Director of Human Resources

Job no: 523456
Work type: Staff Full Time
Location: UMass Amherst
Department: Dean - College of Nursing
Union: Non-Unit Exempt
Categories: College of Nursing

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.

About the Elaine Marieb College of Nursing

As a campus with an increasingly diverse student body, we are looking for candidates who can operate effectively in a diverse community, and who value collegiality, collaboration, achievement, and integrity. We are also interested in candidates who have had non-traditional career paths, those who have paused their careers for family or pandemic reasons, or who spent time outside of academia. We are committed to helping all constituents reach their full potential, creating best-in-practice operations to support faculty, staff, and students.

UMass Amherst is a leader in providing institutional support for faculty to combine work and family/personal responsibilities and was listed among the Chronicle of Higher Education's "Great Colleges to Work For". UMass is in the top 10% of public research-intensive universities in the COACHE survey for making having and raising children compatible with the tenure-track. For more information on work-life balance at UMass Amherst, see

The Elaine Marieb College of Nursing at the University of Massachusetts Amherst prepares students at the baccalaureate, master's, and doctoral levels to practice in a wide variety of healthcare settings and develops nursing leaders and researchers to educate future generations. Our faculty members draw on their advanced clinical skills and innovative research in their teaching to prepare students for their careers by using state-of-the-art technology and techniques. In Fall 2022 enrollment included 363 undergraduate and 195 graduate students. The College is committed to the inclusion of social determinants of health and social justice in our service, teaching, and scholarship.

Job Summary

Under general direction of the Executive Administration and Finance Officer (AFO) of the Elaine Marieb College of Nursing, the Director of Human Resources (HR) develops and implements human resources services and strategies in support of the overall mission and strategic direction of the College. Serves as a primary resource regarding matters relative to campus personnel policies and procedures, and acts as one of the College's primary liaisons with the Provost's Office, the Division of Human Resources, and other campus administrative offices regarding personnel matters.

Essential Functions

• Serves as a strategic partner with senior personnel, including the Dean, Assistant/Associate Deans, and Department Chairs/Heads.
  Advises senior personnel on ways to identify, address, and facilitate solutions for routine to complex employee issues. Provides
  leadership and guidance to staff, faculty, and administrators in the College who are involved in HR and personnel administration
  related duties.
• Coordinates with the central HR Talent Management team on the development of recruitment strategies and identifies ways to
  strengthen applicant pools. Oversees the personnel requisition and offer process including reference checks. Provides guidance to
  Department Chairs/Heads on faculty and staff recruitment processes. Mentors and trains department staff on the faculty and staff
  hiring processes. Provides search committee members with guidance and training on relevant recruitment processes. Ensures that the College complies with all State and Federal regulations as well as university search procedures.
• Works closely with the Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion to ensure diverse applicant pools for faculty and staff
  searches, and to develop an inclusive climate for recruitment, hosting, and evaluating applicants from diverse backgrounds. Works to create a diverse and inclusive workplace for all faculty, staff, and students. Ensures that all personnel practices are valid and reliable, and do not have an adverse impact on underrepresented groups.
• Advises Department Chairs/Heads, faculty, and managers regarding all classification and compensation policies, guidelines, and
  procedures. Working with the College's staff managers, develops clear, accurate, and results-oriented job descriptions for all College and Department positions. Oversees and coordinates the salary equity review process with the central HR compensation team to ensure that employee salaries are competitive to support the hiring and retention of the best employees to meet the College's strategic goals. Supports employee orientation and exit processes.
• Monitors personnel actions in accordance with established campus policies, procedures, and guidelines. Manages and maintains
  tracking tools for capturing personnel actions required of departments (i.e. staff & faculty evaluations and personnel activity).
  Manages the College's adherence to university and union policies related to new appointments, tenure and promotion, sabbatical
  leaves, reappointments, merit, and periodic multi-year reviews. Manages the processing of College personnel deadlines including:
  requisitions, searches, appointments, funding changes, reappointments, and staff reviews. Consults with department and College
  personnel committees regarding specific academic personnel policies and implementation of those policies. Provides direction to
  department unit and non-unit staff regarding their roles and responsibilities in personnel matters.
• Ensures that managers have the tools and information needed to properly supervise their employees. Provides advice on how to
  communicate work expectations, establish performance goals, and conduct performance appraisals. Provides periodic training sessions for managers on how to properly complete the university performance review process. Ensures that managers complete the relevant probationary period and annual performance reviews for all faculty and staff.
• In partnership with the Associate Deans, develops staffing projections and identifies personnel needs. Analyzes organizational
  structures and staffing patterns and evaluates ways of increasing effectiveness and efficiency. Develop, implement, and evaluate HR activities, practices and procedures. Generates reports pertaining to employee demographic and staffing patterns.
• Counsels managers on ways to identify, address and facilitate solutions for employee issues. Advises managers on how to document performance or other issues and how to follow the progressive discipline process according to the relevant collective bargaining agreement. Coordinates due process hearings and works with the HR Business Partner, Labor Relations, union representatives, managers, and employees to resolve issues.
• Coordinates and communicates with the Labor Relations office. Manages compliance with collective bargaining provisions. Assists
  managers with conducting meetings to resolve grievances or employee complaints. Conducts investigations as needed. Serves as point of contact for College staff who have inquiries or concerns about terms, benefits, or conditions of employment.
• Supports training and workplace development needs for College staff. Determines additional training needs and implements
  appropriate staff development programs. Ensures that supervisors have the tools and information needed to establish performance goals, communicate work expectations, and conduct performance appraisals. Track College compliance with annual staff appraisals. Ensures that HR work throughout the College is coordinated effectively and is handled confidentially. Supervises Dean's level HR staff and oversees the work of the College's department and program staff performing HR duties.
• Creates documents, reports, templates, and other information as required by the College, accreditation agencies, Provost's Office,
  human resources, and other administrative offices. Runs datasets via HR queries and provides them to the Metrics department for
  warehousing, tracking and monitoring. Updates the AFO regarding hiring and retirement actions to ensure accurate payroll projections.
• Safeguards and maintains confidential personnel records and files.

Other Functions

Perform other duties as needed and assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree and five (5) years of experience that include a broad range of HR responsibilities.
• Previous experience working in a managerial or supervisory capacity.
• Experience with employee development or training.
• Demonstrated knowledge of the concepts, principles, and procedures for strategic human resources management and equal
  employment opportunity.
• Excellent evaluation, persuasion and negotiation skills.
• Excellent computer skills including expertise with MS office programs.
• Demonstrated understanding of and commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.
• Ability to communicate effectively in clear and concise oral and written communications. Ability to express thoughts clearly, and develop ideas in a logical sequence.
• Ability to problem solve and develop solutions that foster resolution and positive outcomes; to balance varying work projects and
  evaluate competing priorities; to carefully weigh all issues prior to taking action; and to keep projects moving forward in a productive and efficient manner.
• Ability to handle confidential information in a discreet manner, while working cooperatively with others.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail with the ability to complete assignments in a timely manner.
• Ability to read, understand, apply, and explain rules, regulations, and policies/procedures related to duties.
• Ability to maintain and foster harmonious working relationships with a diverse staff population including administrators, faculty and staff.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's Degree.
• PHR certification and/or SPHR-CP certification.
• HR/personnel administration experience in higher education.

Physical Demands/Working Conditions

Typical office environment.

Work Schedule

• 40 hours/week, Monday - Friday, 8:30am-4:30pm.
• May be required to work occasional nights and weekends.

Salary Information

Level 27

Exempt Hiring Ranges

Special Instructions to Applicants

Upload your resume, cover letter, and along with your completed application. Our team will check references at the final stage of the interview process. Please be prepared to provide contact information for at least three (3) professional references. This position will remain open until filled or the advertised closing date, whichever occurs first. Early submissions are recommended.

As part of a commitment to their own multicultural community, EMCON seeks an individual with a demonstrated commitment to diversity and one who will understand and embrace university initiatives and aspirations. In addition to the application materials above, candidates will need to submit a Statement of Contribution to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. The Diversity Statement should identify your past experiences and future goals.

UMass Amherst is committed to a policy of equal opportunity without regard to race, color, religion, caste, creed, sex, age, marital status, national origin, disability, political belief or affiliation, pregnancy and pregnancy-related condition(s), veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, genetic information, natural and protective hairstyle and any other class of individuals protected from discrimination 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 UMass Amherst to comply with the applicable federal and state statutes, rules, and regulations concerning equal opportunity and affirmative action.

Advertised: May Eastern Daylight Time
Applications close: May Eastern Daylight Time