VP HR Tufts Medical Center

About Tufts Medical Center

Tufts Medical Center is a world-renowned academic medical center that has been providing exceptional care across New England for over two centuries. Our clinicians are dedicated to delivering innovative, patient-centered care every day, from our primary care to our Level I Trauma Center to our leading heart transplant program and over 100 specialties and services. We are also the principal teaching hospital for Tufts University School of Medicine and a leading research institution that conducts game-changing medical and health policy research.

Location: Onsite at Tufts Medical Center Boston, MA

Job Overview

The Vice President (VP) of Human Resources (HR) Academic Medical Center will serve as the senior-most HR executive on-site at Tufts Medical Center (TMC), operating as the local Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) reporting directly to the Corporate CHRO of Tufts Medicine with a matrixed reporting to the TMC President. As the strategic HR leader for the site, the VP will oversee a high-impact team and manage core HR functions including the HR Business Partner (HRBP) team, local Employee and Labor Relations (ER/LR), and Leave Administration. The VP will serve as a key member of the Tufts Medical Center executive leadership team and will play a critical role in shaping and executing the HR strategy in alignment with both site-specific and system-wide goals. All functions under this leader will operate in a matrixed environment, with dotted-line accountability to their respective Corporate HR Centers of Excellence (COEs) in Talent, Compensation, Benefits, and more. The VP will ensure cohesive collaboration across all HR functions, driving consistency, excellence, and a people-first culture across the site.

Job Description

Minimum Qualifications:

1. Master's degree in Human Resources, Organizational Development, Business Administration, or a related field.

2. Ten (10) years of progressive HR leadership experience, including five (5) years in a senior HR role within healthcare, academic, or similarly complex environments.

3. Five (5) years of experience leading an employee and labor relations team, with expertise in negotiating union contracts, managing disputes, and ensuring compliance with labor laws.

Preferred Qualifications:

1. Fifteen (15) years of progressive HR leadership experience, including seven (7) years in a senior HR role within healthcare, academic, or similarly complex environments.

2. Experience with large-scale transformation, including mergers and acquisitions or system integration.

3. Human resources professional certifications (e.g., SHRM-SCP, SPHR).

Duties and Responsibilities: The duties and responsibilities listed below are intended to describe the general nature of work and are not intended to be an all-inclusive list. Other duties and responsibilities may be assigned.

1. Serves as the local CHRO for Tufts Medical Center, providing executive HR leadership, strategic direction, and day-to-day oversight of site-specific HR operations.

2. Leads and manages the HRBP team, ensuring alignment of HR strategy with operational and clinical goals at the site.

3. Oversees the local Employee & Labor Relations and Leave Administration functions, ensuring best practices, legal compliance, and consistency across the site.

4. Acts as a trusted advisor to the Tufts Medical Center President and senior leadership team on all human capital matters, contributing to organizational planning and strategic execution.

5. Reports directly to the Corporate CHRO and ensure integration and alignment with corporate HR strategies and priorities.

6. Drives collaboration and matrixed alignment with Corporate HR COEs (Talent Management, Talent Acquisition, Compensation, Benefits, etc.) to execute integrated, best-in-class HR solutions.

7. Builds strong working relationships with other Tufts Medicine site executives and COEs to promote a consistent, high-performing organizational culture across the system.

8. Champions diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging initiatives in partnership with the corporate DEI office.

9. Leads complex employee and labor relations matters, including contract negotiations, grievances, and arbitration, while ensuring a proactive and preventive ER strategy.

10. Ensures the successful delivery of leave administration services in compliance with applicable policies and regulations.

11. Fosters talent development and succession planning at the site, in coordination with the Talent Management COE.

12. Partners with the Talent Acquisition COE to support local workforce planning and recruitment efforts.

13. Uses workforce analytics and data to inform strategic decisions, measure HR effectiveness, and drive continuous improvement.

14. Maintains strong knowledge of applicable federal, state, and local laws, as well as collective bargaining agreements, and ensure compliance in all aspects of HR.

15. Acts as a key leader in change management initiatives, including restructuring, integration, and cultural transformation efforts.

16. Models and promotes the values of Tufts Medicine, reinforcing a culture of respect, accountability, and excellence.

Physical Requirements:

1. Professional office environment with typical office requirements such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets, etc.

2. This is largely a sedentary role, which involves sitting most of the time, but may involve movements such as walking, standing, reaching, ascending / descending stairs and operating office equipment.

3. Frequently required to speak, hear, communicate, and exchange information.

4. Able to see and read computer displays, read fine print, and/or normal type size print and distinguish letters, numbers, and symbols.

5. Occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.

Skills & Abilities:

1. Executive presence with strong interpersonal, communication, and relationship-building skills.

2. Deep expertise in employee and labor relations, especially in unionized environments.

3. Proven ability to manage HR operations in complex, matrixed organizations.

4. Collaborative leadership style with demonstrated success working across corporate and site teams.

5. Strategic thinker with a data-informed approach to solving organizational challenges.

6. Strong business acumen with the ability to connect HR strategy to operational success.

7. Adept at managing through ambiguity, complexity, and organizational change.

8. Experience driving DEI, engagement, and leadership development initiatives.

9. Commitment to service excellence and continuous improvement in the employee experience.

Job Profile Summary

This role focuses on supporting the design, development, and implementation of human resource programs and policies, including recruitment, training and development, compensation and benefits, mobility, talent acquisition, diversity, talent management & organization development and employee/labor relations. In addition, this role focuses on performing the following Human Resources Leadership duties: Controls, directs, and participates in the activities of the organization through a hierarchy of managers and supervisors. Responsibilities also include long-term strategic planning, determining the policies of the organization, and allocating its resources and making decisions regarding organization growth and diversification to accomplish entity's vision. An executive role that provides strategic vision and/or tactical/strategic direction across multiple teams with the majority of time spent on overseeing area of responsibility and directing the responsibilities of employees. Goal achievement is typically accomplished through performance of direct and/or indirect reports. An entity sub-function head role accountable to establish and implement strategies that have short to mid-term (1-3 years) impact on business results in alignment with function objectives. Leads multiple teams of directors/senior managers and managers and develops short to mid-term (1-3 years) plans for optimizing the function or sub-function and the talent required to execute strategies in job area.

Tufts Medicine is a leading integrated health system bringing together the best of academic and community healthcare to deliver exceptional, connected and accessible care experiences to consumers across Massachusetts. Comprised of Tufts Medical Center, Lowell General Hospital, MelroseWakefield Hospital, Lawrence Memorial Hospital of Medford, Care at Home - an expansive home care network, and large integrated physician network. We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity and inclusion at Tufts Medicine. Tufts Medicine does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, national origin, gender identity and/or expression, marital status or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation by emailing us at careers@tuftsmedicine.org.