EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, COMPENSATION - UCOP SYSTEMWIDE HUMAN RESOURCES

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The University of California, Office of the President has retained Isaacson, Miller to conduct this executive search

Executive Director, Compensation

University of California, Office of the President

Oakland, California

The University of California Office of the President (UCOP) seeks a strategic and collaborative thought-leader to serve as the next Executive Director of Compensation (Executive Director). Reporting to the Associate Vice President of Total Rewards, the Executive Director is a key member of the Systemwide Human Resources team and is responsible for overseeing and directing systemwide compensation strategy, philosophy, and the execution of compensation programs and procedures. The Executive Director will lead a team of compensation professionals and develop a collaborative, high-performing service culture dedicated to improving efficiency and effectiveness to support UC in attracting and retaining top talent through competitive compensation offerings. The Executive Director will also provide advice and guidance to both the Office of the President leadership and the Senior Management Group in understanding the full range of classification and compensation matters in a complex environment. The Executive Director will be conversant in the most up-to-date best practices in compensation management, organizational development, and workforce planning.

Founded in 1868, the UC system is recognized as one of the world's largest and most successful academic institutions, with a tripartite mission of research, teaching, and public service. The ten campuses that make up the UC system - Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Merced, Riverside, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, and Santa Cruz - collectively enroll approximately 299,400 students and are supported by more than 265,000 faculty and staff, and 2.5 million alumni living and working around the world. Another half million people benefit from UC's continuing education courses each year, as well as from research centers and educational programs operating throughout the state. UC's scope extends beyond its campus locations, with its national laboratories, medical centers, and outreach programs in neighboring communities, throughout California, and around the world.

The next Executive Director will have the opportunity to make a notable impact on strengthening UC's compensation strategy through the evaluation and enhancement of systems, processes, and operations, reinforcing UC's highly respected position in higher education. Ideal candidates will have experience in compensation and classification in an environment of similar scale and complexity to the UC system. In addition, ideal candidates must have a genuine interest in collaboration and stakeholder engagement, an ability to lead and manage a highly capable team of HR specialists, and skills in setting policy and guiding others through influence and adept political savviness. A bachelor's degree is required, and an advanced degree is preferred.

The University of California, Office of the President has retained Isaacson, Miller, a national executive search firm, to assist in conducting this important search and to help identify outstanding candidates. All inquiries, applications, and nominations for this opportunity should be directed to the search firm as indicated at the end of this document.

University of California Office of the President

Located in Oakland, California, the UC Office of the President is the systemwide headquarters of the University of California, managing its fiscal and business operations and supporting the academic and research missions across its campuses, national labs, and medical centers. The Office of the President coordinates activities that allow a complex and unique system to operate efficiently as one university, furthering its public interest, academic, and research missions. It oversees and manages programs that serve the entire university system, allowing UC locations to capture the savings and efficiencies that come from centralized operations.

To learn more about the UC System, please visit: http://universityofcalifornia.edu/uc-system.

Systemwide Human Resources

Systemwide Human Resources (SWHR) is responsible for developing a vision, strategy, and environment to engage, empower, and involve the system's human capital, in the present and onwards. The SWHR portfolio includes: employee and labor relations; finance and administration; strategic planning; equity, diversity and inclusion; total rewards; local Office of the President HR; and administration of UC retirement operations. The SWHR office strives to foster a healthy, equitable, and inclusive UC workplace and maximize HR efficiency, consistency, and innovation while supporting employee retention and engagement.

To learn more about the Systemwide Human Resources, please visit: https://www.ucop.edu/human-resources/index.html.

Role of The Executive Director, Compensation

The next Executive Director will have the opportunity to drive meaningful change by enhancing the execution of UC's compensation philosophy and strategic framework through ongoing assessment and improvement of systems, processes, and operations-ultimately strengthening UC's impact. Reporting to the AVP of Total Rewards, the Executive Director is a member of the SWHR team and has two direct reports - Director of Staff Compensation and Director of Executive Compensation - with a total staff of 13.

Collaboration and communication are crucial to this role as the Executive Director works with members of the Total Rewards team, the Systemwide HR team, and the Senior Management Group to provide coordinated policies and programs across UC's workforce, providing direct leadership in integrating UC's overall approach to compensation and classification. Additional functions of the Executive Director include working with external vendors and service providers to conduct research for complex market segments and making written and oral presentations to the Regents, President, Chancellors, and other senior leaders.

KEY OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES

The Executive Director will bring proactive leadership to UC's compensation function, and, specifically, will work to address the following opportunities and challenges:

Provide strategic direction for the UC's compensation initiatives

The Executive Director plays a key leadership role in shaping the long-term direction of systemwide compensation strategy and program execution. This individual will oversee the development of comprehensive compensation policies that address highly complex issues and evolving organizational needs, working with a team of experienced managers and professionals. They will drive innovation by recommending updates to existing programs and ensuring alignment with market trends, internal workforce dynamics, and UC policy. Providing strategic guidance through competitive market data analysis and internal turnover insights will be key to designing forward-thinking compensation solutions and supporting the UC Office of the President's mission and objectives.

Serve as a thought partner to UC leaders

The next Executive Director will serve as a partner to the AVP for Total Rewards and serve as a primary liaison to the President, Chancellors, and senior leaders across UC on a wide range of compensation-related matters. The Executive Director will collaborate closely with executive leadership and key stakeholders within the Office of the President on data analysis, governance, and the development of high-level materials for the President and the Board of Regents. They will regularly advise senior leaders across the UC system on compensation strategies for diverse employee groups. Leading the presentation and timely recommendations of executive compensation actions-including appointments, salary proposals, and other employment matters-for Senior Management Group roles and other competitive market-aligned compensated positions will be an essential function of this role. Further, the next Executive Director will be experienced in engaging third-party firms to support complex, systemwide compensation initiatives.

Lead and manage the compensation team

The Executive Director will lead a high-performing director-level management team, providing strategic guidance in the recruitment, selection, and evaluation of staff, offering hands-on leadership, mentorship, and oversight to foster a collaborative and high-growth work environment. They will establish multi-year unit goals and individual performance objectives aligned with organizational priorities. Additional priorities include developing and implementing robust succession planning and cross-training initiatives to build expertise and resilience across the team. Identifying and promoting professional development opportunities to strengthen both individual and unit performance will also be expected. Regarding operational matters, the Executive Director will make recommendations and implement decisions on budgeting, staffing, employee relations, and space planning in order to shape the effectiveness and direction of the department.

QUALIFICATIONS AND CHARACTERISTICS

While no one person will embody them all, the successful candidate will bring many of the following professional qualifications, skills, experiences, and personal qualities.

• Bachelor's degree in related area or equivalent experience/training required, advanced degree in related area preferred;
• Certified Compensation Professional is preferred;
• Over 10 years of compensation experience including executive compensation with at least five years of experience managing employees;
• Advanced knowledge of higher education policies, procedures, initiatives and fiscal/budget processes in addition to a thorough knowledge of human resource practices and procedures;
• Ability to comprehend political implications of human resources strategy and policy decisions, and an understanding of current business trends;
• Ability to work in a highly collaborative manner;
• Strong analytical and organizational skills;
• Proven ability to clearly communicate in both verbal and written form;
• Demonstrated forward-thinking approach as well as interpersonal and problem-solving skills;
• Proactively seeks solutions and remains flexible to pivot strategies as needed;
• Proven track record of leveraging expertise to diplomatically guide and motivate others, as well as develop and maintain effective working relationships with a wide range of employee constituents.

Compensation and location

The University of California Office of the President is required to provide a reasonable estimate of the compensation range for this role. This range takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, and other business and organizational needs. Salary offers are determined based on candidate qualifications and experience. The full salary range, $186,300 - $382,500, shows the growth potential for this position, and the pay scale is the budgeted salary that UCOP reasonably expects to pay for this position, which for this position is $290,000-$335,000, commensurate with experience.

Applications, Inquiries, and Nomination

Screening of complete applications will begin immediately and continue until the completion of the search process. Inquiries, nominations, referrals, and CVs with cover letters should be sent via the Isaacson, Miller website https://www.imsearch.com/open-searches/university-california-office-president/executive-director-compensation. Electronic submission of materials is strongly encouraged.

Becca Kennedy, Partner

Kristen Andersen, Senior Associate

Cortnee Bollard, Senior Search Coordinator

Isaacson, Miller

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state or federal law

Benefits: For information on the comprehensive benefits package offered by the University visit: Benefits of Belonging

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

HOW TO APPLY

Please be prepared to attach a cover letter and resume with your application.

APPLICATION REVIEW DATE

The first review date for this job is August 4, 2025. If needed, add: The position will be open until filled.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

Background Check Process: Successful completion of a background check is required for this critical position. Background check process at UCOP

Smoke Free Work Environment: The University of California, Office of the President, is smoke & tobacco-free as of January 1, 2014. UC Smoke & Tobacco Free Policy

As a condition of employment, you will be required to comply with the University of California Policy on Vaccination Programs, as may be amended or revised from time to time. Federal, state, or local public health directives may impose additional requirements.

As a condition of employment, the finalist will be required to disclose if they are subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct, are currently being investigated for misconduct, left a position during an investigation for alleged misconduct, or have filed an appeal with a previous employer.

• "Misconduct" means any violation of the policies or laws governing conduct at the applicant's previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies or laws prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment, discrimination, dishonesty, or unethical conduct, as defined by the employer.
  • UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy
  • UC Anti-Discrimination Policy for Employees, Students and Third Parties
  • APM - 035: Affirmative Action and Nondiscrimination in Employment

EEO STATEMENT

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state or federal law.

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