Associate Director, HR Strategic Partnerships, University Advancement

Regular/Temporary

Regular

Job Title

Associate Director, HR Strategic Partnerships, University Advancement

Job ID

73185

Location

Central Campus

Open Date

11/28/2025

Job Type

Continuing

Close Date

12/08/2025

Employee Group

TMG

Favorite Job

Department

HR Strategic Partners

Salary Grade/Band

Band N

Salary Range

$ $ annual)

Hours per Week

35

Job Description

Department/Unit Description:

University Advancement:

University Advancement (UA) at McMaster University is an integrated department that encompasses the areas of Development, Alumni Engagement, Stewardship, and Advancement Services & Operations, working collaboratively with McMaster's Faculties and units across campus to build relationships and resources on behalf of the University.

Our vision is: Together, we enable McMaster to advance human and societal health and wellbeing.

Our mission is: Inspired by McMaster's tradition of collaboration and innovation, we strengthen relationships, reputation and resources in pursuit of our goal to be the best.

UA's approach to realizing our mission and vision reflects these core values and principles: Integrity, Quality, Respect, Service, Strategy and Teamwork.

HR Mission:

McMaster University's Human Resources strives to cultivate a community in which every employee's experience is that of acceptance, inclusion, belonging, and meaningful connection with the University's mission and institutional priorities by Championing our University People and Culture: Collaborating with our University and Community Partners; Advancing Service Delivery and Operational Excellence; and Promoting Learning, Development and a Growth Mindset.

McMaster University is multi-faceted with multiple locations and constituencies. As a result, Human Resources support and services have developed over time to meet a spectrum of partner needs. The HR team consists of functional units such as HR Operations (Payroll and Data Management, HR Client Services, HR Systems Strategy, Reporting and Analytics), Talent, Equity & Development, Total Compensation, Employee & Labour Relations, Employee Health & Wellness and University Health & Safety, who enable the delivery of comprehensive Human Resources programs and services in collaboration with leaders, HR area offices and HR practitioners across our community.

Job Summary:

In this senior HR role, the incumbent will work directly with the Vice-President to deliver on a bold vision for the future of University Advancement. The work is transformative, and the incumbent must be a thought leader with the VP, as the department grows to meet the multi-disciplinary, complex fundraising needs of each faculty, as well as a refreshed alumni engagement campaign, and the operational infrastructure must grow to support the aspirational vision for the University Advancement function. Strong knowledge and awareness of advancement functions and practices are essential for success in this role. The incumbent will work directly with the VP, other AVPs, CHRO, and the Director, HR Strategic Partnerships and Initiatives, providing expert insights to the leaders and actioning strategies to ensure UA has the talent needed to deliver on its goals.

The Associate Director leads a team of HR professionals and provides integrated support for talent planning, organizational design, change management, leadership development, and culture building. As a member of the Human Resources Services leadership team, the Associate Director contributes to the advancement and institutional integration of McMaster's OneHR vision and university-wide HR strategies. The Associate Director also builds relationships across Vice-Presidential portfolios to ensure cohesion and alignment in the delivery of HR strategies across the university.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Partnership & Executive Influence

• Act as a strategic thought partner to senior leadership, influencing portfolio strategy, change priorities, and operational execution through a people and culture lens.
• Build trusted relationships with executives to provide candid counsel, challenge assumptions, and elevate leadership impact.
• Anticipates risks, translate workforce insights into strategy, and enable informed decision-making.

People and Culture Strategy

• Lead a team of HR professionals, supporting their growth, strategic thinking, and alignment with the OneHR philosophy.
• Build HRSP capability within the team to consult, coach, and lead through complexity.
• Role model a high-performance, feedback-driven leadership style across the portfolio.

Talent, Leadership & Succession

• Lead workforce planning and succession strategies that anticipate talent needs and accelerate internal readiness for senior and critical roles.
• Collaborate with HR CoEs to co-design leadership development pathways, executive orientation, and high-potential programming tailored to organizational needs.
• Drive adoption of performance frameworks and leadership behaviours that strengthen capability and accountability.

Organizational Design & Change Leadership

• Lead organizational design and structure reviews that enable agility, collaboration, and growth.
• Support large-scale organizational transformation by applying change management best practices to ensure successful adoption.
• Guide leaders through major transformation initiatives using change management principles to ensure adoption and sustainability.

Culture, Engagement & Inclusion

• Coach leaders to embed values-based leadership and inclusive behaviours that shape culture and foster belonging.
• Lead portfolio-wide culture-building initiatives, leveraging employee feedback to guide action.
• Partner with Talent, Equity & Development, EIO and EDIA partners to operationalize equity strategies and ensure inclusive talent practices.

People Leadership & Capability Building

• Lead a team of HR professionals, supporting their growth, strategic thinking, and alignment with the OneHR philosophy.
• Build HRSP capability within the team to consult, coach, and lead through complexity.
• Role model a high-performance, feedback-driven leadership style across the portfolio.

Operational Excellence & Compliance

• Collaborate with HR CoEs to ensure consistent, compliant, and high-impact delivery of HR programs, policies, and services.
• Monitor key HR metrics to inform workforce strategy and identify opportunities for continuous improvement.
• Oversee portfolio-level HR operations, ensuring responsive and seamless support for staff and leaders.

Institutional HR Strategy and Enablement

• Collaborate with HR Strategic Partners from other Vice-Presidential portfolios to ensure alignment of HR strategies and coordinated implementation across the university.
• Represent the portfolio in cross-institutional HR initiatives, contributing insight to the design and implementation of enterprise-wide talent, culture, and workforce strategies.
• Serve as a senior ambassador for McMaster's OneHR vision, actively promoting and advancing institutional HR priorities within the portfolio.
• Collaborate with the HR Senior Leadership team to provide feedback on the impact and effectiveness of university-wide HR programs, informing continuous improvement.
• Play an active leadership role in HR governance forums and Communities of Practice, fostering shared learning and advancing strategic alignment across portfolios.

Qualifications:

Education:

• University degree preferably in Commerce, Psychology, or related field with a focus in Human Resources/Industrial Relations; Master's degree in a related discipline would be preferable.

Experience:

• At least 10 years of HR leadership experience in a large, decentralized organization, with a proven track record of leadership in a complex, dynamic environment such as higher education, healthcare, or a related sector
• Direct experience partnering with advancement functions and practices is required.
• Experience in leading HR staff and ensuring effective integration with HR CoEs and other key institutional partners.
• Proven expertise in change management and transformational leadership, with a history of driving cultural and organizational change.
• Certified Human Resources Leader (CHRL) designation required or proven years of experience with a goal to attain CHRL.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze and address employee and policy issues and exercise sound and experienced judgment in providing advice and guidance to senior level leadership and management level audiences, effectively navigating ambiguous situations
• Key champion and influencer of process enhancements which drive required HR agility, service delivery and operational excellence
• Strategic thinker with proven negotiation and influencing skills with diverse and complex stakeholder audiences
• Ability to build trust, follows through, ensures people feel heard, acts with integrity
• Demonstrated executive and leadership coaching, mentoring, and change management skills
• Excellent interpersonal and well-developed communication skills

How To Apply

To apply for this job, please submit your application online.

Hybrid Work Language

To ensure an ongoing and vibrant University community that meets the needs of our students, staff and faculty and supports the University mission, ability to work on-site continues to be a requirement for most University positions. The University is supportive of exploring flexible work arrangements that effectively balance operational needs and employee interests.

Interview Experience

At McMaster University, we believe in a comprehensive and inclusive interview process. Our interview methods encompass a variety of approaches that allow our hiring teams to provide a flexible and accessible experience for engaging with our candidates. Throughout your recruitment process at McMaster, you may be requested to participate in a variety of formats, that may include in-person, virtual or recorded interviews. If you have any questions as you move through the hiring process, please reach out to or the HR contact associated with your position of interest.