Director of Human Resources - Academic Institute

Be part of the Houston Methodist leading medicine team! Houston Methodist Academic Institute has an opening for the Director of Human Resources to support this nationally recognized research and academic organization.   Houston Methodist Academic Institute is re-engineering the future of medicine with translational research and education initiatives that have a demonstrable impact on patient care. Integrated into U.S. News & World Report’s ranking as the No. 1 hospital in Texas and one of America’s “Best Hospitals,” the Academic Institute has built core facilities that provide investigators and external researchers access to exceptional scientific technology, committed to translating laboratory discoveries into novel treatments and cures for our patients, which requires a specialized research and development infrastructure and facilities, coupled with regulatory knowledge and technical expertise—science in service of medicine.  With over 2,340 credentialed researchers, 1,690 clinical studies and trials, 815 faculty members, and 369 ACGME residents and fellows across 52 accredited programs, Houston Methodist will fulfill our commitments to the Centers of Excellence in cancer, gastrointestinal disorders, cardiovascular care, orthopedics and sports medicine, neurosciences, and transplantation.  The Institute works collaboratively with all Houston Methodist entities in clinical research and teaching and has grown exponentially since its founding.  Continued growth in its programs through a continually updated strategic plan is expected to greatly enhance its key role in the Leading Medicine mission and Houston Methodist’s national impact.

The Director Human Resources (HR) Academic Institute (AI) position is a member of the Executive leadership team and is responsible for providing strategic and tactical direction for the Houston Methodist Academic Institute (HMAI) Human Resources department. This position develops and implements HMAI human resources strategies by proactively shaping programs and practices for maximum business effectiveness, ensuring HMAI’s specialized human capital resources are used wisely to enhance its premier research position in the marketplace.  The Director HR position ensures an academic and research culture consistent with the HM I CARE Values and effective coordination and delivery of all Human Resource services including employee relations, talent management, talent acquisition, and diversity and inclusion; maintaining alignment with system and organizational objectives and policies. The Director HR position also partners with multiple leaders in Grants Management, Core Research Laboratory, PreClinical Facilities, Regulatory Compliance, and Research operations to support their department efforts. This position supports leadership with the residency and fellowship programs at HMAI that provide residents with a broad range of exposure and experiences within the hospital, partnering with GME to ensure the residency programs follow appropriate procedures in screening and selecting residents.  The Director HR position maintains appropriate collaborations and academic partnerships with a particular emphasis on Weill Cornell Medicine, Texas A&M University, and the Texas Medical Center.

Beyond the engaging work, this position will also benefit from HM’s competitive benefits package including health insurance plans, generous paid time off, retirement programs with employer contributions, tuition assistance for employees and their children, programs that help integrate work and home life such as employee child care center (TMC and The Woodlands), backup care and family building benefit, coaching to help navigate the college admissions process, robust wellness and well-being programs that help you take care of your physical, mental and financial health, and short-term and long- term disability that is 100% paid for by Houston Methodist.

PATIENT AGE GROUP(S) AND POPULATION(S) SERVED
Refer to departmental "Scope of Service" and "Provision of Care" plans, as applicable, for description of primary age groups and populations served by this job for the respective HM entity.

HOUSTON METHODIST EXPERIENCE EXPECTATIONS

• Provide personalized care and service by consistently demonstrating our I CARE values:
  • INTEGRITY: We are honest and ethical in all we say and do.
  • COMPASSION: We embrace the whole person including emotional, ethical, physical, and spiritual needs.
  • ACCOUNTABILITY: We hold ourselves accountable for all our actions.
  • RESPECT: We treat every individual as a person of worth, dignity, and value.
  • EXCELLENCE: We strive to be the best at what we do and a model for others to emulate.

• Practices the Caring and Serving Model

• Delivers personalized service using HM Service Standards

• Provides for exceptional patient/customer experiences by following our Standards of Practice of always using Positive Language (AIDET, Managing Up, Key Words)

• Intentionally collaborates with other healthcare professionals involved in patients/customers or employees' experiential journeys to ensure strong communication, ease of access to information, and a seamless experience.

• Involves patients (customers) in shift/handoff reports by enabling their participation in their plan of care as applicable to the given job

• Displays cultural humility, diversity, equity and inclusion principles

• Actively supports the organization's vision, fulfills the mission and abides by the I CARE values

PEOPLE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Directs, develops and implements strategic and operational/high level projects and processes either through independent/highly autonomous work or through the facilitation of work teams and collaboration with leaders and peers to enable the effective and efficient completion of objectives.

• Oversees management of and ensures development for staff to meet overall objectives in terms of quality, service and cost effectiveness. Provides timely guidance and feedback to help others strengthen specific knowledge/skill areas needed to accomplish a task or solve a problem. Directs management responsibilities of selection, scheduling, supervision, retention, and evaluation of employees.

• Meets or exceeds threshold goal for department turnover and/or system metrics on employee engagement indicators.

• Provides leadership and communication to maintain a competent and engaged employee group by conducting regular department meetings to review policies and procedures and operational matters, rounding on all employees, completing performance appraisals, conducting new hire feedback sessions, coaching/corrective counseling, and providing recognition/commendations to achieve desired outcomes.

• Identifies opportunities and takes action to build strategic relationships between one's area and other areas, teams, departments, and units to achieve business goals. Drives the promotion of teamwork within and between departments; participates and/or leads and facilitates department process improvements as needed.

• Leads entity- and business-aligned HR staff to provide strategic and operational HR support to management by offering human resources advice, counsel, and decisions.

SERVICE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Oversees department operations, designated projects, schedules and activities as needed to ensure that goals or objectives are accomplished within the prescribed time frame. Sets priorities and functional standards, giving direction to staff as necessary to ensure the best possible delivery of service and high customer/patient satisfaction.

• Drives department service standards and activities to impact department and/or system score for patient/customer-based satisfaction, through role modeling and fostering accountability. Serves and actively participates on various entity committees as a voice for the department.

• Partners with executive leadership team members to analyze and prioritize the critical business challenges faced by the organization and deploy appropriate HR interventions in collaboration with system initiatives.

• Ensures a futuristic and collaborative departmental approach to long-range strategic operational planning, care and service design and development by implementing human resources strategies which establishes department accountabilities, including talent acquisition, employment processing, compensation, benefits, training and development, records management, safety and health, succession planning, employee relations and retention, Affirmative Action/Equal Employment Opportunity (AA/EEO) compliance, and labor relations. Collaborates with medical staff, as appropriate, executives, hospital leaders, corporate leaders, system HR leaders and hospital staff, to assure goals are in congruence.

• Ensures that robust recruiting/on boarding processes and employee relations exist to attract and retain the depth and diversity of talent needed to meet the business objectives.

QUALITY/SAFETY ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Ensures a safe and effective working environment; monitors and/or revises the department safety plan and/or any specific accreditation/regulatory required safety guidelines. Responsible for staff maintenance of credentials and competencies, per accrediting/ licensing agency and/or department guidelines as applicable.

• Employs a proactive approach in the optimization of safe outcomes and information systems by monitoring and improving the department workflow and enhancing operations, using peer-to-peer accountability and identifying solutions via collaboration. Implements process improvements utilizing tools such as lean principles. Role models situational awareness, using teachable moments to improve safety.

• Responsible for employee compliance to policies and procedures and performs associated actions upon non-compliance (i.e., licensure/certification compliance, focal point review requirements, disaster plan, in-services, influenza immunization, wage and hour, standard hours, timely termination submission, timely timecard approval, etc.).

• Assumes leadership position to ensure seamless, quality services. Actively participates and leads initiatives to improve employee and organizational operations. Delegates effectively by entrusting responsibility and authority to others.

• Produces and delivers reports that are professionally written and provides an accurate interpretation of the information. Tracks metrics around regular HR dashboard reporting for key business leaders to identify successes and areas for improvement; utilizes industry and market benchmarks in Human Resources for comparable information and analysis.

• Guides management and employee actions by researching, developing, writing, and recommending updates to policies, procedures, processes, and guidelines; communicates and enforces Houston Methodist values.

• Directs broad operations to ensure the provisions of comprehensive department services with all regulatory agencies and hospital requirements. Complies with federal, state, and local legal requirements by studying existing and new and anticipated legislation; enforces adherence to requirements; advises management on needed actions.

FINANCE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Develops and manages department operational and capital budgets, approvals, and ongoing maintenance of the department(s), ensuring operation in a cost-effective manner. Proactively identifies and plans for capital needs related to current equipment and future department projects. Ensures staffing plans and schedules meet department needs that reflect understanding of the importance of cost-effectiveness.

• Creates department strategies to achieve financial target and staffing needs, through optimizing productivity, supply/resource efficiency, minimizing incidental overtime and overtime percentage, and other areas according to department specifications.

• Ensures operational excellence by measuring the effectiveness and efficiency of the HR team. Develops human resources operations financial strategies by estimating, forecasting, and anticipating requirements, trends, and variances; aligning financial resources; implements action plans; measures and analyzes results; initiates corrective actions; minimizes the impact of variances.

GROWTH/INNOVATION ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Identifies and implements innovative solutions for practice or workflow changes to improve department, entity or system operations by leading unit projects and/or other department/ system-directed activities. Proactively leads task forces and committees. May represent HM at assigned community or professional organization meetings.

• Drives change initiatives, maintaining effectiveness when experiencing major changes in work responsibilities or environment; adjusts effectively to work within new work structures, processes, requirements or cultures. Partners effectively with stakeholders as appropriate.

• Ensures own career discussions occur with appropriate management. Completes and updates the individual development plan (IDP) on an on-going basis. Conducts conversations with staff on their development and IDP.

• Updates job knowledge by participating in conferences and educational opportunities; reads professional publications; maintains personal networks; participates in professional organizations. Integrates current knowledge of all areas of responsibility and management. theories and concepts into the practice environment. Explores opportunities to add value to job accomplishments.

This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive; the employee will also perform other reasonably related business/job duties as assigned. Houston Methodist reserves the right to revise job duties and responsibilities as the need arises.

EDUCATION

• Bachelor's degree

• Master's degree preferred

WORK EXPERIENCE

• Seven years experience in Human Resources (HR) with three years in management; may consider HM employee with six years experience in HR which includes two years in management

• Healthcare experience preferred

LICENSES AND CERTIFICATIONS - REQUIRED

• N/A

LICENSES AND CERTIFICATIONS - PREFERRED

• PHR - Professional in Human Resources OR
• SPHR - Senior Professional in Human Resources OR
• Human Resources\SHRM-CP OR
• Human Resources\SHRM-SCP

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• Demonstrates the skills and competencies necessary to safely perform the assigned job, determined through on-going skills, competency assessments, and performance evaluations

• Sufficient proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing the English language necessary to perform the essential functions of this job, especially about activities impacting patient or employee safety or security

• Demonstrates the ability to interact with others in a way that gives them confidence in one's intentions and those of the organization

• Ability to use appropriate interpersonal styles and techniques to gain acceptance of ideas or plans; modifying one's own behavior to accommodate tasks, situations and individuals involved

• Demonstrates leadership qualities and critical thinking through self-direction initiative and effective interpersonal skills and oral/written communication skills

• Ability to identify and understand issues, problems and opportunities, comparing data from different sources to draw conclusions; using effective approaches for choosing a course of action or developing appropriate solutions; taking action that is consistent with available facts, constraints and probable consequences

• Extensive knowledge of regulatory and accreditation agency requirements that impact department; stays abreast of industry changes

• Demonstrates highly effective communication skills-strong written communications and platform presentation abilities

• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment

• Demonstrates flexibility and adaptability in the workplace

• Capable of leading teams/facilitating groups, building consensus and garnering highest confidence in professionalism and work product by senior leadership

• Ability to work under pressure and balance many competing priorities; highly responsive and solution/action oriented

• Proficiency in spreadsheet, word processing, and presentation software

• Maintains a positive and supportive attitude and demeanor

• Professional handling of exposure to confidential/sensitive information

• Ability to build trust at all levels of the organization

• Demonstrates an understanding of Diversity and Inclusion programs

• Demonstrates the ability to guide and direct others toward goal setting

• Works collaboratively with HR leadership to ensure effective communication to align on consistent strategies, tactics and plans

SUPPLEMENTAL REQUIREMENTS

WORK ATTIRE

• Uniform No
• Scrubs No
• Business professional Yes
• Other (department approved) No

ON-CALL*
*Note that employees may be required to be on-call during emergencies (ie. DIsaster, Severe Weather Events, etc) regardless of selection below.

• On Call* Yes

TRAVEL**
**Travel specifications may vary by department**

• May require travel within the Houston Metropolitan area Yes
• May require travel outside Houston Metropolitan area Yes

Houston Methodist Academic Institute (formerly the Houston Methodist Research Institute) was formed in 2004 to rapidly and efficiently translate discoveries made in the laboratory and the clinic into new diagnostics, therapies, and treatments. The research institute was created to provide the infrastructure and support for these endeavors, and to house the technology and resources needed to make innovative breakthroughs in important areas of human disease. A 540,000 square foot building dedicated to research and clinical trials, the academic institute houses over 2,047 credentialed researchers conducting 1,470 ongoing clinical protocols.