Senior Director, HR Operations - Hybrid Chicago Loop Office
- NORC at the University of Chicago
- United States
- Jun 11, 2026
Job Description:
| JOB SUMMARY: |
Join the NORC People Department of NORC at the University of Chicago as our newest Senior Director of Operations. NORC People serves as the organization's Human Resources function, focused on enabling business success through strategic talent, culture, and workforce initiatives. The Senior Director of HR Operations is a strategic leader responsible for overseeing core HR operational functions, including Compensation, Benefits, HRIS, Employee Relations, and HR Compliance. This role leads a team of experienced directors and managers, ensuring operational excellence, cross-functional alignment, and successful execution of enterprise-wide initiatives. This leader will focus heavily on team leadership, stakeholder partnership, operational strategy, project execution, and clear, transparent communication across all levels of the organization, rather than serving as the technical subject matter expert in each functional area. The ideal candidate is an experienced people leader who can develop high-performing teams, drive large-scale initiatives, and create scalable processes that support business growth and employee experience. This role will play a key role in shaping the future of NORC’s HR function, with high visibility and meaningful impact across the organization. Location: This is a hybrid role based in our Chicago Loop office (300 E. Randolph), with a minimum of eight (8) days a month in the office. |
|---|---|
| DEPARTMENT: NORC People |
The NORC People Department of approximately 25 staff supports NORC's mission and values by collaborating with research, operations, and administrative departments to recruit, develop, and retain top staff. Because NORC is a government contractor, the NORC People team plays a large role ensuring that all staff information and systems remain secure and that our organization is fully compliant with our policies. NORC People is responsible for talent acquisition, hiring, benefits administration, employee relations matters, and performance evaluation programs to ensure our organization is maintaining compliance while keeping employees’ best interests in mind. |
| RESPONSIBILITIES: |
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| REQUIRED SKILLS: |
Education:
Experience:
Skills and Competencies:
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| SALARY AND BENEFITS: |
The pay range for this position is $200,000 – $230,000. This position is classified as regular. Regular staff are eligible for NORC’s comprehensive benefits program. Benefits include, but are not limited to:
NORC is committed to equity and transparency in its pay practices. We publish salary ranges and benefit information for every job. The listed hiring range reflects what we, in good faith, expect to pay at the time of posting, though actual compensation may vary and may be adjusted over time. A candidate’s placement within the range depends on factors such as competencies, education, qualifications, experience, skills, performance, and organizational needs. This role is bonus eligible. Bonus payment is contingent upon program terms and individual performance. |
| WHAT WE DO: |
NORC at the University of Chicago is an objective, non-partisan research institution that delivers reliable data and rigorous analysis to guide critical programmatic, business, and policy decisions. Since 1941, our teams have conducted groundbreaking studies, created and applied innovative methods and tools, and advanced principles of scientific integrity and collaboration. Today, government, corporate, and nonprofit clients around the world partner with us to transform increasingly complex information into useful knowledge. |
| WHO WE ARE: |
For over 80 years, NORC has evolved in many ways, moving the needle with research methods, technical applications and groundbreaking research findings. But our tradition of excellence, passion for innovation, and commitment to collegiality have remained constant components of who we are as a brand, and who each of us is as a member of the NORC team. With world-class benefits, a business casual environment, and an emphasis on continuous learning, NORC is a place where people join for the stellar research and analysis work for which we’re known, and stay for the relationships they form with their colleagues who take pride in the impact their work is making on a global scale. |
| EEO STATEMENT: |
NORC is an equal opportunity employer. NORC evaluates qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, national origin, disability, status as a protected veteran, sexual orientation, and other legally protected characteristics. #LI-MS1 |
Job ID:
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Employment Type:
Job Description:
| JOB SUMMARY: |
Join the NORC People Department of NORC at the University of Chicago as our newest Senior Director of Operations. NORC People serves as the organization's Human Resources function, focused on enabling business success through strategic talent, culture, and workforce initiatives. The Senior Director of HR Operations is a strategic leader responsible for overseeing core HR operational functions, including Compensation, Benefits, HRIS, Employee Relations, and HR Compliance. This role leads a team of experienced directors and managers, ensuring operational excellence, cross-functional alignment, and successful execution of enterprise-wide initiatives. This leader will focus heavily on team leadership, stakeholder partnership, operational strategy, project execution, and clear, transparent communication across all levels of the organization, rather than serving as the technical subject matter expert in each functional area. The ideal candidate is an experienced people leader who can develop high-performing teams, drive large-scale initiatives, and create scalable processes that support business growth and employee experience. This role will play a key role in shaping the future of NORC’s HR function, with high visibility and meaningful impact across the organization. Location: This is a hybrid role based in our Chicago Loop office (300 E. Randolph), with a minimum of eight (8) days a month in the office. |
|---|---|
| DEPARTMENT: NORC People |
The NORC People Department of approximately 25 staff supports NORC's mission and values by collaborating with research, operations, and administrative departments to recruit, develop, and retain top staff. Because NORC is a government contractor, the NORC People team plays a large role ensuring that all staff information and systems remain secure and that our organization is fully compliant with our policies. NORC People is responsible for talent acquisition, hiring, benefits administration, employee relations matters, and performance evaluation programs to ensure our organization is maintaining compliance while keeping employees’ best interests in mind. |
| RESPONSIBILITIES: |
|
| REQUIRED SKILLS: |
Education:
Experience:
Skills and Competencies:
|
| SALARY AND BENEFITS: |
The pay range for this position is $200,000 – $230,000. This position is classified as regular. Regular staff are eligible for NORC’s comprehensive benefits program. Benefits include, but are not limited to:
NORC is committed to equity and transparency in its pay practices. We publish salary ranges and benefit information for every job. The listed hiring range reflects what we, in good faith, expect to pay at the time of posting, though actual compensation may vary and may be adjusted over time. A candidate’s placement within the range depends on factors such as competencies, education, qualifications, experience, skills, performance, and organizational needs. This role is bonus eligible. Bonus payment is contingent upon program terms and individual performance. |
| WHAT WE DO: |
NORC at the University of Chicago is an objective, non-partisan research institution that delivers reliable data and rigorous analysis to guide critical programmatic, business, and policy decisions. Since 1941, our teams have conducted groundbreaking studies, created and applied innovative methods and tools, and advanced principles of scientific integrity and collaboration. Today, government, corporate, and nonprofit clients around the world partner with us to transform increasingly complex information into useful knowledge. |
| WHO WE ARE: |
For over 80 years, NORC has evolved in many ways, moving the needle with research methods, technical applications and groundbreaking research findings. But our tradition of excellence, passion for innovation, and commitment to collegiality have remained constant components of who we are as a brand, and who each of us is as a member of the NORC team. With world-class benefits, a business casual environment, and an emphasis on continuous learning, NORC is a place where people join for the stellar research and analysis work for which we’re known, and stay for the relationships they form with their colleagues who take pride in the impact their work is making on a global scale. |
| EEO STATEMENT: |
NORC is an equal opportunity employer. NORC evaluates qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, national origin, disability, status as a protected veteran, sexual orientation, and other legally protected characteristics. #LI-MS1 |
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