About the Hiring Team
Organizational Excellence supports campus-wide organizational effectiveness, workplace learning, leadership development, employee engagement, and healthy workplace practices. The department partners with campus leaders, faculty, staff, students, and administrative offices to strengthen organizational culture, support effective communication, and promote constructive approaches to conflict resolution, collaboration, and community building.
Duties And Responsibilities
Education and Training:
- Establish a regular cadence of University engagement, mediation, and learning experiences to help campus constituents address negative conflict, be proactive in creating environments where healthy conflict exists, and advance the Principles of Community throughout the institution.
- Provide proactive training and development for members of the campus community in healthy workplace interactions, well-being practices, navigating difficult conversations and constructive conflict resolution.
- Provide workshops and training to student, clubs, and organizations to promote healthy team dynamics and interactions, constructive conflict resolution, and provide conflict coaching as needed.
- Provide training on restorative practices as a framework for building community and resolving conflict that focuses on repairing harm and strengthening relationships Facilitate forums when internal/external events impact campus.
- Identify external vendor facilitator to assist in periods of high volume.
Collaboration
- Act as bridge and collaborative partner with the following departments: Community and belonging, Employee and Labor Relations, Faculty Affairs, and Academic Senate.
- Proactive Community Building: Check-ins with division/teams, informal conversations, and structured "circles" to allow members to express their feelings, establish trust, and feel a sense of belonging.
- Raise issues of concern: Report violations of policy, compliance, regulations, or employment law to the appropriate university office.
Mediation
- Serve as a strategic thought partner to the campus community in identifying solutions to problems and issues of concern.
- Serve as a resource to the campus community to encourage collaborative decision-making processes that build trust and promote effective employee/student engagement.
- Identify areas and sources of conflict; propose constructive resolution methods.
- Provide referrals to and/or offering a range of options for addressing issues and concerns, such as facilitated conversations, conflict coaching, restorative justice circling, alternative dispute resolution, informal climate assessments, and mediation.
- Identify themes of concern for university leadership and recommend associated approaches to address them including changes to policies, procedures and practices.
- Provide resources and information about university policies, procedures, and practices.
Assessment & Reporting
- Identify formal/informal tool for assessing conflict levels on teams and between individuals.
- Assess organizational climate as needed Identify edge cases to prevent organizational disruption.
- Establish key criteria for conflict and organizational health.
- Provide quarterly state of organizational health report to VP, Human Resources and University Personnel Communication.
- Develop healthy conflict communication tips for HEERA managers and teams.
- Present at monthly HR Briefings (when relevant).
- Distribute quarterly newsletter on managing conflict, communications, and healthy interactions.
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year college or university in human resources, organizational development, communication, psychology, counseling, education, public administration, business administration, conflict resolution, or a related field. A master’s degree or advanced coursework in conflict resolution, mediation, organizational development, higher education administration, human resources, counseling, public administration, or a related field may be substituted for a portion of the required experience, where appropriate.
- A minimum of three years of progressively responsible experience in conflict resolution, mediation, restorative practices, organizational development, employee relations, human resources, student affairs, faculty affairs, ombuds-related work, training and development, or a closely related field. Experience must include responsibility for facilitating communication, providing training or educational programming, supporting informal conflict resolution, assessing workplace or organizational concerns, and preparing recommendations or reports.
- Knowledge of principles and practices related to conflict resolution, mediation, facilitated dialogue, restorative practices, organizational development, workplace communication, and adult learning.
- Knowledge of methods for designing and delivering training, workshops, facilitated conversations, and engagement activities for varied audiences.
- Knowledge of organizational climate assessment, issue identification, trend analysis, and reporting practices.
- Working knowledge of university policies, procedures, shared governance structures, and referral pathways, or the ability to quickly acquire such knowledge.
- Ability to maintain neutrality, exercise sound judgment, and communicate with tact, discretion, and sensitivity in emotionally charged or complex situations.
- Ability to assess conflict dynamics, identify appropriate informal resolution options, and refer matters to the appropriate university office when formal policy, compliance, labor relations, employment law, or safety issues are implicated.
- Ability to develop and sustain collaborative working relationships with faculty, staff, students, administrators, and campus partners.
- Ability to prepare clear written materials, reports, presentations, training content, communication tips, and organizational health updates.
- Ability to analyze information, identify themes and trends, and recommend practical approaches to support healthy workplace interactions and organizational effectiveness.
- Ability to maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive information appropriately.
- Ability to organize work, manage multiple priorities, meet deadlines, and adapt to changing campus needs.
- Ability to use standard office technology, virtual meeting platforms, learning tools, case/documentation tools, and data/reporting resources.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience in a higher education, public sector, unionized, or complex shared-governance environment.
- Experience designing and facilitating training, workshops, or group learning experiences related to conflict resolution, communication, restorative practices, well-being, team dynamics, or organizational development.
- Experience providing conflict coaching, facilitated conversations, mediation support, alternative dispute resolution, restorative justice/restorative practices, or informal climate assessment.
- Knowledge of human resources, employee/labor relations, faculty affairs, student affairs, equity/compliance, or organizational effectiveness practices in a university environment.
- Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with diverse constituencies, including faculty, staff, students, administrators, and campus partners.
- Experience preparing reports, identifying themes or trends, and developing recommendations based on qualitative and/or quantitative information.
Benefits and Total Rewards
- Premium benefits: Comprehensive health, dental, vision
- Pension plan with CalPERS, and other voluntary savings plans (403(b), 457, 401(k))
- Work-life balance - Accrue 24 PTO days per year, 14 paid Holidays, 1 personal holiday
- Health savings account, life and AD&D coverage, and more
- Tuition fee waiver for employees and eligible dependents
- Auto/homeowners insurance, pet insurance, and pre-paid legal services
- Child and elder care resources
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
- And more! Learn about the CSU’s Comprehensive Benefits Package.
Equal Employment Opportunity
Consistent with California law and federal civil rights laws, Cal Poly Pomona provides equal opportunity in employment without unlawful discrimination or preferential treatment based on race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin. Our commitment to equal opportunity means ensuring that every employee has access to the resources and support they need to thrive and succeed in a university environment and in their communities. Cal Poly Pomona complies with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the California Equity in Higher Education Act, California’s Proposition 209 (Art. I, Section 31 of the California Constitution), other applicable state and federal anti-discrimination laws, and CSU’s Nondiscrimination Policy. We prohibit discriminatory preferential treatment, segregation based on race or any other protected status, and all forms of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation in all university programs, policies, and practices.
As a federal contractor, Cal Poly Pomona complies with the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA) and requests priority referral of protected veterans for our job openings.
