Director Academic Operations Jobs in Virginia (NOW HIRING)

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 visa sponsorship

Salary: Salary commensurate with education and experience

Criminal Background Check: Yes

About the Department:

The College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) is one of Mason's largest and most complex academic units, encompassing faculty, staff, and graduate researchers across programs in education, counseling, social work, and human development. CEHD is committed to equity-minded academic and workforce excellence, and operates as a community deeply invested in the success of every individual the college employs.

About the Position:

The Director, Academic HR is the senior HR leader for the College of Education and Human Development. This role carries full ownership of the college's people function - sitting alongside CEHD's executive leadership team as a strategic partner, managing the college-based HR team to deliver integrated operational HR and strategic support, and serving as the primary point of accountability for all HR matters within the college.
The Director partners closely with the Chief Business Officer and the Dean to understand, prioritize, and address critical business and workforce challenges facing CEHD - translating those priorities into HR strategies, operational plans, and people solutions that advance the college's mission. This is a leadership role with direct responsibility for outcomes across the full range of HR functions that support CEHD faculty, staff, and academic operations.
While primary accountability is to CEHD and the role reports to the college's Chief Business Officer, the Director will have a dotted line relationship to the Associate Director, Employee and Workforce Relations and HR partnerships within central HR, maintaining active integration with Mason's HR Centers of Excellence (COE). The Director deploys appropriate HR interventions in collaboration with these COEs - escalating effectively, surfacing college-level needs, and ensuring CEHD practices remain consistent with enterprise standards while meeting the operational realities of an academic environment.
The work of this role is oriented around three dimensions: local operational delivery of HR services (50%), strategic workforce partnership with college leadership (30%), and consultative support to supervisors, faculty, and staff (20%).
Reporting Structure and Leadership Scope:

The Director, Academic HR is embedded in CEHD and serves as a full member of the college's leadership community. Primary ownership of and accountability for the college's HR function rests with the Director, Academic HR.

• Reports to the Chief Business Officer, CEHD - the primary relationship governing college priorities, workforce strategy, and operational direction - and has a dotted line relationship to the Associate Director, Employee and Workforce Relations and HR Partnerships, central HR, which governs enterprise alignment, compliance, and HR practice standards;
• Leads and manages the college-based HR team, including selection, development, performance management, and day-to-day team operations, ensuring the team delivers high-quality strategic and operational HR support to CEHD faculty, staff, and leadership;
• Partners with CEHD executive leadership to understand the college's critical business challenges and people priorities, and translates those into coordinated HR strategies and workforce plans;
• Serves as an engaged member of Mason's enterprise HR community - participating in CHRO-convened HR leadership forums and cross-institutional communities of practice as a representative of CEHD and a contributing voice in Mason's broader HR function;
• Brings the college's workforce experience and operational insight into enterprise HR conversations, and carries enterprise HR standards and frameworks back to CEHD leadership with clarity and context.

Responsibilities:

HR Operations and Service Delivery:

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

• Manages all CEHD HR operations including classification and compensation, recruitment and hiring, onboarding, offboarding, performance management, leave administration, and employee records;
• Deploys appropriate HR interventions in collaboration with HR Centers of Excellence (COE) - partnering with Talent Acquisition, Total Rewards, Employee and Workforce Relations, Talent Development, and HR Technology as the primary college interface for each function;
• Develops and maintains college-level HR policies, procedures, and operational workflows that reflect enterprise standards while addressing the practical realities of an academic unit;
• Manages faculty hiring processes, appointment administration, and related academic HR functions in coordination with the Provost's Office, Academic Affairs, and relevant COEs;
• Manages and develops the college-based HR team - providing direction, coaching, and performance accountability to ensure consistent, high-quality HR service delivery across CEHD;
• Liaises with central HR, Payroll, and other university offices on behalf of CEHD; ensures accurate and timely processing of personnel actions within university systems including Banner HR; and
• Leads implementation of college-wide staff recognition programs, employee engagement initiatives, and CEHD staff success efforts;

Strategic Workforce Partnership:

Serves as a trusted advisor and thought partner to the CBO and Dean - helping CEHD leadership make informed, people-centered decisions that advance the college's academic mission and workforce goals.

• Partners with the CEHD executive leadership team to understand and prioritize critical business challenges, translating those priorities into workforce strategies, organizational plans, and people solutions;
• Provides strategic counsel on workforce planning, organizational structure, talent development, succession, and staff success strategies aligned to CEHD's academic mission and Mason's Workforce of the Future strategy;
• Adapts and operationalizes university-wide HR frameworks, policies, and standards within the CEHD context; surface college-level insights that inform enterprise policy and program development through the central HR partnership;
• Develops and maintains college-level reporting on key workforce metrics - including hiring activity, retention, time-to-fill, equity indicators, and staff demographics - using shared university data infrastructure where available;
• Provides data-driven recommendations to inform CEHD leadership decisions on workforce investments, organizational changes, and talent priorities;
• Contributes CEHD workforce data and insights to enterprise-level reporting and planning efforts led by central HR; and
• Executes special projects as assigned by the CBO and/or Dean.

Consultative Support to Supervisors, Faculty, and Staff:

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

• Serves as the college-facing delivery point for employee relations - working within the framework and guidance established by central HR Employee and Workforce Relations, and escalating matters requiring university-level expertise, policy interpretation, 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 in people leadership rather than building parallel college-level infrastructure; and
• Supports faculty-facing HR needs with an understanding of academic culture, shared governance, and the rhythms of faculty appointments and review cycles.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Education Administration, or a related field, or the equivalent combination of education and experience;
• Progressively responsible HR experience in a complex organization, including demonstrated experience across multiple HR disciplines, direct supervisory responsibility, and partnership with senior leadership (typically 7-10 years);
• Experience in an academic or higher education environment strongly preferred;
• Experience managing and developing an HR team, including performance management and professional development;
• Experience partnering with or working within a centralized HR COE structure or HR Business Partner model;
• Demonstrated ability to serve as a primary HR leader within a complex unit, with full ownership of people outcomes and direct accountability to senior leadership;
• Strong relationship-building and advisory skills, with the ability to influence and partner effectively with executive-level stakeholders;
• Ability to operate effectively in a matrixed environment, balancing unit-level ownership with enterprise-wide standards and COE integration;
• Proficiency in workforce data analysis and the ability to translate data into actionable recommendations for leadership;
• Knowledge of employee relations best practices and the ability to handle sensitive matters with discretion, fairness, and consistency;
• Familiarity with faculty HR processes, academic appointment structures, and shared governance practices preferred;
• Strong oral and written communication skills with the ability to engage effectively across all levels of the organization;
• High proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite; comfort working within HR information systems; and
• Demonstrated commitment to equity and inclusion in HR practice and service delivery.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's degree in Human Resources, Higher Education Administration, Organizational Development, or a related field;
• Advanced HR certification such as SPHR or SHRM-SCP;
• Experience contributing to enterprise HR initiatives, communities of practice, or cross-institutional policy development beyond 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 Management Systems.

Instructions to Applicants:

For full consideration, applicants must apply for the Director, Academic HR (CEHD) at https://jobs.gmu.edu/. Complete and submit the online application to include three professional references with contact information, and provide a cover letter and resume for review.

Posting Open Date: July 22, 2026

For Full Consideration, Apply by: August 5, 2026

Open Until Filled: Yes