Associate Ombudsperson

University of Tennessee 

Knoxville, TN

Associate Ombudsperson

Office of Ombuds Services 

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Office of Ombuds Services is seeking an Associate Ombudsperson to join the department. The successful candidate must be champion of diversity, equity and inclusion and lead with a spirit of humanity, generosity, and empathy in order to serve the diverse needs of our faculty, staff and student populations. 

The University and Region

UTK is the state’s flagship, land-grant university. We are a Carnegie doctoral research (R1) university housing 11 colleges and 900+ programs of study. With an enrollment of 30,000 students, our undergraduate and graduate programs are repeatedly ranked among top national programs. The city of Knoxville is a hidden gem with a beautiful and walkable downtown, a diverse music scene, active neighborhoods, unique restaurants, and a robust offering of outdoor and cultural activities. UTK is located within easy driving distance to Asheville, Nashville, Atlanta, and the Great Smoky Mountains; and a day’s drive to Memphis, Chicago and Washington D.C. Knoxville and the surrounding counties have a statistical area population of over 850,000 people.

Position Summary: 

The purpose of the associate ombudsperson is to serve as an ombuds for the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and the University of Tennessee Institute for Agriculture faculty, staff, and graduate students. The associate ombudsperson will contribute to the ongoing strategic planning as well as program evaluation for the office. The associate ombudsperson will provide group facilitating training event.

Position Responsibility:

• Deliver ombuds services to ombuds visitors

• Provide referrals as needed to other resources such as Human Resources, the Employee Assistance Program, the Office of Equity and Diversity, the Counseling Center, the Dean of Students, and the Office of Title IX

• Act as a consultant and mediator pursuant to the relevant policies and procedures outlined in the Faculty Handbook and university human resource policies

• Promote the university’s tradition of excellence and integrity and foster ethical professional relationships, creative thinking, and institutional improvement

• Develop and maintain notes and statistical data for purposes of identifying trends in complaints and concerns

• Engage in ombuds activities while ensuring that individual services are fulfilling the Charter for the Office and International Ombuds Association Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics

• Assist in most difficult, complex or politically sensitive cases with little or no precedent where analysis of situation or data requires reflective problem-solving

• Assist in establishing cooperative strategies to prevent future problems

• Assist the development of an annual report for the UT Knoxville chancellor, Faculty Senate, and Human Resources to include demographic information of people served, categories of issues discussed, areas of the university from which concerns came, identification of common patterns of problems, duration of cases from time of request to closure

• Assist in ongoing communications concerning the ombuds' role to the campus community and provide workshops on negotiation skills, communications, problem solving and related issues

• Present at new faculty and staff orientations, workshops, and other relevant educational outreach

• Participate in workshops as well as conferences facilitated by the International Ombuds Association for establishing/renewing Certified Organizational Ombudsman Practitioner (CO-OP) status

• Participate in mediator training

• Participate in any other professional development opportunities that will enhance ombuds services within the organization

Required Qualifications:

Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree with at least eight years’ experience in problem solving or alternative dispute resolution, conflict resolution or other relevant experience and a record of successfully collaborating with individuals at all levels of an organization

OR

• Master's degree with at least four years’ experience in problem solving or alternative dispute resolution, conflict resolution or other relevant experience and a record of successfully collaborating with individuals at all levels of an organization

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Knowledge of the principles and practices of organizational ombuds

• Presentation & communication skills

• Interpersonal skills

• Ability to conduct research, analyze data, and prepare reports

• Ability to communicate with diverse groups

• Ability to interpret and apply institutional policies and procedures governing faculty, staff, and graduate students

• Ability to build relationships

Preferred Qualifications:

Experience

• At least four years’ experience in positions that dealt with general university operations and decision-making processes including shared governance

• Has obtained the Certified Organizational Ombudsman Practitioner (CO-OP) Certification

Knowledge

• Knowledge of general university operations and decision-making processes including shared governance

• Knowledge of research and grant related processes including integrity and ethics

• Knowledge of both faculty affairs as well as academic affairs

For full consideration, please submit a cover letter detailing your motivation and readiness for this opportunity along with a resume or CV that includes names and contact information of three (3) professional references. Review of applications will begin immediately.

Apply Online:

http://50.73.55.13/counter.php?id=199340