Director of Human Resources - Employee Experience

Davidson College seeks an agile, hands-on, and forward-thinking Director, Employee Experience to serve as a key operational leader and strategic thought partner for internal stakeholders, including constituents, direct reports, and the broader HR Team. This role is built for a seasoned HR leader who thrives both in developing proactive, high-level strategy and working directly "in the weeds"—managing modern HR operations, driving digital workflows, and fostering an inclusive, high-performing workplace culture. 

Leading a team of three (two HR Generalists and a Front Desk/Operations Coordinator), this position will directly oversee end-to-end employee lifecycles, talent acquisition, employee relations, and offboarding, all key functions in engaging our employees at Davidson College.  The ideal candidate brings proven leadership experience, deep familiarity with modern HR technology, and a track record of elevating employee engagement across a diverse community. 

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Daily Operations

• Operational Leadership: Partner closely with the CHRO to lead day-to-day HR operations, driving process efficiency, compliance, and continuous improvement across all functions. 
• Team Management & Mentorship: Lead, develop, and empower direct reports (two HR Generalists and front desk staff), establishing cross-training practices and clear professional growth paths. 
• Forward-Thinking Strategy: Act as a thought partner across the campus community, anticipating emerging workplace trends and translating them into actionable talent strategies. 
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner seamlessly across functional areas—aligning HRIS data integrity, benefits strategy, and Learning & Development initiatives—to deliver an integrated, high-touch experience across the full employee lifecycle/

Talent Acquisition & Development

• Talent Strategy: Support recruiting best practices to source, attract, and hire exceptional, mission-aligned talent. 
• Learning & Development: Oversee professional development programs, manager trainings, and onboarding experiences that promote career growth across the institution. 
• Recruitment & Retention: Drive initiatives that attract, grow, and retain a diverse workforce from all backgrounds and experiences. 

Consultative Talent Attraction and Engagement

• Strategic Talent Partnership: Elevate the Talent Acquisition function from transactional posting and offer execution to true talent consulting—proactively sourcing, talent mapping, and building robust candidate pipelines, of exceptional, mission-aligned talent.   
• Hiring Manager Enablement: Serve as a strategic advisor to hiring managers across campus, coaching them on search strategy, interview design, candidate evaluation, bias mitigation, and competitive closing techniques. 
• Onboarding & Experience Design: Build holistic candidate engagement touchpoints, pre-boarding and post-boarding journeys that maintain candidate and manager excitement to ensure a seamless transition into the Davidson community. 

Employee Experience & Talent Connection

• Candidate-to-Employee Lifecycle: Drive the end-to-end employee experience from the moment an applicant applies, creating meaningful connections to Davidson College's mission, values, and community long before day one. 
• Manager & Employee Lifecycle Support: Champion the ongoing employee journey by partnering with Learning & Development to curate targeted manager training and high-impact onboarding experiences for employees that promote continuous career growth, active engagement, and a deep sense of belonging across the institution.
• Culture & Engagement: Design and execute holistic engagement, retention, and recognition initiatives that attract, grow, and retain a vibrant workforce, advancing Davidson’s commitment to an inclusive and supportive work environment
• Employee Relations: Serve as a primary point of contact for complex employee relations issues, policy interpretation, and conflict resolution, applying critical thinking and sound judgment. 

HR Technology, Data & Process Modernization

• HRIS & Data Integrity: Maintain operational oversight of HR systems (e.g., Oracle Cloud), ensuring accurate reporting, data integrity, and modernized digital workflows. 
• Continuous Process Improvement: Partner with HRIS to evaluate and update existing HR workflows to ensure a seamless, customer-centric experience for faculty, staff, and job applicants. 

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Industrial/Organizational Psychology, or a related field. 
• Experience: Minimum of 7 years of progressive HR experience, including direct, hands-on responsibility in core HR operations, employment/benefits, or employee relations. 
• Leadership: Minimum of 2–3 years of direct supervisory experience leading HR teams. 

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in HR, Business, or related discipline. 
• Professional HR certification (SHRM-CP/SCP, PHR/SPHR). 
• Prior HR leadership experience in higher education, non-profit, or complex matrixed organizations. 
• Direct experience with Oracle Cloud HR or major HRIS software conversions/implementations. 

Key Competencies

• Technical Mastery: Demonstrated proficiency with enterprise HRIS platforms, advanced HR analytics, and modern workflow automation tools. 
• Working Style: A balanced blend of strategic vision and a willingness to roll up your sleeves to handle tactical execution and problem-solving. 
• Hands-on Execution: Ability to balance macro-level strategy with micro-level execution and day-to-day triage. 
• Problem Solving & Agility: Strong analytical skills with a proactive approach to resolving complex employee and operational challenges. 
• Interpersonal & Communication: Outstanding verbal and written communication skills with the emotional intelligence to navigate sensitive situations. 
• Integrity & Discretion: Unwavering commitment to confidentiality, compliance, and ethical leadership. 
• Team Management: A record of attracting, mentoring, and retaining high-quality talent and building empowered teams from ambitious, individual contributors.

As a part of your application materials, a resume and cover letter are required. 

Information about how to submit the application documents can be found at https://employment.davidson.edu. 

About Davidson College

Davidson College is one of the nation’s most selective liberal arts colleges. Established in 1837, Davidson College is home to 2,000 undergraduate students and 1,000 employees.  The College holds a strong financial position, as evidenced by its AA+ bond rating and an endowment value of approximately $1.6 billion. Davidson is located in the town of Davidson, often celebrated as one of the best places to live in North Carolina, and 20 minutes from North Carolina’s largest metro area, Charlotte. 

Information about how to submit an application can be found at https://employment.davidson.edu.