higher education environment
• Two to five years of experience managing faculty human resources processes
• Demonstrated working knowledge of faculty and staff employment requirements
• Experience working within a collective bargaining environment

 

Compensation

Classification: Administrator IV
Anticipated Hiring Range: $20,834/month - $25,417/month
CSU Salary Range: $10,106/month - $32,441/month

The final hiring salary will be commensurate with experience.

San José State University offers employees a comprehensive benefits package typically worth 30-35% of your base salary. For more information on programs available, please see the Employee Benefits Summary.

 

Application Procedure

To ensure full consideration, applicants must apply through the DSG Global Search website using the link below. The position will remain open until filled.

https://dsgco.com/search/22917-sjsu-vpcc

  

Contact Information

Laurie Casteen
laurie.casteen@dsgco.com
434-249-4109

 

 CSU Vaccination Policy

The CSU strongly recommends that all individuals who access any in-person program or activity (on- or off-campus) operated or controlled by the University follow COVID-19 vaccine recommendations adopted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) applicable to their age, medical condition, and other relevant indications and comply with other safety measures established by each campus. The system wide policy can be found at https://calstate.policystat.com/policy/9779821/latest/ and questions may be sent to jobs@sjsu.edu.

 

Additional Information

Satisfactory completion of a background check (including a criminal records check) is required for employment. SJSU will issue a contingent offer of employment to the selected candidate, which may be rescinded if the background check reveals disqualifying information, and/or it is discovered that the candidate knowingly withheld or falsified information. Failure to satisfactorily complete the background check may affect the continued employment of a current CSU employee who was offered the position on a contingent basis.

The standard background check includes: criminal check, employment, and education verification. Depending on the position, a motor vehicle and/or credit check may be required. All background checks are conducted through the university's third-party vendor, Accurate Background. Some positions may also require fingerprinting. SJSU will pay all costs associated with this procedure. Evidence of required degree(s) or certification(s) will be required at time of hire.

SJSU IS NOT A SPONSORING AGENCY FOR STAFF OR MANAGEMENT POSITIONS. (e.g. H1-B VISAS)

All San José State University employees are considered mandated reporters under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and are required to comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083 as a condition of employment. Incumbent is also required to promptly report any knowledge of a possible Title IX related incident to the Title IX Office or report any discrimination, harassment, and/or retaliation to the Office of Equal Opportunity.

 

Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act and Campus Housing Fire Safety Notification: 

Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, the Annual Security Report (ASR) is also now available for viewing at https://www.sjsu.edu/clery/docs/SJSU-Annual-Security-Report.pdf. The ASR contains the current security and safety-related policy statements, emergency preparedness and evacuation information, crime prevention and Sexual Assault prevention information, and information about drug and alcohol prevention programming. The ASR also contains statistics of Clery crimes for San José State University locations for the three most recent calendar years. A paper copy of the ASR is available upon request by contacting the Office of the Clery Director by phone at 408-924-1501 or by email at clerycompliance@sjsu.edu.

Pursuant to the Higher Education Opportunity Act, the Annual Fire Safety Report (AFSR) is also available for viewing at https://www.sjsu.edu/clery/docs/SJSU-Annual-Fire-Safety-Report.pdf. The purpose of this report is to disclose statistics for fires that occurred within SJSU on-campus housing facilities for the three most recent calendar years, and to distribute fire safety policies and procedures intended to promote safety on Campus. A paper copy of the AFSR is available upon request by contacting the Housing Office by phone at 408-795-5600 or by email at uhs-frontdesk@sjsu.edu.

Campus Security Authority - In accordance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act) and CSU systemwide policy, this position is subject to ongoing review for designation as a Campus Security Authority. Individuals that are designated as Campus Security Authorities are required to immediately report Clery incidents to the institution and complete Clery Act training as determined by the university Clery Director.

 

Equal Employment Statement

San José State University is an equal opportunity employer. The university prohibits discrimination based on age, ancestry, caste, color, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military status, nationality, race, religion, religious creed, sex, sexual orientation, sex stereotype, and veteran status. This policy applies to all San José State University students, faculty, and staff, as well as university programs and activities. Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, and certain other federal and state laws, prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex in all education programs and activities operated by the university (both on and off campus). Reasonable accommodation is made for applicants with disabilities who self-disclose. San José State University employees are considered mandated reporters under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and are required to comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083 as a condition of employment.