Career Center

Rowland Hall: Director of People

School Overview

Rowland Hall is an independent school in Salt Lake City serving 1,000 students in preschool through twelfth grade. Driven by our vision of inspiring students who make a difference, Rowland Hall sets the standard for teaching and learning excellence in a warm, inclusive environment where students form meaningful relationships that cultivate confidence and self-discovery. Transformational academic and co-curricular programs, including experiential learning opportunities, self-expression through the arts, and a competitive athletic program, ensure students are challenged both inside and outside the classroom. We foster curiosity, compassion, and joy throughout the learning process and graduate young adults who know how to think critically and live with purpose.

Located near the base of the stunning Wasatch Mountains and adjacent to the University of Utah, a world-class research university and medical center, Rowland Hall attracts a diverse community of families. The school focuses on recruiting and retaining high-quality employees by offering extensive professional development opportunities, salaries that are competitive with local districts and market rates, and a close-knit, supportive community.

Position Summary

The director of people is responsible for leading the employee operations of the school in order to support and fulfill the school’s vision and strategic priorities. This person is focused on building an excellent workplace for faculty and staff while also ensuring that human resource policies and practices, which are fundamental to the operations of the school, are successfully managed and maintained. Reporting to the chief financial officer (CFO), this person works closely with the head of school and leadership team and manages a payroll and benefits specialist. 

Primary Job Responsibilities

• Develop and implement employee and human resource strategies that support the school’s strategic priorities and reflect the values of the school. Partner with the director of equity and inclusion to create a diverse and inclusive culture where each person can thrive. 
• Develop, implement, and communicate policies and practices that prioritize and support employees while also providing them with clear and fair expectations for working at the school. Train and provide guidance to school leadership and employees on various HR topics. 
• Become a trusted partner that administrators, faculty, and staff seek out for guidance on employment matters. 
• Maintain a pulse on the school community and implement methods (both qualitative and quantitative) for obtaining employee feedback related to the school’s compensation, benefits, and work culture; recommend improvements that are both impactful and cost effective.
• Partner with school leadership to develop strategies to attract, retain, and develop faculty and staff. Work with hiring managers in the recruitment, hiring, and on-boarding of new employees in ways that make new employees feel welcome and supported. 
• In collaboration with the CFO, oversee compensation for all employees, including establishing pay for new hires and managing the issuance of employment agreements. Analyze local, regional, and national compensation data in order to better understand and make recommendations regarding the school’s compensation practices and policies. 
• Maintain strong relationships with benefits partners and lead the annual benefits open enrollment process. Partner with the CFO to select employee benefit service providers and administer employee benefit programs.  
• Continuously review processes for improvement; recommend and implement changes to automate and streamline processes when possible. 
• Oversee the payroll and benefits budget for the school. Partner with the accounting staff in managing payroll and benefit costs, premium payments, and the filing of our annual IRS 5500. 
• Monitor and ensure compliance with all employment laws and regulations in consultation with the school’s legal counsel.
• Collaborate on the design of and administration of the School’s performance evaluation processes. Provide support, coaching, and feedback to managers to effectively communicate and resolve performance issues in a timely manner. 
• Develop processes and provide training for handling employee conflicts and complaints.  Lead resolution of disciplinary matters and disputes; conduct investigations as necessary. 
• Facilitate the employee exit process and track trends in attrition; communicate patterns and recommend changes to school policies and practices as needed. 
• Consult with legal counsel related to employment matters as appropriate and/or as directed by the chief financial officer and/or head of school. 
• Maintain secure and confidential human resources files and records in compliance with employment laws and regulations. 
• Participate on committees and special projects, and perform other duties as requested.

Skills and Requirements

• BA/BS or equivalent in a business administration, HR, or related field. HR certification is highly preferred.
• Ten years of progressively more complex human resource management experience. Experience practicing HR in an educational setting is a plus.
• Technologically savvy, highly computer literate, and comfortable using various programs and platforms (including MS Office Suite, Google, Zoom, etc.). Confident using and analyzing data to draw conclusions and trends. 
• Ability to work with and through others, building and maintaining relationships. Must be an effective communicator, someone who can motivate others while being aware of and responsive to their needs and concerns. 
• Cultural competency; skill in communicating respectfully across cultures; ability to support an inclusive workplace environment to ensure that all employees feel valued, respected, and able to contribute their best work in support of the school’s vision and strategic priorities. 
• Ability to model professionalism and ethical leadership. Ability to maintain confidentiality and apply sound judgment around when information can and cannot be shared with those with a “need to know”. Patience, tact, discretion, and diplomacy in dealing with sensitive circumstances. 
• Strong organizational skills; adaptability and focus to deal with interruptions and competing priorities throughout the day. 
• Excellent communicator, both verbally and in writing; ability to communicate complex information in a clear manner.
• Requirements listed below are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to: work onsite in an office environment, sit at a computer and work on a keyboard for substantial periods, travel between two campuses and to all areas in each location, manage multiple projects at one time and set priorities as needed, and manage frequent in-person interactions with numerous interruptions.

Additional Details

This is a full-time, year-round, exempt position, reporting to the chief financial officer and supervising a payroll and benefits specialist. The anticipated start date is on or before July 1, 2022.

To apply, please send a cover letter, resume, and list of references to Gwen Fonarow at gwenfonarow@rowlandhall.org. For more information about the school, please visit www.rowlandhall.org.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Rowland Hall is an equal opportunity employer, and as such, believes that each individual is entitled to equal opportunity without regard to sex, color, race, ancestry, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, physical disability, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected under federal or state anti-discrimination laws. Rowland Hall’s equal employment opportunity practices extend to recruitment, hiring, selection, compensation, benefits, transfer, promotion, training, discipline, and all other terms, conditions, and privileges of employment.