HR Director Jobs in Ohio

INTRODUCTION

The Director, HR Operations & Employee Data provides strategic and operational leadership for core HR operations, employee data integrity, and front-line HR service delivery. This role ensures accurate, timely, compliant, and customer-focused execution of employee and student employment processes while strengthening operational controls, technology partnerships, and business continuity practices that support institutional effectiveness.

The Director leads employee operations and student employment; establishes standards for service delivery, process accuracy, accountability, and continuous improvement; and maintains high-quality employee data through strong documentation, controls, and cross-functional collaboration. The role partners closely with Institutional Research & Effectiveness and Computing & Telecommunications Services to support enterprise data governance, HR technology alignment, and institutional reporting needs.

Enterprise Partnership Model

• Institutional Research & Effectiveness (IRE): Leads enterprise data governance, institutional reporting, and analytics.
• Computing & Telecommunications Services (CaTS): Owns HR systems, including Banner configuration, upgrades, integrations, security administration, and technical support.
• Human Resources: Accountable for operational execution, HR service delivery, employee data accuracy, functional requirements, process documentation, user acceptance testing, and adoption of HR system changes.

The Director ensures HR operations align with institutional data standards, system capabilities, and service expectations.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

- Bachelor’s degree and at least 8 years of relevant experience, including leadership in HR operations, shared services, employee data management, HR service delivery, or a related function.
- Demonstrated experience leading teams and managing operational processes with accuracy, accountability, compliance, and service orientation.
- Strong understanding of HR operations, employee data, records management, employment processes, and compliance requirements.
- Proven ability to improve processes and implement sustainable operational solutions that reduce errors, improve service, and support institutional goals.
- Ability to build trust and work effectively in a collaborative, matrixed environment with HR colleagues, technical partners, analytical partners, and institutional stakeholders.
- Ability to lead through ambiguity, balance service responsiveness with compliance obligations, and make sound operational decisions in a complex institutional environment.
- Strong judgment, attention to detail, organization, problem-solving skills, and commitment to confidentiality.
- Excellent communication, stakeholder management, documentation, and change management skills.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

- Master’s degree.
- Experience in higher education or a similarly complex, mission-driven environment.
- Familiarity with Banner or similar ERP systems from a functional user, business process, or operational leadership perspective.
- Experience working in partnership with IT, institutional research, data governance, payroll, finance, or compliance functions.
- Experience developing operational metrics, service standards, process documentation, knowledge management resources, or shared services practices.
- Experience leading teams through organizational, technology, service delivery, or process transformation.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS AND PERCENT OF TIME:

40% HR Operations Leadership & Service Excellence

• Provide leadership for employee operations and student employment; establish clear expectations, accountability, workflow priorities, and performance standards for the team.
• Directly supervise assigned HR operations and student employment staff, supporting effective performance management, coaching, cross-training, and professional development.
• Ensure timely, accurate, and compliant processing of personnel, pay, and benefits-related actions for faculty, staff, and student employees.
• Establish service standards, operational metrics, quality controls, and escalation practices that support timely, consistent, well-documented issue resolution.
• Serve as an operational resource during peak processing periods and focused data-entry initiatives to ensure continuity, accuracy, and service standards are maintained.
• Ensure communications to employees and managers are accurate, concise, service-oriented, and reflective of the university’s commitment to exceptional service.
• Collaborate with HR Centers of Excellence and HR Business Partners to streamline processes, improve operations, and enhance the employee experience.
• Reduce inquiry volume and improve efficiency through self-service resources, knowledge management, process standardization, and proactive communication.
• Promote a culture of operational excellence, continuous improvement, accountability, collaboration, and strong internal customer service.

20% Process Improvement & Business Continuity

• Identify and implement process improvements to increase efficiency, reduce errors, strengthen controls, and enhance the user experience for employees, managers, student workers, and HR partners.
• Standardize and document business processes to ensure consistency, scalability, cross-training, and long-term operational sustainability.
• Partner across HR and the institution to streamline workflows, reduce administrative burden, and improve coordination between central HR and distributed departments.
• Lead, maintain, and periodically assess HR business continuity plans and operational safeguards for payroll, benefits, employee support, and student employment during emergencies, service disruptions, system outages, staffing shortages, and peak workload periods.
• Represent Human Resources on the university’s Emergency Management Committee.
• Use operational data, service trends, stakeholder feedback, and process reviews to recommend practical improvements that strengthen service delivery and institutional resilience.

20% HR Systems, Data Governance & Enterprise Partnerships

• Serve as HR’s functional lead for system enhancements, upgrades, issue resolution, operational requirements, user acceptance testing, issue prioritization, communication, and business process impacts.
• Represent HR operational needs in system-related discussions, data governance initiatives, technology planning, and cross-functional projects. Support user adoption of system changes through communication, training, documentation, knowledge materials, and process alignment.
• Ensure HR technology solutions support operational needs, institutional data standards, and security expectations.
• Partner with CaTS and Institutional Research & Effectiveness to identify opportunities for improved data quality, reporting reliability, process automation, and responsible use of HR technology.