National Director of People and Culture

The National Director of People and Culture serves as the senior leader responsible for the strategic direction, development, and execution of the University’s people operations, culture, and compliance functions. The Director oversees all aspects of human resources, including talent acquisition, compensation, benefits, employee relations, training and development, and HR systems administration. As an expanding, multi-campus institution, the Inaugural National Director of People and Culture will manage a staff of four and support 215 full-time and 255 part-time employees, a third of whom work remotely from multiple locations.

The projected partnership with PCHS will increase the employee base by an additional 215 people in San Diego and Chicago.

This role will ensure institutional consistency and compliance across multiple states, providing expert guidance on employment law, organizational development, and workplace culture. In partnership with executive leadership, the National Director leads people-focused strategies that strengthen the employee experience, foster organizational growth, and align with the University’s mission, vision, values, and strategic plan.

Remote Opportunity:
This position will require building strong relationships across the campus and nationally. Candidates for this position will have the option to work on campus, hybrid, or in a fully remote capacity. Travel to the main campus in Whittier and to future learning sites to build relationships and attend key events and meetings is expected. Travel costs will be budgeted for and covered by the University.

Preferred base locations include the Los Angeles metro area, San Diego, Phoenix, or Chicago.

• Provide strategic oversight and guidance for all People and Culture functions, ensuring policies, programs, and practices align with institutional goals and values.
• Act as the primary advisor to executive leadership on employee engagement, remote work, workforce planning, and organizational design for employees based across 37 states.
• Lead institutional efforts to enhance culture, inclusion, performance, and leadership skills across all campuses and departments.
• Create the institutional strategy for managing People and Culture across multiple sites and states.
• Oversee the creation, revision, and implementation of university-wide employment policies, employee handbooks, and compliance frameworks.
• Partner with external legal counsel and HR advisors to ensure compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws, including wage-hour, ADA, FMLA, and multi-state regulations.
• Lead people operations efforts to support institutional growth and transformation initiatives.
• In partnership with the Chief Whole Health Officer, incorporate whole health concepts throughout employment at the University, including onboarding, retention, compensation, evaluation, and rewards systems.

• Oversee the entire talent acquisition process for staff, faculty, and leadership roles, ensuring consistency, equity, and compliance throughout the hiring process while attracting the best and brightest faculty and staff.
• Lead workforce planning and position control initiatives in partnership with senior leadership to support growth, strategic priorities, and organizational sustainability.
• Oversee onboarding and new hire integration programs, ensuring engagement, preparedness, and alignment with institutional culture.
• Collaborate with departments to identify workforce development opportunities, leadership pipelines, and succession planning strategies.

• Oversee the administration and governance of the University’s compensation framework, ensuring pay practices are competitive, fair, and compliant. Ensure that compensation is marketed to prospective employees to attract the best and brightest faculty and staff.
• Oversee the administration and governance of the University’s benefits package, ensuring benefits are competitive, fair, and compliant. Ensure that benefits are marketed to prospective employees to…