Human Resources Consultant: Tickle College of Engineering - UTK

Reporting to the Director of HR, the HR Consultant provides consultative HR guidance and analytical support to leaders and HR partners across the Tickle College of Engineering (TCE), with primary emphasis on compensation strategy execution, job offers, and position management. The role leads and coordinates college processes that strengthen consultation for position descriptions, support classification-related reviews, promote consistent titling and documentation standards, and contribute to career pathing and role standardization efforts. The HR Consultant prepares reporting and analysis to identify trends, support compliance and quality control, and provides decision-ready recommendations to the Director of HR and college leadership. In partnership with campus and system HR functional teams, the role supports risk-aware HR guidance on employee programs and workforce actions (e.g., leave-related guidance, workers’ compensation, and employee change documentation) and leverages systems (primarily Oracle HCM) and service workflows (e.g., Smartsheets/TDX processes as applicable) to improve service delivery and operational efficiency.
Compensation Strategy, Position Management, Offers, & Pay Actions (60% of time)
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Serve as the college subject matter expert for compensation strategy execution, including maintaining documentation/justifications for pay exceptions or outliers in coordination with campus compensation partners.
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Coordinate salary recommendation requests for new hires and support compensation actions such as merit processes and out-of-cycle adjustments by preparing analysis, ensuring documentation quality, and facilitating timely routing/approvals.
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Identify and escalate potential compensation inequities or risk points to HR leadership using evidence-based analysis and clear documentation to support decision-making.
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Support wage certification and other compensation-related reporting requests by producing accurate, auditable data outputs and associated documentation.
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Own and manage the intake and workflow for position description (PD) requests (including TDX ticket ownership as applicable), ensuring PDs are complete, consistently titled, and submitted on schedule.
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Provide consultative support for job family reviews, compression analyses, and reclassification/compression-related review packages by gathering documentation, coordinating stakeholders, and facilitating submission through appropriate compensation/classification channels.
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Strengthen role standardization across the college by supporting role architecture efforts (e.g., standardized roles, career paths, and upskilling options) and documenting procedures that improve consistency and scalability.
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Develop and maintain college SOPs and tools that improve PD quality, reduce rework, and support accurate downstream classification/compensation decisions.
HR Consultation, Stakeholder Partnership & Service Leadership (15% of time)
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Serve as an HR consultant to college leaders and unit HR/business staff by providing guidance, problem-solving support, and decision-ready recommendations aligned with UT policy and established HR standards.
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Maintain active partnerships with campus and system HR functional areas (e.g., compensation, employee relations) to ensure consistent interpretation/application of policy and smooth escalation/coordination of complex cases.
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Provide consultative coverage and representation for college HR leadership as assigned (e.g., when the Director is unavailable), ensuring continuity of HR guidance and service expectations.
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Contribute to continuous improvement of HR deliverables through benchmarking, training, research, and structured feedback loops with HR leadership and operational partners.
Compliance, Risk Support & Employee Program Guidance (15% of time)
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Provide guidance to leaders and unit staff on compliance-related HR topics and employee programs (e.g., leave tracking/administration support such as FML), seeking interpretation from campus partners when unique or high-risk situations arise.
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Support workforce change actions (including reductions in force/externally funded position eliminations) by coordinating documentation and assisting leaders with process steps and communications in alignment with policy and approvals.
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Serve as the college point of contact for workers’ compensation issues by ensuring timely reporting/coordination with campus risk partners and maintaining appropriate documentation and updates to HR leadership.
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Coordinate with International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) as needed to validate and assemble visa-related documentation (e.g., H-1B and J-1 requests/renewals) in support of compliant employment actions.
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Maintain continuing education and awareness of changing employment law and compliance expectations to support accurate guidance and risk-aware decision support.
HR Systems, Ticket/Workflow Management, Reporting & Training (15% of time)
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Develop and apply advanced working knowledge of UT HR systems (primarily Oracle HCM) to provide functional/administrative support, data validation, and operational troubleshooting tied to HR transactions and reporting needs.
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Manage HR intake and workflow systems (including TDX/TDX inbox processes as applicable) by monitoring volume/timing, applying routing rules/SOPs, identifying bottlenecks, and recommending workflow improvements and resourcing needs based on workload trends.
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Produce, analyze, and interpret HR reports to support college processes and compliance/quality control (e.g., appointments, student FTE, work permissions, COI, APR/annual compliance, background checks, temp positions, compensation), and advise HR leadership on trends and risks.
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Develop, maintain, and deliver training and SOPs for unit HR/department representatives, and maintain an organized inventory of training resources for the college/campus HR procedures.
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Maintain organized HR files/records standards for the college HR function consistent with internal controls and operational needs.
Required Qualifications

• Education: High school diploma or GED required or a bachelor's degree in HR Management, Industrial Psychology, or other HR related fields.
• Experience:
• High school diploma with at least 7-8 years of combined HR experience related to developing compensation plans, compensation analysis for compliance and equity, and consulting with clients on position descriptions and high-level employee relations situations;
• Or Bachelor’s degree in HR Management, Industrial Psychology or other HR related field with a combination of 3-4 years of combined human resources roles with experience tied to developing compensation plans and position descriptions, compensation analysis, and consulting on high-level employee relations situations.
• Experience providing consultant-style feedback and collaboration in a high-volume, customer service setting.

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Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:
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Strong service-orientation and continuous improvement mindset
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Sound judgment and decision-making skills
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Excellence in data, reporting, and the application of analytics to achieve HR outcomes
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Ability to exercise discretion and maintain confidentiality
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Strong advocacy for Access and Engagement and related initiatives, including the ability to communicate to broad audiences
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Experience with on-boarding and hiring documentation including I-9 e-verification
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Knowledge of employment laws and practices
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Excellent organizational and time management skills combined with the ability to prioritize work based on time-sensitive deadlines
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Ability to work autonomously as well as within a team environment
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Strong interpersonal and communication skills
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Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office 365
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Knowledge of federal and state employment laws
Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis without need now or in the future for sponsorship for employment-based visa status.

Preferred Qualifications

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Education and Experience:
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Master’s degree in HR Management, Industrial Psychology, or other HR related field with 2 years of experience in combined experience developing compensation plans, compensation analysis, and position descriptions and consulting on high-level employee relations situations.
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Experience specifically in a higher education environment managing compensation planning/strategy and/or employee relations.
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Experience hiring foreign nationals and communicating with non-native English speakers.
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Certified Compensation Professional (CCP) certification or SHRM-CP, PHR.
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Certificates or training related to HR competencies such as compensation and employment law.
Work Location
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Location: Knoxville, TN
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Hybrid with one day remote each week after the probationary period.
Compensation and Benefits

• UT market range: MR09
• Anticipated hiring range: $65,000 to $70,000
• Find more information on the UT Market Range structure here
• Find more information on UT Benefits here

Application Instructions
To express interest, please submit an application with the noted below attachments. To be assured of full consideration, all requested materials should be submitted.
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Resume
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Cover Letter
About The College
The Tickle College of Engineering (TCE) at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville is one of the university’s largest and most research-active colleges, offering undergraduate and graduate programs across multiple engineering disciplines. TCE Finance & Administration supports the college’s academic and research mission through HR, budget, and operational services for faculty, staff, and departments across the college.