Strategic Hiring & Leadership Team Buildout
Designing and executing a structured hiring framework to recruit and promote senior leaders aligned to institutional goals, resulting in measurable improvements in academic performance, revenue, and student outcomes.
Context
- Multiple critical leadership gaps across academic and operational units
- Urgent need to stabilize and improve underperforming programs
- Key areas impacted included:
- School of Health Studies (accreditation risk, low retention)
- External partnerships (no centralized ownership of 100+ agreements)
- Student support and library services (post-restructure instability)
- Need to rebuild leadership capacity while aligning with institutional priorities and DEI commitments
The Problem
- Leadership roles lacked consistent, strategic hiring processes
- Risk of subjective or relationship-based hiring decisions
- Limited alignment between hiring decisions and institutional goals
- Urgent roles required fast but high-quality decision-making
- Organizational performance depended heavily on selecting the right leaders
My Role
As Associate Vice President for Teaching and Learning, I led or directly influenced hiring across multiple senior roles, including:
- Dean, School of Health Studies (Committee Chair)
- Senior Director of External Partnerships (Lead decision-maker with Provost)
- Senior Director of Student Support Services (Promotion)
- Senior Director of Library (Promotion)
- Faculty Lead, Fashion Marketing Program (Committee Member)
- Senior Learning Experience Designer (Promotion)
I designed and implemented a hiring approach that would:
- Align candidate selection to institutional and program-specific goals
- Standardize interview processes and evaluation criteria
- Ensure equitable, unbiased hiring practices
- Identify leaders capable of driving measurable outcomes
- Strengthen internal talent pipelines through strategic promotions
Approach
1. Defining Success Criteria
I established role-specific success metrics tied to institutional priorities. I identified immediate and long-term needs (e.g. accreditation recovery, revenue growth, student support expansion), and I developed 30-60-90 day expectations for key roles.
2. Designing a Structured Hiring Framework
I created standardized interview frameworks, competency-based and situational interview questions, and scoring rubrics aligned to strategic goals. I implemented anonymized resume review to reduce bias and ensured all candidates were evaluated against the same criteria.
3. Centralizing and Data-Driving the Process
I built and used centralized hiring hubs (Microsoft Teams) to share anonymized candidate materials, track evaluation scores and feedback, and align stakeholders on decision-making. I maintained transparency and consistency across committees and leadership.
4. Managing Stakeholder Alignment and Conflict
I navigated competing opinions and internal preferences for candidates by reinforcing the use of objective scoring and strategic alignment in decision-making. I ensured all candidates, including internal referrals, followed the same process. I advocated for equitable hiring practices aligned with DEI standards.
5. Executing Strategic Hiring Decisions
I prioritized candidates with demonstrated ability to solve institutional challenges. I selected leaders based on proven outcomes in similar contexts, alignment with institutional goals, and a capacity to lead change and scale impact.
Impact
Institutional Impact
- Strengthened leadership across critical academic and operational areas
- Improved alignment between leadership roles and institutional strategy
- Advanced institutional DEI goals through equitable hiring practices
Program and Performance Impact
- Dean, School of Health Studies
- Removed programs from accreditation probation within one year
- Improved licensure pass rates by ~30%
- Increased retention and graduation rates
- Senior Director of External Partnerships
- Secured 12 new articulation agreements
- Established 30+ new marketing and partnership relationships
- Senior Director of Student Support Services
- Expanded tutoring access and grew peer tutoring by 50%
- Improved student satisfaction and engagement
- Senior Director of Library
- Reduced vendor costs by $200,000+
- Expanded virtual services and strengthened external partnerships
Organizational Impact
- Stabilized teams following restructuring and improved morale
- Elevated internal talent through strategic promotions
- Built a repeatable, equitable hiring framework for future leadership roles
Tools & Capabilities Demonstrated
- Executive-level hiring strategy and decision-making
- Competency-based interview design and evaluation systems
- DEI-centered hiring practices
- Stakeholder management and conflict resolution
- Organizational leadership and talent development