What are the responsibilities and job description for the Sr Faculty Affairs Partner position at UMass Amherst?
Title: Sr Faculty Affairs Partner
Executive Area: Academic Affairs
College/School/MBU: College of Education
Department: Dean - College of Education
Work Location: Amherst
Schedule:Full time
Work Arrangement:Hybrid
Job Summary
The Senior Faculty Affairs (FA) Partner serves as a senior advisor to the Dean and College leadership, providing strategic direction on faculty affairs and academic personnel matters. This role ensures the effective implementation of faculty policies and practices in alignment with university standards and serves as the primary liaison to Academic HR in the Provost's Office.
In collaboration with the Provost's Office, the Office of Human Resources, and campus stakeholders, the Senior FA Partner advances consistent, compliant, and high-quality faculty affairs operations in support of the College's mission and strategic priorities.
Essential Functions
Serves as a strategicFaculty Affairspartnerto the Dean and College leadership team to define, support, and implement operational strategies that advance the College's academic, research, and social justice mission.
Serves as the primary point of contact within theCollege for all faculty lifecycle matters, including appointments, promotions, tenure, and leaves.
Partners with Academic HRin the Provost's Officeand HR BusinessPartnerstointerpret policies,resolve complex employee relations or performance issues, andadviseon labor relations strategy.
Collaborates with HRCenters of Excellence (COEs)to ensure smooth facilitation of payroll and benefits administration, accommodation requests, andabsencemanagement for faculty.
Ensures compliance and consistency in all academicpersonnelactions and documentation with university policies, collective bargaining agreements, and applicable legal and regulatory standards.
Manages high-volume workflows andcoordinatesfaculty searches across multiple departments.
Supports change management efforts related to new policies, collective bargaining agreements, and system upgrades.
Collects andreportsfaculty data for accreditation, compliance, and institutional planning.
Mentors andprovidesguidance to staff on faculty affairs processes.
RepresentstheCollege in university-wide Academic HR and HR partner initiatives.
Other Functions
Performs related duties as assigned or required to meet Department, College, and University goals and objectives.
May supervise employees as the College's administrative structure evolves.
Safeguards and maintains confidential personnel records on behalf of the College.
Travels and attends meetings, as requested.
Understands responsibilities with respect to Title IX, Clery and other compliance requirements.
Minimum Qualifications
Bachelor's degree, and seven or more years of progressively responsible academic HR or faculty affairs experience.
Advanced knowledge of academic personnel processes and collective bargaining agreements.
Demonstrated experience managing complex employee relations or policy matters.
Strong leadership, analytical, and interpersonal skills.
Preferred Qualifications
Master's degree.
PHR certification and/or SPHR-CP certification.
Demonstrated leadership in faculty affairs or academic HR or higher education.
Ability to collaborate effectively with academic leaders and central administration.
Proven ability to build partnerships and lead through influence in a complex organization.
Additional Details
The College of Education includes three (3) departments and serves approximately 400 undergraduate students and 400 graduate students. At any one time, the College maintains approximately 240 employee appointments, including tenure system faculty, part-time and full-time lecturers, permanent and temporary staff members, post-doctoral research associates, graduate teaching assistants, and student employees.
Along with the application, please submit a resume and a cover letter outlining their interest in the role. References will be checked at the finalist stage. Please be prepared to provide the contact information for three (3) professional references.
Working Conditions
Work is performed in a standard office or indoor university environment and involves minimal physical exertion.
Work Schedule and Work Arrangement
Monday-Friday 8:30 am - 5:00 pm (40 hours per week)
Required to work occasional nights and weekends.
This position has the opportunity for a hybrid work schedule, with the expectation that the person in the role will be able to work onsite full-time for the first six months in the role before converting to a mutually agreed upon hybrid work schedule.
The hybrid work schedule 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 is non-unit, it is subject to the terms and conditions of the University of Massachusetts Board of Trustees Non-Unit (Professional/or Classified) Employee Personnel Policy.
Salary Information
Pay Grade:PSSAP Grade 28
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Special Instructions for Applicants
Along with the application, please submit a resume and a cover letter outlining their interest in the role. References will be checked at the finalist stage. Please be prepared to provide the contact information for three (3) professional references. Applications will be reviewed on a continuous basis until the position is filled. Early submissions are encouraged.
This position will remain open for the time period required by any applicable collective bargaining agreement and will continue until a suitable candidate pool is identified. Interested applicants are strongly encouraged to apply early.