Chief Operations & People Officer - UC Davis

Serve as the Dean's primary partner on division-wide operations, workforce strategy, and administrative planning.
• Lead the modernization of internal systems, workflows, and service standards across HR, IT, Facilities, and Dean's Office Operations.
• Establish clear operating rhythms, standard operating procedures, and cross-unit coordination protocols.
• Implement metrics-driven management practices, including Objectives and Key Results (OKRs), to improve accountability, transparency, and performance.
• Reduce operational ambiguity by clarifying roles, decision rights, escalation paths, and service expectations.
• Anticipate operational risks and design systems that prevent recurring "fire-fighting" scenarios.

• Provide executive oversight for all academic and staff human resources functions through direct supervision of the HR Director.
• Strengthen HR service quality, employee experience, and organizational trust through consistent communication, empathy, and follow-through.
• Lead workforce planning, talent development, performance management frameworks, and employee relations strategy.
• Champion a respectful, inclusive, and psychologically safe workplace aligned with UC Davis' Principles of Community.
• Support leadership capability across the division through coaching, training, and development initiatives.
• Ensure people practices reinforce clarity, accountability, and shared ownership rather than reactivity or avoidance.

• Lead CPE's evolution toward a data-informed, agile, and high-performing organization.
• Identify structural, cultural, and workflow barriers that impede effectiveness or morale.
• Design and implement solutions that improve collaboration, role clarity, and decision-making.
• Partner with leadership to align organizational structure with growth, sustainability, and service expectations.
• Lead initiatives to strengthen hybrid work practices, communication norms, and in-person engagement.

• Serve as a member of the CPE Executive Leadership Team.
• Coordinate operational communication to ensure division-wide clarity around priorities, initiatives, and expectations.
• Act as a visible, trusted, and steady leadership presence across the division.
• Represent CPE with campus HR, Academic Affairs, IT, and administrative partners, advocating for divisional needs and alignment.
• Support the Dean in reinforcing consistent leadership expectations and organizational standards.

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Public Administration, Human Resources, Organizational Development, or a related field.
• Minimum of 10 years of progressive leadership experience in operations, HR, organizational management, or administrative leadership.
• Any equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered.
• Demonstrated success in culture-building, employee relations, conflict resolution, and change leadership.
• Experience implementing metrics-driven management frameworks and modern performance systems.
• High emotional intelligence with the ability to build trust, communicate clearly, and navigate complex interpersonal dynamics.
• Excellent judgment, discretion, confidentiality, and professionalism.

• Master's degree (MBA, MPA, MA, JD, or related field).
• Experience in higher education or within the UC system, including academic personnel processes.
• Experience leading organizational transformation, workforce modernization, or digital operations improvement.
• Familiarity with UC labor relations, HR systems, and collective bargaining environments.

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