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The University of Missouri–St. Louis (UMSL) invites nominations and applications for the position of Associate Vice Chancellor and Chief Human Resources Officer. Reporting to the UMSL Vice Chancellor of Finance and Operations and the UM System Vice President of Human Resources, the Associate Vice Chancellor and CHRO serves as the senior HR executive for UMSL providing visionary leadership and strategic direction across all facets of human resources.

The CHRO partners with campus leadership, faculty, staff, and student employees to foster a high-performing and engaged workforce aligned with institutional goals.

The CHRO leads strategic planning and execution for core HR functions including talent acquisition, employee engagement, organizational development, compensation and classification, performance management, and compliance. This role ensures HR practices are forward-thinking, data-informed, and responsive to evolving workforce needs and regulatory landscapes.

In collaboration with the University of Missouri System Vice President of Human Resources, the CHRO drives system-wide initiatives and ensures their successful implementation at UMSL. The CHRO also partners with institutional equity and compliance offices on Title IX, ADA, and other regulatory matters, and represents UMSL on university-wide committees and initiatives.

 Key Responsibilities

  • Strategic HR Leadership: Develop and execute HR strategies that support UMSL’s mission, values, and strategic priorities. Lead change management efforts and champion a culture of innovation, equity, and continuous improvement.
  • Talent Management: Oversee end-to-end talent lifecycle processes including recruitment, onboarding, retention, succession planning, and workforce development. Collaborate with campus leaders to build and develop teams.
  • Employee Relations & Engagement: Serve as a trusted advisor to leadership and employees on workplace matters. Lead resolution of complex employee relations issues, investigations, and conflict mediation in coordination with legal counsel and compliance offices. Serve as the campus Grievance Officer.
  • Policy & Compliance Oversight: Ensure HR policies and practices comply with federal, state, and university regulations. Communicate policy changes effectively and foster a culture of accountability and transparency.
  • HR Operations & Technology: Optimize HR systems, data analytics, and reporting to enhance decision-making and operational efficiency. Lead process efficiency initiatives within HR.
  • Training & Development: Identify learning needs and deliver impactful training programs that support leadership development, compliance, and employee growth. Evaluate training effectiveness and adapt programs accordingly.
  • Team Leadership: Manage, mentor, and develop HR staff. Foster a collaborative, high-performance team culture with clear goals, feedback, and professional development opportunities.
  • Budget & Resource Management: Oversee HR department budget and resource allocation to ensure strategic alignment and fiscal responsibility.
  • Campus & System Collaboration: Represent UMSL on university-wide committees and initiatives. Partner with UM System HR leaders to align campus practices with system-wide goals.

About the University of Missouri–St. Louis

Established in 1963 and having celebrated its 60th anniversary, the University of Missouri–St. Louis is the region’s premier public university in eastern Missouri and comes with a storied history. UMSL is a metropolitan, public research and teaching institution consistently recognized for its strong academic programs across disciplines and is considered a primary driver of the St. Louis economy. Supported by nearly 700 faculty across nine schools and colleges, UMSL offers an array of degree options including doctoral and graduate degree programs, numerous bachelor and certificate programs, and is home to the only professional optometry school in Missouri.

With an ambitious goal to become the nation’s premier metropolitan public research university, UMSL is a Tier 1 public research institution that prides itself on creating greater access to higher education and is an institution on the move. U.S. News & World Report, ranked UMSL No. 135 among all public universities in the nation.  UMSL scored even higher on the list of “Top Performers on Social Mobility” and ranks No. 1 in Missouri and No. 92 nationally.

Forbes Magazine named UMSL one of "America’s Best Colleges" based on the things that matter most to students: quality of teaching, great career prospects, graduation rates and low levels of debt.

UMSL serves nearly 14,000 students annually and is committed to meeting the needs of students in the state’s largest metropolitan community, and as such, is focused on educating both traditional and nontraditional students. Because of our focus on student retention and academic support open to all students, UMSL graduates the most diverse college-educated workforce of any university in the state.

UMSL provides excellent learning experiences and outcomes to thousands of students annually whose influence on the region upon graduation is immense. While UMSL's more than 120,000 graduates can be found in all 50 states and throughout world, their greatest impact is felt in the St. Louis region where more than 75% remain to live, work, lead and contribute to the state's most diverse and economically important region. Moreover, UMSL boasts the largest alumni network in the St. Louis region and our alumni contribute $14.3 billion annually in overall economic impact to the state of Missouri.

UMSL enjoys collaborative partnerships with civic, business, and other regional and national organizations to provide tremendous opportunities for collaboration, research, knowledge creation and to build a thriving workforce pipeline. Many UMSL alumni find tremendous opportunity for their careers in St. Louis, close to their alma mater, as members of the regional workforce. Chief among those that employ UMSL graduates are the region’s 14 Fortune 1000 companies and large private organizations. For example, Ameren, Anheuser-Busch InBev, Boeing, Edward Jones Investments, Enterprise, Emerson, Nidec and Wells Fargo Advisors, just to name a few.

The Future of UMSL

The next Associate Vice Chancellor for Human Resources and Chief Human Resources Officer will help UMSL transform lives across the important region of Missouri and surrounding area.  As outlined in the UMSL Strategic Plan, The University of Missouri–St. Louis intends to fulfill its vision to become: 

…a beacon of hope, a force for good, and a leader in the pursuit of excellence in education, impactful research and community service. We boldly assert that education is for everyone who is willing and able to seek it out. We honor the duties inherent in our land-grant beginnings by positioning ourselves as partners in the search for knowledge, progress and positive change for ourselves, our communities, our world.

About the Campus

Spread across 350 acres in metropolitan St. Louis, UMSL is a classically-built campus complete with a physical infrastructure to support student needs, modern teaching and learning, and cutting-edge research. Since the university celebrated its 6oth anniversary, the campus is setting a course toward a renewed and reimagined campus that will serve both students and faculty, and surrounding communities for decades to come. UMSL will establish a cohesive academic core, including comprehensive renovations of classrooms, laboratories and community spaces.  This transformation of the university’s academic core paves the way for UMSL to redevelop 35-acres to create a North St. Louis County Workforce and Business District that will benefit students as well as surrounding communities.

A world-class recreation and wellness center, comfortable residence halls and the inviting Millennium Student Center appeal broadly to UMSL’s student interests and offer our diverse student body the ability engage in safe and engaging physical spaces.

The infrastructure for learning and teaching has seen great physical advances over recent years with Anheuser-Busch Hall (Ed G. Smith College of Business Administration), a state-of-the-art College of Optometry Patient Care Center, and a Science Learning Building. These capital projects represent the greater emphasis being placed on UMSL’s investment in creating modern spaces for learning and teaching that provide direct impact to our faculty, staff, students and the greater St. Louis community