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Position Specification: Director, Human Resources – Stanford Hospital and Clinics and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital

Our highly prestigious client is Stanford University Health System - Stanford Hospital & Clinics (SHC) and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital (LPCH).

Stanford Hospital & Clinics is known worldwide for advanced patient care, particularly for the treatment of rare, complex disorders in areas such as cardiac care, cancer treatment, neurology, neurosurgery and organ transplants. Stanford Hospital includes 611 licensed beds. The clinics offer care in more than 100 specialties, including cancer, neurology, surgery and organ transplantation.

Patients come to Stanford from all over the Western United States and the world, often for specialized procedures unavailable elsewhere. In recognition of excellent care, the hospital and physicians consistently rank among the top in the nation in surveys by consumers and health care professionals. In July, 2002, Stanford was named to the Honor Roll of America's Best Hospitals by U.S.News & World Report.

Founded in 1991, Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital (LPCH) is a 256-bed non-profit hospital devoted entirely to the care of babies, children, adolescents and expectant mothers. The state-of-the-art, main facility is located on the Stanford University campus. LPCH is affiliated with the Stanford University Medical Center and many of its doctors also serve as professors at the Stanford University School of Medicine.

Management

An overview of top management of the hospital shows an exceptional blend of clinical, operational and business expertise in the field of acute and specialty care and services. Underlying the management team's skill-set is a passionate, deep-seeded and visionary commitment to excellence, innovation and growth. The style of management and the organizational culture of excellence are deeply rooted in teamwork and mutual support.

The level of teamwork and support among the management staff is extraordinarily high and remarkably effective. This group of Managers and Directors, with their collaborative style and complete commitment to the mission, is the heart of the department’s success. It is readily apparent that the management team consistently emphasizes teamwork, individual achievement and making the job fun.

To complement the management team an individual must be able to blend their individual success into that of the entire team and share in the commitment and the satisfaction of taking care of the healthcare needs of the community.

Position Description

The Director, Human Resources Operations leads the human resource functions and programs that support the business objectives of two hospitals and their related operations, deliver highest quality HR services, drive employee performance and create a positive working environment for all employees.

Through the management of the HR Operations Center, this position will drive organizational change and HR effectiveness through the implementation of human resource policies, compensation and benefits administration, and the management of employee and labor relations, compliance, and HR Service Excellence, supporting all business units and functions.

The Director, Human Resources develops and implements human resources strategies and tactics that support the mission, values and goals of the organization. Experience in Labor Relations is important, as the successful candidate will be highly involved, along with Stanford Labor Management Staff, in negotiating collective bargaining agreements. The following are the key components of this Position:

Reporting Relations

The Director, Human Resources is responsible to and evaluated by the Vice President of Human Resources.

Responsibilities

Drives HR service excellence by establishing, monitoring and reporting service standards and metrics.
Facilitates collaborative problem solving strategies to resolve employee relations' issues through effective communication with all levels of employees.
Displays genuine interest and respect for people and their concerns.
Manages relationships with unions, plans for and oversees the negotiation of labor contracts, ensures on-going compliance with labor contracts.
Implements and administers compensation, incentive, and benefits programs.
Designs and implements effective employee communication programs to ensure employee understanding and appreciation for compensation and benefits programs.
Encourages and builds positive relationships and communicates effectively with all co-workers and outside vendors.
Hires, trains, coaches and supports HR teams within function.
Conducts himself or herself at all times as the public image of the organization in accordance with Stanford's and LPCH's Code of Ethics. Ensures all direct reports operate under the organization's Code of Ethics.
Leads by example; models desired values. Develops and maintains high personal visibility, credibility and trust within function.

Skills and Attributes

Ability to act in a high-volume, fast-paced environment.
Excellent judgment and creative problem solver.
Strong organizational, analytical, and management skills.
Ability to operate as an effective tactical as well as strategic thinker.
Strong mentoring and coaching skills.
Exceptional written, oral and interpersonal skills.
Expert knowledge of best practices in HR policies, compensation and benefits.
Ability to simplify complex concepts and make cogent presentations for a variety of audiences.
Proactive, collaborative operating style.
Ability to manage multiple projects under tight deadlines and budgets.
Ability to effectively manage external consultants and vendors.

Personal Characteristics

The Director, Human Resources needs to possess the patience, self-confidence and communication skills necessary to work with the clinical and administrative staff.

First and foremost, this individual needs to be a team player, be a superb communicator and have the style of a diplomat, i.e., be able to work in harmony with other operational entities and to negotiate agreements so each party benefits. It is imperative that he/she be skilled in bringing together the staff functions in a spirit of harmony and with a single-minded purpose.

A hands-on leader who can develop a strategic vision of the department and has the expertise to develop values and goals for a diverse group of constituents will be successful. The successful candidate will have a proven record of accomplishment of strong leadership skills to ensure that the improvement process within the department continues, that priorities are established and the goals are met

The successful candidate will be a person who possesses a strong work ethic, rejects setbacks and values accomplishments highly. An action-oriented personality that deals with specifics within a broad conceptual framework will be most effective in this position. This individual will have an appropriate sense of urgency to react to situations quickly and decisively.

Compensation

The compensation plan is based on a competitive base salary commensurate with the experience and the demonstrated accomplishments of the successful candidate. It will reflect the opportunity at the hospital. The hospital has an excellent employee benefits package, consisting of medical coverage, a dental plan, life insurance, Defined Benefit Retirement Plan and a 403 b program with employer matching.