The Superintendent/President and Board of Trustees of the Sonoma County Junior College District/Santa Rosa Junior College are seeking an innovative and experienced human resources professional who will be an inclusive and visionary leader of the District’s Human Resources programs and services. This position is responsible for the planning, organization, direction, and implementation of a comprehensive human resources program. The District is committed to hiring a Vice President of Human Resources who understands how cultural diversity in the academic environment promotes academic excellence; fosters cultural, racial, and human understanding; provides positive role models for all students and employees; and creates an inclusive and supportive educational work environment for its students, employees, and the diverse communities it serves.

Santa Rosa Junior College (SRJC) is a single college district located in Sonoma County, California. Sonoma County is rich in history, beauty, and culture and is an excellent choice for a place to live and work. The District is designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution, reflecting the great responsibility to the educational attainment and economic well-being of the surrounding community. The District prides itself on being an inclusive, diverse, and sustainable community that fosters the growth and development of its students, faculty, and staff. SRJC is a unique institution in a unique environment. It offers a leadership opportunity for the right person to continue the human resources work that is in progress and become a part of a dynamic educational enterprise, an energetic leadership team, and a vibrant, supportive workplace and community. 

THE MISSION OF THE SONOMA COUNTY JUNIOR COLLEGE DISTRICT IS:
Santa Rosa Junior College transforms the lives of our culturally rich student body, employees, and community by cultivating a welcoming and antiracist environment, centered on social responsibility and cultural awareness. We offer exceptional teaching and learning in support of associate degree, certificate, transfer preparation, workforce preparation and community education programs, integrated with comprehensive student support services.

THE VISION OF THE SONOMA COUNTY JUNIOR COLLEGE DISTRICT IS:
Santa Rosa Junior College commits to setting the standard in cultivating an accessible, open, barrier-free, sustainable environment for students, employees, and the community. The college envisions equitable, impactful, transformative, enriching, and holistic learning opportunities that inspire our students to thrive.

SONOMA COUNTY JUNIOR COLLEGE DISTRICT VALUES:

• A Healthy and Resilient College grounded in kindness, innovation, collaboration, and restorative justice that identifies and removes oppressive structures;
• Teaching and Learning that encompass excellence, freedom, and responsibility in academics that promote civic engagement, a love of learning, and success for all students;
• Community Engagement and Relationships founded on cultural competency, trust, embrace of difference, and interconnectedness;
• Wellbeing centered on the physical and mental wellness of all members of our community;
• Integrity that emphasizes honesty, transparency, and ethical engagement;
• Effectiveness and District Stability that support fiscally responsible planning centered on student needs; and
•  Our Responsibility to the Environment and Society expressed in our commitment to sustainability and social equity.

ABOUT THE SONOMA COUNTY JUNIOR COLLEGE DISTRICT
Santa Rosa Junior College has been an integral part of the Sonoma County community and its rich history, beauty and culture for more than 100 years. 
SRJC is a public two-year community college, which serves the County of Sonoma and portions of Marin and Mendocino counties. The District has two campuses, located in Santa Rosa and Petaluma, California, two centers, a Public Safety Training Center located in Windsor, California, and the Robert Shone Agricultural Center located in Forestville, California, and our newest site in the Roseland area of the City of Santa Rosa. Students may choose from over 100 associate degree majors and certificate programs, complete courses toward the first two years of a bachelor’s degree program, or pursue courses for other professional or personal reasons. 

SRJC serves approximately 22,000 students each semester and is committed to inclusion, diversity, equity, anti-racism, and accessibility. The ideal candidate will share SRJC’s commitment to be an inclusive, diverse and sustainable learning community that engages the whole person.
Please see the following Online Resources to learn more about SRJC:

• Office of the President
• Student Services
• Accreditation
• SRJC Factbook
   

SRJC’s Superintendent/President Dr. Angélica Garcia is an educational leader with a demonstrated commitment to improving access, equity, and student success in higher education. Dr. Garcia earned a doctorate in Educational Leadership at San Francisco State University, a Master’s in Social Work at San Diego State University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal and Civic Studies at Saint Mary’s College of California.

Dr. Garcia was appointed the Superintendent/President of Santa Rosa Junior College on July 1, 2023. Dr. Garcia’s leadership underscores the honor and pride that SRJC has in being designated as a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), which advances the learning and development for Latinx students throughout Sonoma County. She recognizes that this designation calls on SRJC to serve the needs, career and academic goals, and create a pathway for access to higher education for diverse student populations.

Dr. Garcia’s experience as an educator, social worker, adjunct faculty, and administrator has afforded her the opportunity to develop the leadership and community-building skills needed to impact institutional change. Her experience as a first-generation college student, and as a student of color, informs her teaching and leadership lens. She is known for her inclusive leadership which centers participatory governance for institutional change efforts.

The Vice President of Human Resources serves as the Chief Human Resources Officer, reporting to the Superintendent/President and serving on the President’s Cabinet. This position provides sound leadership for all district-wide Human Resources programs in service to our District, our students, our employees, and the community. This role will serve as a chief advisor to the Superintendent/President on strategic matters related to human resources and employee relations, including all personnel matters, and participating in strategic and long-range planning for the District. An exceptional candidate will be a strategic-minded individual who is dedicated to creating an optimal employee experience and culture of service and who will drive the change needed to create a workplace that attracts and retains the best talent.

The Vice President of Human Resources directly supervises the Director, Human Resources, the Manager, Employment and Equity and the Manager, Employee Health and Safety, and either supervises or has oversight over all confidential and classified staff within the component. 
 

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Under the leadership of the Superintendent/President and in accordance with the goals of the District, this individual will provide overall leadership in the planning, organization, direction and implementation of a comprehensive human resources program for the District and provide oversight of the Human Resources department; serve on the President’s Cabinet to support and achieve the District’s mission, goals, and initiatives; serves as the District’s Compliance Officer, in collaboration with the Title IX Coordinator, serve as Title IX decision-maker and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Coordinator; may serve as the designee in the absence of the Superintendent/President; supervise and evaluate the performance of assigned staff; and foster a culture of collaboration, inclusion, mutual respect, innovation and continuous improvement throughout the District.
 

Key Duties and Responsibilities:
The duties and responsibilities listed below are representative of the position. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list.

• Develops and implements effective, inclusive and equitable Human Resources policies, procedures, and systems.
• Plans, organizes, directs, and implements a comprehensive human resources program  that supports the mission of the District and its employees in the areas of recruitment and selection; benefits administration, including unemployment insurance and workers’ compensation; compensation; classification; employee and labor relations; contract administration; human resources information systems; professional development; performance evaluation; employee health and safety; compliance  and equal employment opportunity (EEO) and diversity/inclusion programs. 
• Directs and reviews effectiveness of employment services including recruitment efforts, selection processes, onboarding procedures, and retention efforts of District faculty and staff. Provides training in effective employment practices that incorporate strategies aimed at eliminating the impact of implicit bias throughout the process; provides information and support for retention of new employees; prepares and presents reports to appropriate audiences detailing the impact of equity-focused employment practices.
• Provides leadership with the formulation and development of college policies, procedures, and programs related to human resources; collaborates with senior administrators and constituent groups in the development of plans, strategies, goals, and objectives of the District; develops and presents human resources-related policies, procedures and programs in response to legislation and District needs.
• Serves as a key adviser to the Superintendent/President, Board of Trustees, and executive managers on policies, procedures, and management issues related to assigned areas of responsibility and to promote inclusion, diversity, equity, anti-racism and accessibility for the District’s diverse stakeholder communities.
• Serves as a key adviser to the Superintendent/President and Board of Trustees in closed session on collective bargaining, legal settlements and litigation, employee discipline and discharge, and other matters within the scope of closed session topics; direct and implement legal settlements, litigation, collective bargaining, and policy direction pursuant to Board action.
• Participates in classified and faculty collective bargaining negotiations and processes in accordance with policy direction from the Superintendent/President and the Board of Trustees; oversees the administration, interpretation and implementation of collective bargaining agreements for classified staff and faculty negotiations teams; interprets provisions of the negotiated contracts to ensure that employment-related actions are in compliance with labor agreements and applicable laws and regulations; may serve as the District’s chief negotiator for the classified unit; handles the faculty grievance process for the District.
• Meets with individual employees and groups of employees to provide information, respond to questions, resolve issues, and receive feedback on a variety of work-related issues, concerns, problems or complaints; communicates and consults with legal counsel on litigation related to employment and other human resources matters; seeks advice from legal counsel on the interpretation of federal, state, and local laws and regulations as they pertain to human resources issues; advises the Superintendent/President of required responses to litigation and other legal matters.
• Serves as the District’s Compliance Officer, pursuant to Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations, for purposes of responding to complaints of unlawful discrimination; ensures District compliance with EEO requirements and appropriate regulations. Serves in an advisory capacity to the District’s Equal Employment Opportunity Advisory Committee (EEOAC) to oversee the development and implementation of the District’s EEO Plan; and promotes and implements equal employment opportunity (EEO) and diversity and inclusion programs.
• Provides oversight of the District’s program and processes related to employee matters, including but not limited to grievances based on discrimination of a protected status. Additionally works in collaboration with the Title IX Coordinator to address grievances that include employees.  
• Serves as the District’s ADA Coordinator; chairs the District’s Digital Access Committee (DDAC); develops the District’s Transition Plan for persons with disabilities; oversees investigations or investigates and responds to allegations of discrimination regarding disability; and consults with other managers to develop solutions to evolving, emerging matters related to equity and access as needed.
• Hires, directs, supervises, and evaluates assigned staff; establishes standards of performance and methods of operation for the department; assigns and monitors workloads and projects; disciplines assigned staff according to established policies and procedures. 
• Provides leadership in the convening, charge and work of a variety of District-wide committees, councils, teams, task forces, and special events related to Human Resources; attends and chairs District-wide committees; represents the District in the community and at local, State and regional meetings; maintains liaison with appropriate government agencies and professional organizations; attends all meetings of the District’s Board of Trustees; provides reports to the Board of Trustees as requested or required.
• Oversees the budget for Human Resources programs and operations; analyzes and reviews budgetary and financial data; authorizes expenditures in accordance with established policies and procedures; manages the accounts appropriately to ensure that the budget is balanced; identifies resources and establishes a basis for accountability on behalf of the Human Resources department.
• Serves as the custodian of records for personnel files for the District; protects confidentiality and follows privacy laws (HIPAA); directs the preparation of, or prepares records and reports related to personnel transactions, recruitment and selection, administration of employee benefits, workers’ compensation/long-term disability, classification review, salary administration, EEO/staff diversity reports and other documentation.
• Provides leadership in implementing the vision and oversight of the strategic plan and related efforts, including Program and Resource Planning Process (PRPP) annual and program review for the Human Resources department.  
• Works collaboratively and professionally with faculty, staff, students, and stakeholders from diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, disability, gender identity, and ethnic communities.
• Contributes positively to a culture valuing diversity and promoting equity, inclusion, and accessibility; promotes staff diversity, addresses equity gaps impacting students, and creates an inclusive environment within assigned areas of responsibility.

The full job description is posted here.

• Leadership in Human Resources: Lead the Human Resources Department with a visionary approach, promoting a culture of service that enhances the employee experience and builds and maintains trust within the college community.
• Modernization and Innovation: Influence the modernization of Human Resources systems and workflows.
• Collaborative Relationships: Build and maintain constructive relationships with the college community, embodying the principles of inclusion, diversity, equity, anti-racism and accessibility.
   

Nominations and Inquiries
PPL Inc. has been selected to assist with the recruitment for the Vice President of Human Resources at Santa Rosa Junior College.  

Nominations and inquiries about this opportunity (prior to the position closing date) should be directed to the PPL Inc. search consultants using the information below:

Pamela D. Walker, Ed.D.
Vice President, PPL Inc.  
pwalker@pplpros.com    
(916) 768-8565    

Diane Clerou, M.P.A.      
Senior HR Consultant, PPL, Inc.
dclerou@pplpros.com
(559) 999-9992
 

The Sonoma County Junior College District requires the following application materials for this position:

1. A Santa Rosa Junior College/GovernmentJobs.com Employment Application and responses to Agency-wide Questions, located on the Employment Page. 
2. A current resume or CV of no more than six pages including all work experience, formal education, and training related to this position's requirements.
3. A cover letter, no more than four pages in length, addressing the applicant’s qualifications for the position.
4. A 1 -2-page statement on how the applicant has successfully implemented and supported inclusion, diversity, equity, accessibility, and anti-racism in development and implementation of human resources policies and procedures. 
5. Candidates selected for an interview will be required to submit a list of eight references that includes:  two supervisors, two subordinates (including one classified professional), one administrative peer, two faculty (or equivalent), and one community member or external partner. Candidates will be asked to submit a contact number and email address for each reference. References will not be contacted without the candidate's permission unless the applicant is offered a final interview. At that time the District will contact all listed references, and also contact people not on the applicant’s list of references. Information provided by all references will be shared with the Superintendent/President, her final interview committee, and the Board of Trustees. The names of individual references will not be provided as part of this report to ensure the confidential nature of reference checking.

Note: If any required application materials are omitted, the committee will not review your application. Items not required (including reference letters) will not be accepted. For full consideration, all application packets must be received by 11:59 pm on the closing date. 

Copies of transcripts of all college-level coursework and a current (within the last 6 months) DMV Driver’s Record report verifying an acceptable driving record and possession of a Class C Driver’s License will be required upon request. 

The search for the Vice President of Human Resources is a confidential process.  Applications will be reviewed by a screening committee following the closing date. 

The following timeline dates are tentative and subject to change, as determined by the screening committee:

• Application Filing Deadline: August 9, 2024
• First Round of Interviews: Mid-September 2024 
• District wide Forums: Early October 2024
• Finalist Interviews: Mid-October 2024
• Board Approval of new VP of Human Resources: November 12, 2024
• Target Start Date: As soon as possible following board appointment November – Early December 2024

For additional position requirements, review the full application for employment.

Santa Rosa Junior College is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to maintaining a workforce that demonstrates an understanding of, sensitivity to, and respect for the diverse academic, socioeconomic, ethnic, religious, and cultural backgrounds, disability, and sexual orientation of community college students, faculty, and staff.

Santa Rosa Junior College attracts and retains the most qualified faculty and staff from diverse backgrounds. This is achieved through an inclusive recruitment strategy and a rigorous, thorough hiring process that begins with the fair and consistent evaluation of each application for minimum qualifications and demonstrated skills specific to each position/assignment. Because the ability to serve students from broad cultural heritages, socioeconomic backgrounds and genders is a key commitment of the District mission, Santa Rosa Junior College actively encourages applications from candidates who recognize the value that diversity brings to a professional educational community.