Director, Employee Experience

Department

ADV People and Culture

About the Department

The Advancement Office engages alumni (~220k), current students, parents, and friends of the University through intellectual, professional and social activities on campus, around the world and online. Advancement raises $600 Million annually to support faculty and researchers, practitioners and patients, and students and programs across the University. Our work supports priorities in every division, school, department, and institute.

The Advancement People and Culture team plays a crucial role in cultivating a supportive and thriving workplace environment. The team is dedicated to attracting top talent through effective recruitment strategies and ensuring a smooth onboarding process for new hires. Additionally, the team champions ongoing professional development and learning programs to empower staff to excel in their roles and contribute meaningfully to Advancement's goals. By fostering a culture of inclusivity, collaboration, and accountability, the People and Culture team enhances employee satisfaction and retention, ultimately strengthening and extending the work of Advancement for the University.

Job Summary

The Director, Employee Experience partners with People and Culture and Advancement leadership to design and implement a holistic strategy to inform, recognize, and engage Advancement staff across the enterprise. The Director owns the creation of annual Advancement staff communication and engagement plans, ensuring strategic, effective use of communication channels including newsletters, digital collaboration tools, in-person gatherings, and virtual stand-up meetings. This role oversees the onboarding experience for Advancement staff, collaborating with partner units to align goals and programming. This position manages a team of professional staff responsible for designing, implementing, and monitoring a variety of human resource programs. Develops department plans to address long-term human resource needs and trends.

Responsibilities

• Develops and implements a holistic employee experience strategy that integrates engagement, onboarding, communication, recognition, retention, and change initiatives.
• Serves as a change management partner to the organization, ensuring strong internal communication plans are present for major initiatives, organizational developments, and new processes. Serves as a visible champion for staff during periods of change, offering clear communication and resources for adaptation.
• Oversees onboarding and orientation to ensure a positive introduction and integration for new hires.
• Facilitates training, workshops, or focus groups to support staff understanding, commitment, and active participation.
• Encourages staff input and feedback through listening sessions, pulse surveys, and employee experience surveys. Analyzes employee feedback, program effectiveness, and workforce trends; reports actionable insights and recommendations to leadership, particularly around retention and engagement.
• Partners with Advancement leadership, People and Culture colleagues, and analytics teams to anticipate and measure employee needs, address concerns, and maximize engagement and retention, particularly during transition periods. Provides consultative, data-driven guidance to leadership regarding culture, belonging, retention, engagement, recognition, and staff communication.
• Oversees the creation and management of staff recognition programs that celebrate individual and team contributions, milestones, and successful adaptation to change. Collaborates with managers to foster a culture of frequent, meaningful appreciation and recognition.
• Leads cross-functional staff members in delivering innovative programs and managing transitions tied to strategic priorities.
• Ensures compliance with University policies and best practices.
• Seeks opportunities for professional development that will enhance job performance including attending webinars, seminars, building networks within the University and with colleagues at peer institutions.
• Manages employees by establishing annual performance goals, allocating resources, assessing annual performance, and determining individual merit, incentive and/or promotional increases.
• Ensures and may help develop short- and long-term human resources plans and operational policies for a unit. Develops and administers the HR budget for the unit and manages expenses.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

Education:

Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.

Work Experience:

Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 7+ years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Certifications:

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Preferred Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor's degree in human resources, communications, organizational development, or related field.
• Master's degree.

Experience:

• Progressive experience in employee engagement, communications, events management, recognition, change management, HR, or related functions.
• Background in higher education or non-profit.
• Prior experience building and managing high performing teams.
• Demonstrated expertise in leading change initiatives and programs.
• Managing cross-team projects.

Technical Skills or Knowledge:

• Demonstrated skill and knowledge of, or ability to learn quickly, the internal workings of the University as well as the technology tools available to Advancement, including Phoenix, the University's Donor Relationship Management System.
• Proficient in a Microsoft Windows computer environment, especially with Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, and SharePoint.

Preferred Competencies

• Outstanding interpersonal and communications skills characterized by the ability to listen, speak, and write effectively. Explain complex ideas clearly and simply.
• Strategic thinker with proven ability to lead change and influence stakeholders.
• Manage confidential information with discretion and tact.
• Act with high emotional intelligence, integrity, professionalism, and confidentiality.
• Work collegially and collaboratively in a team setting.
• Self-motivated and take initiative.
• Prioritize multiple projects and independently follow through with detail.

Working Conditions

• This position has a hybrid work schedule which includes weekly in office presence.
• Standard office environment.
• Travel to campus and/or non-campus locations for University business.
• Work evenings and weekends as needed.
• This position is located in Hyde Park at 5235 South Harper Court.

Application Documents

• Resume/CV (required)
• Cover Letter (preferred)

When applying, the document(s) MUST be uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.

Job Family

Human Resources

Role Impact

People Manager

Scheduled Weekly Hours

37.5

Drug Test Required

No

Health Screen Required

No

Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required

No

Pay Rate Type

Salary

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FLSA Status

Exempt

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Pay Range

$125, $130,000.00

The included pay rate or range represents the University's good faith estimate of the possible compensation offer for this role at the time of posting.

Benefits Eligible

Yes

The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits Guidebook.

Posting Statement

The University of Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or expression, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.

Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.

All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history.  A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment.  Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.

The University of Chicago's Annual Security & Fire Safety Report (Report) provides information about University offices and programs that provide safety support, crime and fire statistics, emergency response and communications plans, and other policies and information. The Report can be accessed online at:  Paper copies of the Report are available, upon request, from the University of Chicago Police Department, 850 E. 61st Street, Chicago, IL 60637.

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