Skip to main content

This job has expired

Human Resources Specialist

Employer
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Location
UMass Amherst

View more

Job Details

Human Resources Specialist

Job no: 502197
Work type: Staff Full Time
Location: UMass Amherst
Department: Online Education
Union: Non-Unit Exempt
Categories: Human Resources

About UMass Amherst

UMass Amherst, the Commonwealth's flagship campus, is a nationally ranked public research university offering a full range of undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. The University sits on nearly 1,450-acres in the scenic Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts, and offers a rich cultural environment in a bucolic setting close to major urban centers. In addition, the University is part of the Five Colleges (including Amherst College, Hampshire College, Mount Holyoke College, and Smith College), which adds to the intellectual energy of the region.

Job Summary

Under the direction of the Assistant Provost for Finance and Administration, the Human Resources (HR) Specialist supports the University Without Walls (UWW) Division of Online Education (OE) in meeting its operational and strategic objectives in the area of human resource management, with a high degree of judgment, initiative and leadership. Serves as advisor and consultant on matters related to human resource management, personnel policies, procedures, compliance and best practices.

Essential Functions

  • Works in alliance with OE support personnel involved in HR processing. Maintains current knowledge and understanding of legal and regulatory requirements and campus policies, practices and procedures. Responsible for interpreting University HR policies and procedures for the Major Budgetary Unit (MBU) across all affiliated labor units. Serves as a key resource to departmental staff.
  • Oversees and monitors personnel actions and requests for compliance with the established campus policies, procedures and guidelines. Interprets contracts to ensure new appointments meet criteria for employment. Identifies compliance issues and contacts managers to discuss and determine resolution. Consults the Office of the Provost and Talent Management on personnel matters and for policy clarification, as needed. Provides queries and reports and troubleshoots HR questions, as requested. Ensures HR processes throughout the MBU are coordinated effectively and facilitates the organization’s transition from paper to electronic processes. Maintains and safeguards confidential personnel records and files. Has department head level signature authority on personnel actions.
  • Provides oversight and management of personnel processes and actions for the OE Division that includes eight operational departments and the compensation processes for approx. 1,700 instructional personnel and 450 graduate students teaching multi-modal credit and non-credit courses offered through UWW and OE by college academic partners. Completes complex, MBU-level personnel actions as required and manages approx. 2,250 static and revolving payroll appointments year-round.
  • Manages and administers hiring by advising and assisting appointing authorities and hiring managers in all aspects of the search and appointment process. Facilitates the hiring process by consulting on search committee member selection, advertising, formal hire offers, etc. Works with hiring managers to develop clear, accurate and results-oriented job descriptions. Oversees the submission of staff classification review requests. Serves as job description resource person and serves as liaison with Talent Management staff to resolve compensation and classification issues. Manages PageUp process, creating and entering position descriptions for posting, supporting search team workflows and coordinating timelines and deliverables. Reviews search documentation and ensures compliance with University employment process. Advises on Fair Labor Standards Act issues and compliance.
  • Maintains knowledge on collective bargaining agreements and serves as OE’s primary liaison with the Labor Relations office. Has principal responsibility to manage compliance with collective bargaining provisions. Assists managers with conducting meetings to resolve grievances or employee complaints. Conducts investigations as needed. Coordinates due process hearings and works with Labor Relations, union representatives, managers and employees to resolve issues. May represent the Vice-Provost in grievances or in negotiations with unions.
  • Develops HR budget by performing analysis and developing cost projections to forecast the payroll/fringe benefit components of the annual Trust Fund Budget for OE. Creates and maintains databases for monitoring personnel activity and tracking expenditures to support management decision-making. Provides status reports as needed.
  • Recommends staffing needs; Ensures that department/program supervisors have the tools and information they need to set performance goals, communicate expectations, and conduct evaluations. Develops collaborative working relationships with Central HR. Organizes and schedules informational human resource meetings for OE managers and supervisors. Creates, writes or facilitates understanding of campus informational handouts for reference to explain new processes, procedures, or contract updates.

Other Functions

Performs related duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Education, Experience, Certifications, Licensure)

  • Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources Management, Business Administration, or other management-related field; plus 3 years of relevant progressive experience in a human resources role.
  • Knowledge of federal/state employment laws and the ability to interpret and apply academic/HR policies and collective bargaining agreements.
  • Ability to speak and write clearly and concisely; work through problems, develop solutions and foster resolution and action; balance numerous demands; evaluate competing priorities, weigh issues prior to taking action, and keep projects moving forward productively and efficiently; provide practical solution-driven initiatives; handle confidential information in a discreet manner, accept direction; and work cooperatively with others.
  • Sufficient communication skills to clearly and concisely articulate ideas, concepts and proposals and to interact with a wide range of diverse people; critical thinking skills to conduct complex analysis and research; and facilitation/negotiation skills.
  • Proficient in Word, Excel, Adobe and able to run queries and navigate the enterprise HR system.

Preferred Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Education, Experience, Certifications, Licensure)

  • Experience in higher education.
  • Professional in Human Resources (PHR) or Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) certification.
  • Experience working with HR Direct and PageUp systems.

Work Schedule

M-F, 8:30am-5:00pm.

Salary Information

Level 26

Exempt Salary Ranges

Special Instructions to Applicants

Submit a cover letter, resume and contact names of three professional references.

UMass Amherst is committed to a policy of equal opportunity without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, age, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, disability, military status, or genetic information in employment, admission to and participation in academic programs, activities, and services, and the selection of vendors who provide services or products to the University. To fulfill that policy, UMass Amherst is further committed to a program of affirmative action to eliminate or mitigate artificial barriers and to increase opportunities for the recruitment and advancement of qualified minorities, women, persons with disabilities, and covered veterans. It is the policy of the UMass Amherst to comply with the applicable federal and state statutes, rules, and regulations concerning equal opportunity and affirmative action.

Advertised: Aug 5 2019 Eastern Daylight Time
Applications close:

Organization

The University of Massachusetts Amherst is one of the preeminent public research universities in America. Nestled in idyllic Amherst, Massachusetts—often called “The top college town in North America”—the campus is consistently ranked among the top public research universities in the nation, and offers a rich cultural environment in a rural setting close to major urban centers. 

As one of the nation's top public research universities – as measured by national and international rankings, academic citations, and research funding – the campus spends more than $180 million on research each year, demonstrating its contribution to the nation’s position as a technological and economic leader. The university works in conjunction with academic, government, and private partners to translate new knowledge and scientific discoveries into technical innovations and scholarly works that create opportunities for students, faculty and the public. 

Eight schools and colleges offer more than 85 undergraduate majors, 68 master’s and 48 doctoral degree programs, many counted among the top programs in the nation and world. UMass Amherst is also home to New England's premier honors college.

The 1,159 full-time faculty members are dedicated teachers and world-renowned researchers and the campus has regularly been listed among the top performers in terms of faculty awards. With over 24,000 students from all 50 states and over 70 countries, the student body is the most academically successful in the history of the campus. Students participate in 240 organizations, 21 NCAA Division I athletic teams, extensive intramurals, living-learning residence halls, community service, and internships. With one of the largest residential life systems in the nation, UMass Amherst houses approximately 12,000 students on campus. The university is enjoying a facilities renaissance, including new buildings in the sciences, the arts, and recreation. UMass Amherst is part of the Five College consortium with Smith, Mount Holyoke, Hampshire and Amherst colleges.

As an employer, the University of Massachusetts Amherst is a national leader in developing family-friendly policies, benefits and amenities designed to help faculty members develop both productive careers and satisfying personal lives. The university offers one of the nation’s most generous parental leave policies. The university is also part of the Academic Career Network, a regional consortium formed to serve dual-career couples and encourage greater diversity in the academy.

 

Company info
Website
Telephone
4135454894
Location
181 PRESIDENTS DR
Whitmore Administration Building
Amherst
Massachusetts
01003
US

Get job alerts

Create a job alert and receive personalized job recommendations straight to your inbox.

Create alert