Careers

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

The Human Resources Coordinator provides strategic guidance and operational support for all human resources functions within the School of Public Health and Health Sciences (SPHHS) and its 6 academic departments. Reporting to the Director of Human Resources for SPHHS, the HR Coordinator works with minimal supervision to monitor and organize all HR operations and personnel related functions for faculty, staff and student workers. The Coordinator will own the staff recruitment process and will also assist in developing and facilitating training for staff and faculty on a variety of HR related topics. The Coordinator serves as an advisor and consultant on matters related to human resources policies and procedures within SPHHS including recruitment, payroll, performance management, learning and development, employee relations, organizational development, FMLA, etc.

Essential Functions

• Recruitment – 35%
  • Administer full lifecycle hiring processes for permanent staff & temporary hires across SPHHS.
  • Advise supervisors and faculty on policies and procedures and ensure that all hiring is in line with SPHHS strategic initiatives. Resolve complex issues that do not directly conform to polices.
  • Work with supervisors to develop position descriptions.
  • Coordinate with departmental administrators to obtain necessary hiring documentation. Compile documentation to initiate search processes and track search progress.
  • Advise and train search committee chairs, supervisors & faculty on how to conduct appropriate and effective interviews. Ensure that committees are using best practices throughout the interview process and that all searches are in line with SPHHS Diversity, Equity and Inclusion principles.
  • Participate on interview panels for all permanent recruitment processes.
  • Gather and analyze interview feedback to ensure evaluation of candidates is consistent across departments.
  • Advise supervisors on negotiating offer details and manage search closeouts.
  • Direct departmental administrators on appropriate employee onboarding tasks.
  • Support academic departments with faculty searches. Maintain a database of tenure track searches including gathering hiring materials and search documentation from Departments.
• HR Administration – 25%
  • Prepare and track personnel actions for new hires, reappointments, leaves of absence (including FMLA), promotions, change of funding, and terminations through origination of EPAFs and collection of supporting documents/approvals.
  • Prepare faculty personnel actions including sabbaticals, Periodic Multi-Year Reviews, Annual Faculty Reports, Reappointment, Tenure, Promotion, etc.
  • Coordinate with Research team to prepare and submit Academic Year Salary Recoveries and additional compensation forms and serve as a resource on additional compensation policy.  Monitor limitations specific to applicable guidelines.
  • Administer payroll and timekeeping processes for all departments within SPHHS.  Train departmental administrators on timekeeping processes and audit their work for accuracy.  
  • Coordinate annual performance review process for exempt and non-exempt (classified) employees. Advise supervisors on policies & Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) obligations. Work to negotiate change requests that are outside of policy.
  • Provide backup administrative support to SPHHS departments and programs during absences of regular departmental administrative staff.
  • Crosstrain with SPHHS Dean’s Office finance staff to ensure baseline operational coverage in the case of extended absences.
• Training & Communications – 20%
  • Conduct needs assessments for training needs across the school. Develop training plans to address areas of need.
  • Design, develop and facilitate in person and online training sessions for SPHHS faculty and staff related to HR, performance management, diversity equity & inclusion, and organizational culture topics.
  • Work with HR Director to revise and improve SPHHS HR and related work procedures. Document SPHHS HR processes and procedures. Create and disseminate written training materials for SPHHS supervisors, faculty, and staff.
  • Communicate changes to HR procedures to departmental personnel when necessary.
  • Create content and keep HR sections of SPHHS Dean’s Office website up-to-date.
  • Develop surveys to gather feedback to evaluate training outcomes and effectiveness. Analyze data and report on training outcomes.
• HR Project & Data Management – 15%
  • Research and implement new project management tools and templates to track SPHHS HR workflow & projects.
  • Monitor projects to keep ahead of deadlines and critical milestones. Keep all parties on track & communicate status to SPHHS leadership.
  • Gather and analyze SPHHS salary and market data for faculty and staff to ensure equity across school.
  • Run reports from UMass systems and gather data from external sources. Analyze data to investigate and evaluate HR related issues within SPHHS to respond to Dean’s inquiries, support accreditation studies, etc.
  • Create and maintain databases for tracking of personnel actions.

Other Functions- 5%

• Maintain current knowledge of applicable federal and state regulations, current CBAs, and University hiring and employment policies and serve as a resource to staff and faculty for these topics.
• Contribute to a positive and respectful workplace defined by personal and professional competence, integrity, and collaboration.
• Undertake special projects as assigned.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

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

• Associate's Degree and 3 years of experience in human resources. A bachelor’s degree may be substituted for 2 years of the required experience.
• Knowledge of human resources practices and related laws, rules and standards.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills. Ability to work effectively and cooperatively with a diverse group of individuals (faculty, staff, students, etc.).
• Excellent written and oral communication skills including presentations, proposals, reports, memoranda and correspondence of both a technical and confidential nature.
• Experience and competence with Microsoft Office (particularly Word, Outlook, Excel, and PowerPoint) and various database systems as well as comfort with a variety of computer-based management tools, budgeting tools, etc. Ability and willingness to learn new systems and processes.
• Proficiency with mathematical concepts related to calculating personnel matters such as payroll and effort changes, funding changes, salaries, budgets, etc.
• Excellent project management, organizational skills and attention to detail with the ability to complete assignments accurately and in a timely manner.
• Ability to read, understand, apply, and explain complex rules, regulations and policies/procedures related to duties.
• Ability to understand and follow complex oral and written instructions and create effective and efficient work processes.
• Ability to think through problems, organize information, identify factors and underlying causes in order to generate solutions.
• Ability to work productively with a minimum of supervision while balancing demands of concurrent projects with potentially competing deadlines in an environment with frequent interruptions.
• Ability to work effectively under pressure in varying situations with independence, competent judgment, discretion and tact while maintaining confidentiality.
• Commitment to inclusion and awareness & understanding of diverse thought, cultures, race, gender, and other differences & to contribute to a positive working environment, including respectful and collaborative working relationships.

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

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources Management, I-O Psychology, Business Administration or other related field.
• Familiarity with University personnel policies and procedures.
• PHR or similar HR certification.
• Experience using a web content management system such as Drupal.

Physical Demands/Working Conditions

Typical office environment.

Additional Details

• May supervise student workers.
• Provides functional direction to Departmental administrators and other support staff.

Work Schedule

• Monday through Friday 8:00 am - 4:00 pm or 9:00 am - 5:00 pm.
• Very occasional night or weekend work may be required.
• This position has the opportunity for a hybrid work schedule, which is defined by the University as an arrangement where an employee's work is regularly performed at a location other than the campus workspace for a portion of the week. As this position falls within the Professional Staff Union, it is subject to the terms and conditions of the Professional Staff Union collective bargaining agreement.

Salary Information

Level 25

PSU Salary Ranges

Special Instructions to Applicants

Please submit your application online and include a resume, cover letter and contact information for 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.