Director, Academic HR (CEHD)

Department: Col of Ed and Human Development

Classification: Administrative Faculty

Job Category: Administrative or Professional Faculty

Job Type: Full-Time

Work Schedule: Full-time (1.0 FTE, 40 hrs/wk)

Location: Fairfax, VA

Workplace Type: Hybrid Eligible

Sponsorship Eligibility: Not eligible for visasponsorship

Salary: Salary commensurate with education andexperience

Criminal Background Check: Yes

About the Department

The College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) is one ofMason’s largest and most complex academic units, encompassingfaculty, staff, and graduate researchers across programs ineducation, counseling, social work, and human development. CEHD iscommitted to equity-minded academic and workforce excellence, andoperates as a community deeply invested in the success of everyindividual the college employs.

About the Position

The Director, Academic HR is the senior HR leader for the Collegeof Education and Human Development. This role carries fullownership of the college’s people function — sitting alongsideCEHD’s executive leadership team as a strategic partner, managingthe college-based HR team to deliver integrated operational HR andstrategic support, and serving as the primary point ofaccountability for all HR matters within the college.

The Director partners closely with the Chief Business Officer andthe Dean to understand, prioritize, and address critical businessand workforce challenges facing CEHD — translating those prioritiesinto HR strategies, operational plans, and people solutions thatadvance the college’s mission. This is a leadership role withdirect responsibility for outcomes across the full range of HRfunctions that support CEHD faculty, staff, and academicoperations.

While primary accountability is to CEHD and the role reports to thecollege’s Chief Business Officer, the Director will have a dottedline relationship to the Associate Director, Employee and WorkforceRelations and HR partnerships within central HR, maintaining activeintegration with Mason’s HR Centers of Excellence (COE). TheDirector deploys appropriate HR interventions in collaboration withthese COEs — escalating effectively, surfacing college-level needs,and ensuring CEHD practices remain consistent with enterprisestandards while meeting the operational realities of an academicenvironment.

The work of this role is oriented around three dimensions: localoperational delivery of HR services (50%), strategic workforcepartnership with college leadership (30%), and consultative supportto supervisors, faculty, and staff (20%).

Reporting Structure and Leadership Scope

The Director, Academic HR is embedded in CEHD and serves as a fullmember of the college’s leadership community. Primary ownership ofand accountability for the college’s HR function rests with theDirector, Academic HR.

• Reports to the Chief Business Officer, CEHD — the primaryrelationship governing college priorities, workforce strategy, andoperational direction — and has a dotted line relationship to theAssociate Director, Employee and Workforce Relations and HRPartnerships, central HR, which governs enterprise alignment,compliance, and HR practice standards;
• Leads and manages the college-based HR team, includingselection, development, performance management, and day-to-day teamoperations, ensuring the team delivers high-quality strategic andoperational HR support to CEHD faculty, staff, and leadership;
• Partners with CEHD executive leadership to understand thecollege’s critical business challenges and people priorities, andtranslates those into coordinated HR strategies and workforceplans;
• Serves as an engaged member of Mason’s enterprise HR community— participating in CHRO-convened HR leadership forums andcross-institutional communities of practice as a representative ofCEHD and a contributing voice in Mason’s broader HR function;
• Brings the college’s workforce experience and operationalinsight into enterprise HR conversations, and carries enterprise HRstandards and frameworks back to CEHD leadership with clarity andcontext.

Responsibilities

HR Operations and Service Delivery

Owns and manages the full range of college-level HR operations —executing with accuracy, timeliness, and alignment to universitysystems, policies, and approval frameworks.

• Manages all CEHD HR operations including classification andcompensation, recruitment and hiring, onboarding, offboarding,performance management, leave administration, and employeerecords;
• Deploys appropriate HR interventions in collaboration with HRCenters of Excellence (COE) — partnering with Talent Acquisition,Total Rewards, Employee and Workforce Relations, TalentDevelopment, and HR Technology as the primary college interface foreach function;
• Develops and maintains college-level HR policies, procedures,and operational workflows that reflect enterprise standards whileaddressing the practical realities of an academic unit;
• Manages faculty hiring processes, appointment administration,and related academic HR functions in coordination with theProvost’s Office, Academic Affairs, and relevant COEs;
• Manages and develops the college-based HR team — providingdirection, coaching, and performance accountability to ensureconsistent, high-quality HR service delivery across CEHD;
• Liaises with central HR, Payroll, and other university officeson behalf of CEHD; ensures accurate and timely processing ofpersonnel actions within university systems including Banner HR;and
• Leads implementation of college-wide staff recognitionprograms, employee engagement initiatives, and CEHD staff successefforts;

Strategic Workforce Partnership

Serves as a trusted advisor and thought partner to the CBO and Dean— helping CEHD leadership make informed, people-centered decisionsthat advance the college’s academic mission and workforcegoals.

• Partners with the CEHD executive leadership team to understandand prioritize critical business challenges, translating thosepriorities into workforce strategies, organizational plans, andpeople solutions;
• Provides strategic counsel on workforce planning,organizational structure, talent development, succession, and staffsuccess strategies aligned to CEHD’s academic mission and Mason’sWorkforce of the Future strategy;
• Adapts and operationalizes university-wide HR frameworks,policies, and standards within the CEHD context; surfacecollege-level insights that inform enterprise policy and programdevelopment through the central HR partnership;
• Develops and maintains college-level reporting on key workforcemetrics — including hiring activity, retention, time-to-fill,equity indicators, and staff demographics — using shared universitydata infrastructure where available;
• Provides data-driven recommendations to inform CEHD leadershipdecisions on workforce investments, organizational changes, andtalent priorities;
• Contributes CEHD workforce data and insights toenterprise-level reporting and planning efforts led by central HR;and
• Executes special projects as assigned by the CBO and/orDean.

Consultative Support to Supervisors, Faculty, and Staff

Serves as a knowledgeable, accessible, and responsive resource toman managers, faculty, and staff navigating HR questions, workplaceconcerns, and people leadership challenges within CEHD.

• Serves as the college-facing delivery point for employeerelations — working within the framework and guidance establishedby central HR Employee and Workforce Relations, and escalatingmatters requiring university-level expertise, policyinterpretation, or formal investigation;
• Provides guidance on policy interpretation, workplace concerns,performance management, position changes, reorganizations,accommodations, separations, and work-life matters;
• Connects supervisors and managers to central HR resources,tools, and training — reinforcing the university’s investment inpeople leadership rather than building parallel college-levelinfrastructure; and
• Supports faculty-facing HR needs with an understanding ofacademic culture, shared governance, and the rhythms of facultyappointments and review cycles.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration,Education Administration, or a related field, or the equivalentcombination of education and experience;
• Progressively responsible HR experience in a complexorganization, including demonstrated experience across multiple HRdisciplines, direct supervisory responsibility, and partnershipwith senior leadership (typically 7–10 years);
• Experience in an academic or higher education environmentstrongly preferred;
• Experience managing and developing an HR team, includingperformance management and professional development;
• Experience partnering with or working within a centralized HRCOE structure or HR Business Partner model;
• Demonstrated ability to serve as a primary HR leader within acomplex unit, with full ownership of people outcomes and directaccountability to senior leadership;
• Strong relationship-building and advisory skills, with theability to influence and partner effectively with executive-levelstakeholders;
• Ability to operate effectively in a matrixed environment,balancing unit-level ownership with enterprise-wide standards andCOE integration;
• Proficiency in workforce data analysis and the ability totranslate data into actionable recommendations for leadership;
• Knowledge of employee relations best practices and the abilityto handle sensitive matters with discretion, fairness, andconsistency;
• Familiarity with faculty HR processes, academic appointmentstructures, and shared governance practices preferred;
• Strong oral and written communication skills with the abilityto engage effectively across all levels of the organization;
• High proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite; comfort workingwithin HR information systems; and
• Demonstrated commitment to equity and inclusion in HR practiceand service delivery.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Human Resources, Higher EducationAdministration, Organizational Development, or a relatedfield;
• Advanced HR certification such as SPHR or SHRM-SCP;
• Experience contributing to enterprise HR initiatives,communities of practice, or cross-institutional policy developmentbeyond a single unit; and
• Working knowledge of George Mason University policies,procedures, and systems including Banner HR and Finance modules,MicroStrategy, and Faculty and Human Resource ManagementSystems.

Posting Open Date: July 22, 2026

For Full Consideration, Apply by: August 5, 2026

Open Until Filled: Yes

Mason Ad Statement

George Mason University is a nationally ranked R1 researchuniversity committed to creating a more just, free, and prosperousworld. With 40,000 enrolled students, George Mason is the largestand most diverse public research university in Virginia, offeringdegree programs at the master's, doctoral, and professional level,along with certificates and credentials.

George Mason fosters an All Together Different environment forstudents, faculty, and staff, driven by our core beliefs. Webelieve in inclusivity over exclusivity; we believe in advancingour mission by being willing to take risks, not avoiding them; andwe believe our best work is possible when we apply our diversity oforigin, identity, circumstance, and thought.

Equity Statement

George Mason University is an equal opportunity/affirmative actionemployer, committed to promoting inclusion and equity in itscommunity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexualorientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability orveteran status, or any characteristic protected by law.

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