Academic Career & Executive Search Seeking CHRO for Boise State University

September 22, 2022 – A number of universities have recently turned to search firms to find new chief human resources officers. Academic Career & Executive Search (ACES) has been called in by Boise State University to lead its search for a CHRO. Reporting directly to the president, the CHRO is a senior member of Boise State’s leadership team, responsible for developing a responsive, innovative, and collaborative human resources unit that recruits, compensates, retains, and develops a highly talented and engaged workforce.

The CHRO balances enterprise strategy with day-to-day operations. The key to success in this position is the ability to align faculty and staff human resources with the broader enterprise by providing leadership on HR strategies in a large, complex organization, said ACES. The CHRO will be expected to supervise, manage, and develop an HR staff focused on creating a people-centered organization where talent is valued as a critical resource and Boise State is an employer of choice. The CHRO oversees the following HR functions: talent acquisition, career development, succession planning, retention, training, leadership development, employee relations, compensation, benefits, HRIS, and payroll.

The successful candidate will be a forward and strategic thinker with a history implementing successful initiatives, said ACES. The CHRO will be strongly supported and have a work environment with other highly collaborative, innovative, and excited leaders.

According to the search firm, candidates should have the ability to work effectively and collaboratively with executive leadership, senior management, and faculty and staff, understanding the dynamics of a world-class academic environment and the relationship between business functions and the teaching and research mission of the university. They should be skilled in providing leadership and direction for human resources services in a fast-paced environment of organizational change.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Knowledge and skill in analyzing organizational problems and determining effective forward-thinking management solutions, policy development, program management, and utilization of human resources.
• Excellent strategic planning and operational management skills with the ability to translate vision and strategy into clear, actionable goals to drive change and innovation while balancing multiple priorities in a fast, high intensity environment.
• Ability to effectively persuade and build consensus to negotiate complex issues across organizational and institutional lines among diverse constituencies.
• Understanding of the principles, practices, methods, and techniques of strategic planning, forecasting and budgeting.
• Outstanding analytical skills with the ability to effectively utilize data to inform program and operational design to strategically drive organizational changes.
• Knowledgeable about the principles of process improvement, including best practices and techniques in collaboration, organizational effectiveness, etc.
• Ability to think creatively, strategically, and analytically to identify issues and solve problems with the executive-level skill to develop effective enterprise solutions.

Boise State University is a public, metropolitan research university providing leadership in academics, research, and civic engagement. The school has more than 24,000 students from every state and more than 60 foreign countries. Boise State is designated as a doctoral research institution by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. It offers about 200 programs of study, including 11 doctoral programs. The university is an integral part of its metropolitan environment and is engaged in its economic vitality, policy issues, professional, and continuing education programming and cultural enrichment.

Experienced Recruiters

Academic Career & Executive Search focuses on executive search services, career planning, and candidate coaching. Specializing in challenging faculty to senior administrative positions, the firm offers six a la carte services spanning full search, candidate generation, interim, multi-hire, and contingency search. Candidate support services include webinars, career planning and candidate coaching. Its team has served in virtually every capacity in higher education including president, vice president, provost, dean, chief human research officer, and faculty members across all types and sizes of institutions.

Related: Why Universities Have Stepped Up Efforts to Involve Search Firms

Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; and Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media