Oregon State University Foundation

(Corvallis, OR)

Title: Vice President, Talent Management

View Position Brochure Here

OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION: 

The OSU Foundation partners with the university to engage the broad OSU community, inspire investment and steward resources to enhance the university’s excellence and impact. 

The Foundation, entering its 75^th year, is a nonprofit organization, separate from the university and governed by a Board of Trustees. In 2017, the OSU Alumni Association was integrated into the Foundation to ensure a coordinated approach to engaging Oregon State alumni, parents and friends. 

The Foundation aspires to be not only one of the best university foundations and advancement organizations in North America, but also a “best place to work,” and acts in full alignment with the university to advance its priorities as determined in its cycle of strategic plans. While building relationships with alumni, parents and friends is a shared, university-wide responsibility, all fundraising positions are housed in the OSU Foundation. Active in the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), the Association of Governing Boards and with long-term counsel from Grenzebach, Glier and Associates, the Foundation embraces innovation and best practices. The Foundation prioritizes investments in technology in all aspects of its work. As of June 30, 2022, the Foundation holds assets surpassing $1.1 billion, manages an endowment of more than $764.5 million and employs approximately 150 professionals. 

Oregon State University publicly launched Believe It: The Campaign for Oregon State University,  on Friday, Oct. 14, led by the OSU Foundation. This campaign marks the university’s second fundraising campaign and its first to include specific engagement goals. The university and the OSU Foundation began working on the campaign in 2017 with then-President Edward J. Ray, aligning campaign priorities with OSU’s Strategic Plan 4.0. Since then, donors have contributed $1 billion toward the $1.75 billion goal and have created nearly 500 new scholarship, fellowship and student support funds, an increase of 26% since the campaign began.

In this campaign, which has been embraced by university President Jayathi Murthy, who began her tenure in September 2022, the OSU Foundation anticipates that donor support will fund the following university priorities: $460 million for student support, including scholarship, fellowship and experiential learning funds; $500 million for faculty positions and support funds; $320 million for new facilities, renovations and equipment; $250 million for emerging strategic initiatives; and $220 million for outreach programs that will benefit Oregon and beyond.

Fiscal year 2022 (FY22) marked a record year for fundraising, with donors giving more than $216.9 million, and was also a record year in “cash” as measured by the Voluntary Support of Education Survey. A particular point of pride is that 100% of the university’s Cabinet, Provost’s Council of Deans and Provost’s Senior Leadership Team, as well as our OSU Foundation Trustees, and nearly 100% of the Foundation staff made gifts to OSU in FY22.

The engagement of our community, through participation, volunteering and giving, which is how our profession (CASE) defines engagement, is an organization-wide priority, and goals have been established to advance diversity, equity and inclusion; advocacy; student and alumni success; and industry and community advice, counsel and connections. OSU Connections, an online community for Oregon State University students, alumni and friends, offers an easy way for Beavers around the world to engage with each other and broaden their professional network. In FY22, nearly 3,600 people engaged with the university as volunteers by participating in councils, boards and other committee or task force work.  All of this engagement is carefully tracked on our CRM to ensure the interests of our constituents are captured as well as to support our current and future machine learning efforts.

The Foundation, under the leadership of President and CEO Shawn L. Scoville and his experienced senior leadership team, seeks to build on this powerful momentum to support OSU’s expanding aspirations, establish industry-leading fundraising and engagement growth, and further energize donors, alumni and volunteers as we embark on “Believe It – The Campaign for OSU”.

OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY:  

Oregon State University is an international public research university with a statewide presence and global impact. We go wherever the challenges are and push ourselves to forge solutions. We embrace our responsibility to Oregon and the world, by building a future that is smarter, healthier, more prosperous, and more just. We see what could be and have worked relentlessly for more than 150 years to make it so. 

Founded in 1868, Oregon State is one of only three land, sea, space and sun grant universities in the United States. OSU is the state’s only institution to hold both the Carnegie Classification for Very High Research Activity and the prestigious Community Engagement Classification. 

Oregon State is Oregon’s largest university, welcoming a diverse student body of more than 34,000 students from across Oregon, all 50 states and more than 100 countries. Students can choose from more than 200 undergraduate and 100 graduate degree programs through OSU’s 11 colleges, including nearly 70 degrees online offered through Ecampus, which is consistently ranked among the Best Online Bachelor's Programs in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.

Oregon State is ranked in the top 1.4% out of 19,788 degree-granting institutions in higher education by the Center for World University Rankings. OSU has nationally recognized programs in forestry, human development and family studies, marine biology, natural resources and conservation, oceanography, and robotics.

With $471 million in research funding in 2022, more than all other public universities in Oregon combined, Oregon State is the state’s leading public research university. OSU has a presence in each of Oregon’s 36 counties, including campuses in Corvallis and at OSU-Cascades in Bend, the Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport, and the Portland Center, as well as agricultural research and Extension centers statewide. Corvallis, located 90 miles south of Portland, is widely considered one of America’s best college towns, recognized for innovation, safety, sustainability, and livability. 

For more information, please visit oregonstate.edu. 

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION & BELONGING:

While Inclusive Excellence is a priority at Oregon State University and the OSU Foundation, the Foundation is committed to proactively advancing specific work-related goals related to DEIB, rather than relying on workshops or book clubs alone. The Foundation’s “DEIB Action Plan” contains 10 goals, five of which are evergreen, yet all contain specific actions to be taken in a fiscal year. The Foundation’s President & CEO leads the plan but each goal and action in the plan has assigned staff leads. The Vice President, Talent Management (VP/TM), is a key leader in the Foundation’s DEIB Action Plan.

KEY PARTNERS:

To effectively fulfill the responsibilities of this position, the VP/TM works closely with and partners with the Foundation’s Chief Financial Officer, the VP for Technology and Chief Innovation Officer, the Board Chair, and with outside legal counsel.

MEASURES OF SUCCESS:

The Talent Management (TM) Team of six individuals delivers all aspects of HR/TM programming.

Success lies within the alignment with overall organizational goals and the effective implementation of goals specific to the TM team.

The VP/TM plays an integral role with the President/CEO, the Chair of the Board, and the Senior Leadership Team, and is successful by establishing credibility and integrity so that trust and confidence are earned.

Annual programs are planned, completed in a timely manner, and executed with precision, including:

• benefits open enrollment
• mid-year and annual performance reviews, promotions and merit allocation
• performance review process for the President and CEO
• regular professional development training for the Supervisor Working Group

Recruitments are pre-approved by the President and CEO, conducted with intentional diversity outreach initiated by both TM and the hiring manager, and successfully concluded on a timely basis to the extent that can be controlled by TM.

POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES:

Reporting to the President & CEO of The Foundation, and serving on the Foundation’s Senior Leadership Team, the VP/TM is responsible for overseeing, innovating, instilling and actively participating in the implementation and maintenance of best practices that drive business impact across all Foundation human resources/talent management programs and initiatives.

The TM unit leads the execution of HR/TM services including organizational design and effectiveness, staff training and development, total compensation, benefits design and delivery, including the management of a self-insured health plan, talent acquisition, talent management, succession planning, and employee relations.

The Foundation believes that trusting, authentic and meaningful work relationships internal and external to the organization drive deep engagement and a sense of belonging and fulfillment across the employee group, and that the connection employees have to their team and to their manager is essential to positive, constructive engagement at work. The Foundation has structured cascading leadership groups so that information is influenced by the leadership groups and effectively flows throughout the organization and supports effective decision making. As such, the Foundation utilizes a Senior Leadership Team, comprised primarily of direct reports to the President and CEO, a Quarterly Leadership Team, comprised of employees who are Senior Directors, AVPs and VPs, and the Supervisor Working Group (SWG), comprised of all employees supervising at least one employee to engage in strategic planning and problem solving. (The VP/TM, serves as the staff lead for the SWG.) Working with the President and CEO and outside counsel as a strategic partner, the VP/TM assists with the facilitation of agenda development, work flow and professional development across these three critical teams.

The VP/TM is an active contributor to the Foundation’s Board of Trustees and is the staff lead to the Board’s Compensation and Talent Management Committee (CTMC), which is comprised of Trustees who have deep corporate leadership and/or executive experience.

The CTMC provides oversight to ensure that the Foundation has experienced, trained, and competent staff. While the Foundation CEO has direct responsibility and authority for hiring and retaining staff, the Committee may assist in reviewing wage and benefit plans and other non-monetary employment issues. The Committee shall review, no less frequently than annually, the performance of the Foundation CEO and shall recommend any changes in the Foundation CEO’s compensation to the Board of Trustees for approval.

The CTMC’s responsibilities shall include, but not be limited to:

1. Working with the Foundation CEO and Foundation senior staff to help attract and retain top talent in support of the Foundation’s mission.

2. Ensuring that the Foundation’s human resource policies are consistent with the mission of the Foundation and in compliance with applicable federal and state law.

3. Developing a compensation philosophy for the Foundation and monitoring implementation of the philosophy.

4. Within a total compensation context, periodically reviewing the benefits package provided to all Foundation employees and recommending to the Board adjustments as needed.

5. Evaluating the performance of the Foundation CEO and reporting compensation recommendations to the Board of Trustees for approval.

6. Acting as a sounding board for the Foundation CEO for talent management matters.

7. Developing a CEO succession plan or a CEO search plan and recommending approval of those plans to the Board of Trustees. If a CEO search is initiated, the Committee shall appoint a search committee, which shall include at least some persons who are not members of the CTMC. The search committee shall report to the CTMC.

Position responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

I. Strategic Thought Partner:

Serves as a business partner to the Foundation’s President and CEO, the Leadership Team and the Board of Trustees, and across the organization with all managers, with the ability to independently develop and analyze alternative solutions and make recommendations that translate to operational objectives. Advises on appropriate foundation-wide HR/TM metrics, develops dashboards, reports demographics, succession planning, and talent reviews. Provides strategic guidance to the HR/TM function and initiatives based on insights derived from business performance metrics, HR/TM key performance indicators, and industry benchmarking data.

II. Proven Executive-Level HR/TM Professional:

Possesses broad and deep knowledge and experience in human and talent management including organization development, workforce planning, talent acquisition and pipeline development, talent management, performance management, skill assessment, succession planning, executive coaching, training and development, employee engagement, employment law, executive compensation, and total rewards. Leads efforts to develop, implement and assess short and long-term HR/TM strategies and goals including evaluating emerging trends and benchmarking best practices with peer institutions/foundations.

III. Expert in Budgets, Compensation and Benefits

Oversees compensation programs including market reviews and recommendations, enterprise salary budget forecasting, development and execution of compensation philosophy, and Annual Incentive Program. Leads compensation strategy, including developing financial modeling of pay structures that allow for appropriate differentiation among employee performance levels while adhering to principles of the talent philosophy. Oversees and drives market competitive and budget conscious benefits including the oversight and administration of the Foundation’s high deductible, self-insured health plan and Health Savings Account.

IV. Expert in Local, State, and Federal Rules and Regulations:

Oversees the development and implementation of the Foundation’s HR policies and procedures. Assists employees/managers with complex HR issues by providing counsel and accurate policy and legal interpretation. Works closely with legal expertise to strategize and solve complex HR issues and situations. Is committed to supporting strong culture and outstanding employees, while at the same time, understands that not all hires will be successful and the importance of “failing fast” with employees who are not a good fit or are underperforming. Executes these decisions in a compassionate manner.

V. Experience working with a Board:

Significant experience with a highly professional volunteer Board is required. The Foundation’s Board of Trustees, a 40+ person volunteer fiduciary board, relies on the VP/TM to act consistently with the Foundation’s goals, to collect and analyze data, to make recommendations and decisions that are data-driven, and to work with the Board, and specifically with the Board’s CTMC as chief staff person in a manner consistent with business expectations.

VI. Experience with a Self-Funded Health Plan:

Deep experience managing a self-insured health plan is required. The Foundation understands that the only way to offer the best affordable health care and save the most amount of health care money for the biggest number of people is to self-insure. The individual in this position leads this initiative by working closely with outside benefits consultants and internal partners, including the Board of Trustees, to ensure the health plan operates as efficiently and effectively as possible.

VII. Talent Management Innovator:

Innovation is not just a tagline in our core values, but an ethos the Foundation embraces to be able to scale and automate our efforts to support our staff and operations. Working with the VP Technology and Chief Innovation Officer, continually explore opportunities to leverage technology to improve the employee experience through our human resources information system (HRIS), recruitment technologies, and other systems that help to make Oregon State University Foundation one of the best places to work.

VIII. Inclusive Leader: 

Possesses strong people management skills, ability to recognize, value and work with diverse communities, along with being an effective influencer, coach and collaborator. Leads and supports the Foundation’s commitment to ensuring a more equitable and inclusive workplace that attracts, develops and retains employees.

IX. Unit Leader:

Provides guidance and leadership to the five-member HR/TM team.

DESIRED TRAITS AND CHARATERISTICS:

The VP/TM should champion the mission and core values of the Foundation. The proven abilities to build and lead HR and TM operations teams within a complex, matrixed organization, and to work across the Foundation and build collaborative relationships organization-wide are essential. Experience in strategic planning and implementation is highly preferred.

The successful candidate will be committed to the Foundation’s philosophy of retaining, developing, and supporting its outstanding and committed team to meet its ambitious goals. A responsive, accessible, hands-on leader, the VP/TM must prioritize intentional actions, focus on production and meeting agreed upon goals, possess enterprise thinking and be sensitive to working in a collegial academic environment. This individual will have effective interpersonal and analytical skills with exceptional communications and collaboration skills.

This individual needs to be a coalition-builder who can work in a dynamic environment with accompanying change management and organizational development experience. The ability to work effectively in a creative, fast-paced, and intellectual environment, which prioritizes urgency, is essential. The successful candidate will possess a high level of cultural competence and will balance left-brain technical skills with right-brain holistic thinking.

CAREER TRACK LEADING TO THIS POSITION:

The ideal candidate will be an experienced human resource / talent management professional with the ability to be a collaborative, team-oriented leader, who operates with a strategic perspective, and wishes to have a seat at the “decision-making table.” A minimum of 12-15 years of increasingly responsible human resources experience is preferred. Experience interfacing at a Board level is required, as is deep experience with the management and administration of a self-insured health plan. Employee relations experience and a working knowledge of all human resource activities and associated state and federal laws are essential and expected. Higher education and foundation experience is preferred.

EDUCATION:

A Bachelor’s degree in human resource management, business, organizational psychology or related field is required; a master’s degree strongly preferred.

COMPENSATION:

The salary range is $150,000 - $175,000 annually. Relocation assistance, if needed, is available. A comprehensive benefits package will be provided.

LOCATION:

This position is based at the Foundation office in Corvallis, Oregon. The Foundation offers a program called Core Workdays, a hybrid approach combining remote and in-office workdays. Unless traveling for work, Foundation employees are in the office on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, and work remotely, if preferred, on Monday and Friday.

VISION:

To create a better world by inspiring support of – and for – OSU.

MISSION:

We partner with OSU to engage our community, inspire investment and steward resources to enhance the university’s excellence and impact.

CORE VALUES:

We strive to be one of the best places to work in the country. We know that our success depends in large part on the people who carry out our mission. It’s what we do – and how we do it – that makes the difference. Our core values reflect our approach to work and to each other, and we are committed to conducting ourselves consistently with these values.

collaborative · responsible · respectful · inclusive · innovative