Culture and Employee Engagement Specialist

SLAC Job Postings

Position Overview

The Culture and Employee Engagement Specialist (CES) plays a vital role at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. The CES will develop, implement, and enhance strategies and plans that foster a highly engaged workforce, while supporting SLAC's research mission and the core values of excellence, integrity, collaboration, respect, and creativity.

As a key member of the Human Resources (HR) team, the CES will represent SLAC both internally and externally, taking the lead in identifying and addressing culture and engagement opportunities. Collaboration will be central to the CES's work, partnering with SLAC senior leaders, fellow HR professionals, laboratory staff, in particular Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), colleagues at Stanford University and other labs across the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) complex. The ideal candidate will be experienced and knowledgeable in Employee Engagement, while also being inspiring, values-driven, and dedicated to supporting the best interests of the laboratory community, Stanford and the DOE.

Your Specific Responsibilities Include

Strategy Development & Execution

• Engagement Strategy: Develop and manage a strategy that enhances relationships within the lab community and promotes active participation in culture and engagement initiatives. Establish communication strategies to ensure employee engagement is recognized as a fundamental part of SLAC's culture. Develop plans and new approaches for internal awareness and engagement across the lab to align employee engagement objectives with lab goals.
• Program Development: Enhance current and build new programs and processes to improve our engagement efforts related to talent attraction, onboarding, professional development, compensation, and retention. Establish programs to help ensure we have a workplace that is welcoming to all and where all can be successful.
• External Perspectives: Provide research-based external insights and best practices, direction, advice, and guidance to senior leaders and/or HR colleagues on the overall employee engagement landscape. This includes staying well-informed of current and emerging issues to provide perspective and inform future lab programs.
  
  

Collaboration & Relationships

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with HR colleagues, SLAC leaders, and other stakeholders to create a cohesive approach to culture and engagement. Facilitate collaboration across departments to encourage a unified cultural direction that aligns with SLAC's scientific objectives. Partner with HR Managers to provide guidance for training, hiring, and retention initiatives.
• Alignment: Apply recommendations from employee engagement surveys, analyses and other efforts across various engagement levers, including retention methods, career development initiatives, and training programs. Ensure that actions taken align with the overarching goal of enhancing employee satisfaction and engagement.
• Partnerships: Serve as a liaison for SLAC's ERGs, providing strategic support and resources to empower their efforts and enhance their contributions to the overall organizational culture. Work with the SLAC Communications team to develop a communications strategy that helps position employee engagement as a fundamental part of the lab culture, and on initiatives such as refining SLAC's Employee Value Proposition.
• Stakeholder Management: Collaborate, consult and negotiate with key stakeholders to address and resolve critical issues, and develop and implement potential policies, guidance and/or initiatives. Build strong networks with lab leadership, ERGs, SLAC staff, Stanford, DOE, and external stakeholders to learn, educate and share best practices.
  
  

Data Analysis & Recommendations

• Metrics Development: Regularly measure, analyze, assess and report on employee engagement progress (engagement survey, pulse survey, focus groups, etc.), highlighting areas of strength and areas for further development. Identify key performance indicators, analyze employee engagement data and report data on performance to key stakeholders to influence decisions and action.
• Employee Engagement Surveys: Lead the coordination and execution of periodic lab-wide engagement and culture surveys in collaboration with vendor partners and internal teams. Ensure effective implementation of recommendations at both lab-wide and local levels.
• Data-Driven Decision Making: Regularly analyze engagement metrics and survey results to assess progress and identify opportunities for improvement. Report findings to key stakeholders and use data to drive decisions and action plans that enhance culture and engagement within the laboratory.
• Continuous Assessment: Collaborate with the SLAC Communications team on quarterly pulse surveys, determining actionable responses based on data collected, share successes and opportunities and identify engagement and culture trends.
  
  

To Be Successful In This Position You Will Bring

• Bachelor's degree and 8 years of in-depth relevant professional experience, or combination of education and relevant experience with at least 5 years of experience leading the culture, engagement and belonging space.
• Proven track record of using employee engagement frameworks that connect to an organization's mission and business strategy for growth and scalability.
• Practical knowledge and application of employee engagement concepts and organizational dynamics that impact the implementation and management of effective change efforts.
• Track record of driving systematic processes to implement effective change in an organization through a demonstrated understanding of applied behavioral science.
• Strong project/program management skills with a demonstrated effectiveness in the following: data analysis, interpersonal communication, consulting, facilitation, influencing.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills and understanding of group dynamics. Successful track record of establishing credibility and trust with various client groups, including senior leaders.
• Demonstrated end-to-end experience in the development and execution of organization-wide initiatives.
• Strong analytical, critical thinking, creative problem solving, judgment, negotiating, influencing, and strategic decision-making skills.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality, tact, and diplomacy.
• Excellent facilitation and oral and written communication skills; ability to prepare clear and concise reports and deliver formal presentations or training to senior management and other audiences.
  
  

In Addition, Preferred Requirements Include

• An advanced degree preferred.
• Experience working in a university, federal agency, or national laboratory.
• A good working knowledge of issues related to culture and employee engagement, specifically in STEM fields
• Experience with fiscal management and with budget formulation and program execution.
  
  

SLAC Employee Competencies

• Effective Decisions: Uses job knowledge and solid judgment to make quality decisions in a timely manner.
• Self-Development: Pursues a variety of venues and opportunities to continue learning and developing.
• Dependability: Can be counted on to deliver results with a sense of personal responsibility for expected outcomes.
• Initiative: Pursues work and interactions proactively with optimism, positive energy, and motivation to move things forward.
• Adaptability: Flexes as needed when change occurs, maintains an open outlook while adjusting and accommodating changes.
• Communication: Ensures effective information flow to various audiences and creates and delivers clear, appropriate written, spoken, presented messages.
• Relationships: Builds relationships to foster trust, collaboration, and a positive climate to achieve common goals.
  
  

Physical Requirements And Working Conditions

• Consistent with its obligations under the law, the University will provide reasonable accommodation to any employee with a disability who requires accommodation to perform the essential functions of the job. May work extended hours during peak business cycles.
• Given the nature of this position, SLAC is open to on-site and hybrid work options
  
  

Work Standards

• Interpersonal Skills: Demonstrates the ability to work well with Stanford colleagues and clients and with external organizations.
• Promote Culture of Safety: Demonstrates commitment to personal responsibility and value for environment, safety and security; communicates related concerns; uses and promotes safe behaviors based on training and lessons learned. Meets the applicable roles and responsibilities as described in the ESH Manual, Chapter 1¿General Policy and Responsibilities:
• Subject to and expected to comply with all applicable University policies and procedures, including but not limited to the personnel policies and other policies found in the University's Administrative Guide, http://adminguide.stanford.edu
• As a national laboratory, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory is responsible for adhering to the Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12) and Department of Energy (DOE) Order 473.1A, which require employees to obtain and maintain a HSPD-12 Personal Identity Verification (PIV) Credential. To obtain this credential, employees must successfully complete the applicable tier of federal background investigation post hire and receive a favorable federal adjudication. The tier of federal background investigation will be determined by job duties and national security or public trust responsibilities associated with the job. All tiers of investigation include a declaration of illegal drug activities, including use, supply, possession, or manufacture within the last 1 to 7 years (depending on the applicable tier of investigation). Illegal drug activities include marijuana and cannabis derivatives, which are still considered illegal under federal law, regardless of state laws.
• Classification Title: Administrative Services Administrator 3
• Grade: K, Job code: 4123
• Duration: Regular Continuing
  
  

The expected pay range for this position is $162,809 - $197,109 per annum

SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory/Stanford University provides pay ranges representing its good faith estimate of the salary or hourly wage the university reasonably expects to pay for a position upon hire. The pay offered to a selected candidate will be determined based on factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the qualifications of the selected candidate, departmental budget availability, internal equity, geographic location, and external market pay for comparable jobs.

At SLAC/Stanford, base pay represents only one aspect of the comprehensive rewards package.