Director of Talent Solutions & Operations

#140433 Director of Talent Solutions & Operations Filing Deadline:
Sat 8/1/2026

UC San Diego values and welcomes people from all backgrounds. If you are interested in being part of our team, possess the needed licensure and certifications, and feel that you have most of the qualifications and/or transferable skills for a job opening, we strongly encourage you to apply.

Human Resources advances a culture of inclusion and innovation by attracting top talent, building a high-performing workforce, developing skilled leaders, and fostering a vibrant and engaging climate for the people of UC San Diego. We provide campus employees with the full range of personnel services and participate in systemwide policy and decision-making. Human Resources includes CHRO Administration, Business and Fiscal Operations, and five functional domains:
Talent Solutions;
People Programs and Rewards; HR Strategy and Policy;
People Support; and Organization Effectiveness.

The Director of Talent Solutions is a high-impact leadership role responsible for the strategic and operational overhaul of UCSD’s recruitment ecosystem. This position serves as both the architect of a modern talent acquisition strategy and a "hands‑on" executive recruiter for the university’s most critical roles.

The Director will lead the transition from a legacy processing model to a proactive, consultative recruiting function. Key priorities include the successful implementation of a homegrown Applicant Tracking System (ATS), re-engineering recruitment workflows, managing the behavioral resistance to those new tools and methods, serving as a peer-coach to the team as UC San Diego transitions to a more consultative/partnership approach to Talent Acquisition and serving as a high-touch talent advisor to campus leadership.

• Bachelor's degree in related area and / or equivalent experience / training.
• Demonstrated experience (typically 5-7 years min.) in Talent Acquisition, with significant experience in both operations/leadership and high-level full-cycle recruiting.
• Must be experienced in and support innovative recruitment and employment practices, workforce planning initiatives, change management, strategic planning and program evaluation.
• Must know organizational human resources policies and programs and budget / fiscal processes.
• Maintains a thorough understanding of the goals of the organization and ways in which this position can support those goals.
• Proven success in leading large-scale organizational change or digital transformation (specifically ATS or HRIS implementations).
• Demonstrated ability to influence executive-level stakeholders and navigate complex, decentralized organizational structures.
• Position requires highly effective written and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated competency with and commitment to fostering fairness, respect, and inclusion in alignment with the Principles of Community.
• Strong ability to manage multiple high-stakes projects (the ATS build, the org change, and executive searches) simultaneously.
• Experience using data to identify recruitment bottlenecks and tell a compelling story to leadership.

• Job offer is contingent upon satisfactory clearance based on Background Check results.
• Occasional evenings and weekends may be required.
• This position has been identified as a Mandated Reporter pursuant to the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and requires immediate reporting of physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, or neglect of anyone under the age of 18. It is the responsibility of the Mandated Reporter to ensure that they obtain proper training in order to fulfill their reporting responsibilities as required by the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and University policy, and to complete and submit the required reports to the UC San Diego Police Department without delay.

Annual Full Pay Range: $108,100 - $204,900 (will be prorated if the appointment percentage is less than 100%)

Hourly Equivalent: $51.77 - $98.13

Factors in determining the appropriate compensation for a role include experience, skills, knowledge,…