Junior HR Partner (7595U), Berkeley Regional Services - #78249

At the University of California, Berkeley, we are dedicated to fostering a community where everyone feels welcome and can thrive. Our culture of openness, freedom and belonging make it a special place for students, faculty and staff.

As a world-leading institution, Berkeley is known for its academic and research excellence, public mission, diverse student body, and commitment to equity and social justice. Since our founding in 1868, we have driven innovation, creating global intellectual, economic and social value.

We are looking for applicants who reflect California's diversity and want to be part of an inclusive, equity-focused community that views education as a matter of social justice. Please consider whether your values align with our Guiding Values and Principles, Principles of Community, and Strategic Plan.

At UC Berkeley, we believe that learning is a fundamental part of working, and provide space for supportive colleague communities via numerous employee resource groups (staff organizations). Our goal is for everyone on the Berkeley campus to feel supported and equipped to realize their full potential. We actively support this by providing all of our full-time staff employees with at least 80 hours (10 days) of paid time per year to engage in professional development activities. Find out more about how you can grow your career at UC Berkeley.

Departmental Overview

Berkeley Regional Services (BRS) is comprised of five (5) "service regions" that provide high-quality administrative support to their groupings of schools, colleges, and departments. The BEST (Biological, Environmental, Science & Technology) Region serves the College of Natural Resources, the Division of Biological Sciences in the College of Letters and Science, and related Organized Research Units (ORUs), museums, and field stations in the biological sciences. HR/APS supports hiring, appointments, separations, classification and compensation, performance management, payroll and timekeeping, and other HR activities in coordination with its partners in other teams across the UC Berkeley campus and the UCPath Center in Riverside, CA.

The Junior HR Partner will support both Contingent Worker (CWR) and Postdoctoral Scholars via appointing, hiring Postdoctoral Scholars, and ensuring their appointments are maintained accurately and current. This position will work closely with faculty to ensure they receive adequate support for their Contingent Worker (CWR) and Postdoctoral Scholars as needed.

Application Review Date

• The First Review Date for this job is: June 2, 2025
• This position has two (2) openings.

Responsibilities

Academic Case Management and Recruitment

• Applies knowledge of University policies, collective bargaining agreements and procedures to counsel department managers, employees and supervisors on employee and labor policies, performance management, procedures, and appropriate practices.
• Advises Faculty and Managers and communicates with foreign appointees regarding visa acquisition.
• Makes recommendations regarding visa type and timelines.
• Assists in the preparation of Postdoctoral Scholar academic reappointment cases and negotiated agreement increases.
• Processes Postdoctoral scholar appointments and other Contingent Worker (CWR) appointments.
• Advises faculty around the usage of Postdoctoral titles and guides them through the end-to-end recruitment and hiring process.
• Manages sensitive and confidential information and effectively and collaboratively interacts with client groups.

Appointment Processing

• In collaboration with academic departments and control units, coordinates the hiring of Postdoctoral Scholars, several Contingent Worker (CWR) titles and out of scope titles as needed.
• Provides support to departments in administering policies and programs in the areas of employment, performance management, labor relations, wage and salary administration, training, and other areas of HR.
• Provides general guidance on Glacier tax reporting system and refers employees to GlacierAdmin for specific questions.
• Handles routine issues related to benefits, visas and compensation.
• Collaborates with our payroll team to request late payments, process overpayments, research grievances and other payroll needs.
• Initiates and approves transactions in UCPath with attention to accuracy.
• Runs reports in Cognos and CalAnswers.

Onboarding and Benefit Counseling

• Guides Postdoctoral Scholar, Affiliates and out of scope hires on the overall onboarding process and works with our onboarding team to provide all necessary information in time for a successful onboarding experience.
• Provides general benefit and pertinent new hire information to new hires, rehires and transfers.
• Reviews and audits employee records to identify any root cause for benefit changes or disruptions.

Special Projects

• Prioritizes work assignments, demonstrates excellent verbal and written communication skills, works collaboratively on assigned projects, provides analysis, and recommendations.
• Other duties/special projects as needed.

Auditing and Employee Lifecycle Management

• Completes and audits all necessary negotiated salary increases for Postdoctoral Scholars.
• Maintains a PostDoc tracker to track anniversary dates, reappointments, visa end dates and other key lifecycle dates and actions as required by contract.
• Pulls necessary adhoc reports as needed for potential layoffs or to help guide a workforce planning conversation for faculty.
• Sends initial and semester reminder communication to Postdoctoral Scholars about HR best practices.
• Reviews and assigns all unassigned cases for HR Partners and assigns them to the correct HR Partner daily or as instructed by leadership.
• Manages the HHMI CWR population end dates.
• Helps manage the MLA/OTP requests.

Required Qualifications

• Analytical skills to conduct analysis and develop recommendations; demonstrates organizational skills and problem-solving skills.
• Has working knowledge of other areas of HR.
• Knowledge of organizational policies and procedures and knowledge of functional area.
• Basic knowledge of human resources policies and programs, and how they affect other organizational policies and procedures.
• Knowledge of a human resources management system (HRMS), and / or other related business software programs and systems.
• Proficient in communicating clearly and effectively verbally and in writing and in integrating information in the completion of assignments.
• Demonstrated ability to handle difficult or volatile situations / individuals effectively.
• Exceptional attention to detail with the ability to identify discrepancies, ensure accuracy, and maintain compliance with labor contracts, processes and procedures.
• Possess technical skills using reporting tools and data systems to gather, analyze and perform basic data manipulation and conduct thorough reviews to identify inconsistencies, or trends that may indicate errors or areas requiring further investigation.
• Professional experience in a college, university, or other advanced educational setting.

Education/Training:

• Bachelor's degree in related area and / or equivalent experience / training.

Salary & Benefits

For information on the comprehensive benefits package offered by the University, please visit the University of California's Compensation & Benefits website.

Under California law, the University of California, Berkeley is required to provide a reasonable estimate of the compensation range for this role and should not offer a salary outside of the range posted in this job announcement. This range takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, analysis of internal equity, and other business and organizational needs. It is not typical for an individual to be offered a salary at or near the top of the range for a position. Salary offers are determined based on final candidate qualifications and experience.

• The budgeted salary or hourly range that the University reasonably expects to pay for this position is $34.96 - $39.75. This is a non-exempt, bi-weekly paid position.
• This is a full-time, Career position that is eligible for full UC benefits.
• This position is eligible for up to 100% remote work within the United States. Exact arrangements are determined in partnership with your supervisor to meet role responsibilities and department needs, and are subject to change.

How to Apply

To apply, please submit your resume and cover letter.

Conviction History Background

This is a designated position requiring fingerprinting and a background check due to the nature of the job responsibilities. Berkeley does hire people with conviction histories and reviews information received in the context of the job responsibilities. The University reserves the right to make employment contingent upon successful completion of the background check.

SB 791 and AB 810 Misconduct Disclosure

As a condition of employment, the final candidate who accepts a conditional offer of employment will be required to disclose if they have been subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct; received notice of any allegations or are currently the subject of any administrative or disciplinary proceedings involving misconduct; have left a position after receiving notice of allegations or while under investigation in an administrative or disciplinary proceeding involving misconduct; or have filed an appeal of a finding of misconduct with a previous employer.

"Misconduct" means any violation of the policies or laws governing conduct at the applicant's previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies or laws prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment, discrimination, dishonesty, or unethical conduct, as defined by the employer. For reference, below are UC's policies addressing some forms of misconduct:

UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy
UC Anti-Discrimination Policy
Abusive Conduct in the Workplace

Other Information

This is not a visa opportunity.

Equal Employment Opportunity
The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state or federal law.