Academic Career & Executive Search Seeking CHRO for Washtenaw Community College
April 22, 2024 – Academic Career & Executive Search (ACES) was recently retained by Washtenaw Community College in Ann Arbor, MI, to lead in its search for a new chief human resources officer. The search is being led by managing partner Jennifer Muller. Reporting to the president and serving on the president’s executive leadership team, the CHRO is responsible for integrating human resource services across Washtenaw Community College. The incoming leading should be adept at sourcing and acquiring top-tier talent.
The CHRO will also provide insight and guidance to help drive business strategy and value, build organizational strategic alignment to support execution of institutional goals, and focus on shared responsibility for managing talent, managing culture, and building workforce capability. The successful candidate will be skilled at negotiating and administering collective bargaining agreements for multiple collective bargaining units including faculty.
Those applying will have a master’s degree in human resource management, labor relations, or a closely related field from a regionally accredited college or university. They should have experience with labor contract bargaining and labor contract administration. Candidates must also have at least eight years of progressively more responsible full-time work experience as a human resources professional. They will have strong communication skills in order to serve as a spokesperson for the college during collective bargaining and to effectively communicate with staff, administrators and faculty on a wide variety of human resource matters are required.
ACES also notes that candidates should have experience in examining and re-engineering human resources operations and procedures, formulating human resources policy and developing and implementing new human resources strategies and procedures. Prior work experience as a human resources executive at the vice president or assistant vice president level is also desired.
Established in 1965, Washtenaw Community College has grown into one of the nation’s premier community colleges with an annual enrollment of more than 18,000 students in credit classes each year, and thousands more in economic and college development classes. The diverse student body includes more than 1,000 students from 100+ foreign countries.
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 resources officer, and faculty members across all types and sizes of institutions.
Academic Career & Executive Search Recruits Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer for California State University, Stanislaus
After a national search, Academic Career & Executive Search (ACES) has assisted in the recruitment of Sacha Joseph-Mathews as founding chief diversity, equity, and inclusion officer at California State University, Stanislaus (CSU). Dr. Joseph-Mathews has over 15 years of experience training executives, managers, and organizations in unconscious bias and diversity, equity, and inclusion. She joins CSU, Stanislaus from University of the Pacific, where she has served as the assistant dean of diversity, equity, and inclusion and community engagement in the school of business since 2020. Dr. Joseph-Mathews has also served as an associate professor at University of the Pacific since 2006, teaching courses ranging from DEI in business to services marketing and management.
Ms. Muller has more than 20 years of research and development experience in higher education and Fortune 500 companies. She has led over 70 higher education searches both domestically and internationally spanning presidents, vice presidents, associate chancellors, deans, directors, chairs, and faculty level positions. Ms. Muller is former vice chair of the American Council on Education (ACE) Executive Search Roundtable and serves as an advisor in the numerous ACE leadership development forums.
Another CHRO Search
ACES was also recently selected to recruit the next chief human resources officer for Massachusetts College of Art and Design. This is a vibrant period for the school and a unique opportunity to lead at a distinguished institution as the college commemorates its 150th anniversary. The successful candidate will be an informed decision maker who capitalizes on opportunities to promote the organization’s mission, vision, and values actively.
The CHRO plays an integral role in driving the organization’s commitment to strengthening its position as a diverse, equitable, and inclusive organization. Reporting to the vice president of administration and finance, this executive attracts, develops, engages, and retains top talent. The CHRO sets the tone for the employee experience, advises the senior leadership team, and leverages the human capital that supports organizational advancement.
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor; Lily Fauver, Senior Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
