Human Resources Consultant, University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture

University of Tennessee•Knoxville, TN

About The Position

The UTIA Human Resources Consultant serves as a senior, internally facing HR consultant and generalist who partners with leaders across a large, decentralized academic enterprise. You will diagnose workforce and organizational needs, apply policy and precedent, and frame evidence-based options (not decisions) that strengthen leadership decision-making. The portfolio includes complex employee relations, HR projects/continuous improvement, HRIS-enabled reporting and data interpretation, compensation partnership, and organizational effectiveness support (e.g., role clarity and change navigation). This position is one of five peer HR Consultant roles that work closely as a team—sharing expertise, ideating together, and providing backup support—and reports to the Director of Human Resources for UTIA. The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has shaped leaders, changemakers, and innovative thinkers since its founding in 1794. The university is home to more than 38,000 students and 10,000 statewide employees—the Volunteers—who uphold the university’s tradition of lighting the way for others through leadership and service. UT Knoxville offers over 900 programs of study across 14 degree-granting colleges and schools. As Tennessee’s flagship land-grant university, its footprint spans the entire state. The university holds the highest Carnegie classification for research activity and has deep partnerships with industry leaders and the US Department of Energy’s largest multidisciplinary laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The Knoxville campus serves and recruits for UT Knoxville, including the Institute of Agriculture and the Space Institute, as well as the UT Institute of Public Service. UT Knoxville considers its employees its number one asset. With values that focus on work-life balance, compensation, and innovation leadership, all Vols are supported to advance professionally. Employees have access to career development and coaching, continued education, and an extensive list of development and training possibilities. The Volunteer employee experience implements structures and practices to attract and retain top-tier talent, fostering a strong staff community and supporting a culture of involvement and engagement for everyone. The university holds a strong commitment to its land-grant mission of learning and engagement, with a tradition of service and leadership that carries that Volunteer spirit throughout the state and around the world. It has been ranked nationally as “Best Employer for New Graduates,” “One of America’s Best Large Employers,” and “Best Workplace for Women,” and has been designated as “Best Place for Working Parents” by Forbes Magazine.

Responsibilities

Diagnose workforce and organizational needs
Apply policy and precedent
Frame evidence-based options that strengthen leadership decision-making
Manage complex employee relations
Handle HR projects/continuous improvement
Utilize HRIS-enabled reporting and data interpretation
Compensation partnership
Provide organizational effectiveness support (e.g., role clarity and change navigation)
Work closely as a team—sharing expertise, ideating together, and providing backup support