Senior Director, HR Operations - Hybrid Chicago Loop Office

JOB SUMMARY

Join the NORC People Department of NORC at the University of Chicago as our newest Senior Director of Operations. NORC People serves as the organization's Human Resources function, focused on enabling business success through strategic talent, culture, and workforce initiatives.

The Senior Director of HR Operations is a strategic leader responsible for overseeing core HR operational functions, including Compensation, Benefits, HRIS, Employee Relations, and HR Compliance. This role leads a team of experienced directors and managers, ensuring operational excellence, cross-functional alignment, and successful execution of enterprise-wide initiatives.

This leader will focus heavily on team leadership, stakeholder partnership, operational strategy, project execution, and clear, transparent communication across all levels of the organization, rather than serving as the technical subject matter expert in each functional area.

The ideal candidate is an experienced people leader who can develop high-performing teams, drive large-scale initiatives, and create scalable processes that support business growth and employee experience.

This role will play a key role in shaping the future of NORC’s HR function, with high visibility and meaningful impact across the organization.

Location: This is a hybrid role based in our Chicago Loop office (300 E. Randolph), with a minimum of eight (8) days a month in the office.

DEPARTMENT: NORC People

The NORC People Department of approximately 25 staff supports NORC's mission and values by collaborating with research, operations, and administrative departments to recruit, develop, and retain top staff. Because NORC is a government contractor, the NORC People team plays a large role ensuring that all staff information and systems remain secure and that our organization is fully compliant with our policies.

NORC People is responsible for talent acquisition, hiring, benefits administration, employee relations matters, and performance evaluation programs to ensure our organization is maintaining compliance while keeping employees’ best interests in mind.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead, coach, and develop a team overseeing Compensation, Benefits, HRIS, Employee Relations, and Compliance functions.
• Provide leadership oversight across HR operations, including:
• • Compensation programs and annual planning cycles
• Benefits administration and vendor management
• HR systems, data integrity, and reporting
• Employee relations practices and risk mitigation
• HR compliance, audits, and policy administration

(while empowering functional leaders to serve as technical subject matter experts)

• Drive organization-wide HR initiatives and cross-functional projects, ensuring timely execution, stakeholder alignment, and successful outcomes.
• Partner with HR and business leadership to improve operational efficiency, scalability, and service delivery.
• Develop and maintain operational processes, governance structures, and service standards to drive HR excellence.
• Lead organizational change management efforts related to HR programs, systems, policies, and operational improvements.
• Provide clear, transparent communication across all levels of the organization, including senior leadership, managers, and employees.
• Provide guidance on employee relations matters, supporting a positive, respectful, and compliant workplace.
• Collaborate with Finance, Legal, IT, and other business units to support strategic priorities.
• Monitor HR operational performance metrics and identify opportunities for continuous improvement, including leveraging artificial intelligence where appropriate.
• Ensure compliance with all applicable employment laws, regulations, and internal policies.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to senior leadership on HR operational strategy, organizational effectiveness, and workforce initiatives.

REQUIRED SKILLS

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field required.
• Advanced degree preferred.

Experience

• Minimum of 10 years of progressive HR leadership experience, including leading large HR operations or shared services functions.
• Proven success managing and developing senior-level HR leaders and multi-disciplinary teams.
• At least 7 years of supervisory experience managing high-performing teams across multiple levels.
• Strong experience leading enterprise projects, operational improvements, and organizational change initiatives.
• Experience designing, implementing, and auditing HR policies and procedures.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex employee relations strategies, including:
• • Risk mitigation and investigations
• Oversight of harassment, discrimination, retaliation, or misconduct cases
• Deep knowledge of federal, state, and local employment laws.

Skills and Competencies

• Strong business acumen and strategic thinking capabilities.
• Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills, with the ability to translate complex HR concepts for diverse audiences.
• Strong executive presence and influencing skills.
• Proven ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, complex environment.
• Highly organized with exceptional project and program management capabilities.
• Collaborative leadership style emphasizing empowerment and accountability.
• Ability to navigate ambiguity and drive clarity across teams.
• Data-driven mindset with a focus on operational excellence and continuous improvement.
• Ability to align HR operations with broader business objectives.
• Familiarity with HR technology ecosystems and enterprise HR systems.

SALARY AND BENEFITS

The pay range for this position is $200,000 – $230,000.

This position is classified as regular. Regular staff are eligible for NORC’s comprehensive benefits program. Benefits include, but are not limited to:

• Generously subsidized health insurance, effective on the first day of employment
• Dental and vision insurance
• A defined contribution retirement program, along with a separate voluntary 403(b) retirement program
• Group life insurance, long-term and short-term disability insurance
• Benefits that promote work/life balance, including generous paid time off, holidays; paid parental leave, bereavement leave, tuition assistance, and an Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

NORC is committed to equity and transparency in its pay practices. We publish salary ranges and benefit information for every job. The listed hiring range reflects what we, in good faith, expect to pay at the time of posting, though actual compensation may vary and may be adjusted over time.

A candidate’s placement within the range depends on factors such as competencies, education, qualifications, experience, skills, performance, and organizational needs. This role is bonus eligible. Bonus payment is contingent upon program terms and individual performance.

WHAT WE DO

NORC at the University of Chicago is an objective, non-partisan research institution that delivers reliable data and rigorous analysis to guide critical programmatic, business, and policy decisions. Since 1941, our teams have conducted groundbreaking studies, created and applied innovative methods and tools, and advanced principles of scientific integrity and collaboration.

Today, government, corporate, and nonprofit clients around the world partner with us to transform increasingly complex information into useful knowledge.

WHO WE ARE

For over 80 years, NORC has evolved in many ways, moving the needle with research methods, technical applications and groundbreaking research findings. But our tradition of excellence, passion for innovation, and commitment to collegiality have remained constant components of who we are as a brand, and who each of us is as a member of the NORC team.

With world-class benefits, a business casual environment, and an emphasis on continuous learning, NORC is a place where people join for the stellar research and analysis work for which we’re known, and stay for the relationships they form with their colleagues who take pride in the impact their work is making on a global scale.

EEO STATEMENT

NORC is an equal opportunity employer. NORC evaluates qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, national origin, disability, status as a protected veteran, sexual orientation, and other legally protected characteristics.