UTC Ombudsperson, Office of the Chancellor

University of Tennessee•Chattanooga, TN

4d•Onsite

About The Position

The University Ombud provides impartial, informal, independent and confidential conflict resolution services to all UTC faculty and staff in accordance with the Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice established by the International Ombud Association (IOA). The position uses exceptional judgment, knowledge of the institution and its constituencies, and advanced concepts in conflict resolution to handle ombud cases that may involve various levels of hierarchy and sensitive issues that have the potential for costly outcomes if not addressed. The ombud is neither an advocate for any individual nor the University, but rather is an advocate for fairness, who acts as a source of information and referral and aids in answering an individual’s questions and assists in the resolution of concerns and critical situations. The ombud listens and understands issues while remaining neutral with respect to the facts; assists in reframing issues and developing and helping individuals evaluate options; guides and coaches individuals to deal directly with other parties, including the use of formal resolution resources of the organization; facilitates informal resolution processes; and identifies new issues and opportunities for systemic change for the organization. The ombud does not replace the University’s existing resources for formal conflict resolution. Ombud services help individuals to mitigate conflicts that can otherwise lead to a grievance, disciplinary action and/or disruption at the University. The ombud is also responsible for ongoing education and communication on campus about ombud services, as well as implementing outreach and training programs for the University community on topics relevant to the portfolio, with an emphasis in practical interpersonal skill building, conflict avoidance, mitigation, and resolution skills. This full-time staff position has a dual reporting and collaboration relationship, reporting to the Office of the Chancellor through the Chief of Staff as a University Ombud, and reporting to the Office of Human Resources through the campus Human Resources Officer (HRO) in the capacity of community education and training services.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in relevant field of study
Knowledge of International Ombud Association Ethical Code and Standards of Practice
Ability to gain and maintain trust at all organizational levels
Ability to engage in high level of consulting, problem-solving, and collaborative activities
Experience working with people of diverse backgrounds, cultures, and status
Excellent communication skills
Excellent judgment and discretion
Ability to Translate and Synthesize Data into reports to inform data-driven decision making
Three or more years of experience developing and delivering educational workshops tailored to unique constituent groups
Record of success in dispute resolution
Record of progressively responsible experience in services within Ombuds portfolio of work
Prior experience in the process of leadership and supervising personnel
Prior ombud experience
Experience in decision making and problem solving within a higher education environment (or equivalent public or private sector including shared governance models)
Knowledge of higher education, including the unique working environment of university faculty members

Nice To Haves

Prior ombud experience
Experience in decision making and problem solving within a higher education environment (or equivalent public or private sector including shared governance models)
Knowledge of higher education, including the unique working environment of university faculty members
An advanced degree in relevant field of study

Responsibilities

Respond to and collaborate with individual faculty and/or staff members who are employed by the University and experiencing conflict with others or the institution in pursuit of an effective solution
Counsel constituents in the navigation and utilization of existing conflict resolution resources
Bring systemic concerns to the attention of institutional leadership for systemic resolution
Operate in a manner that preserves the confidentiality of those seeking services
Maintain a neutral/impartial position with respect to the concerns raised
Work at an informal level of the organizational system (i.e., external, and apart from HR, EOA, general counsel, and other formal processes or units), generally independent of (autonomous from) other formal organizational structures
Establish and maintain effective working relationships at all levels of administration, including collaboration with HR, EOA, general counsel, etc. to provide referrals and partner with them to develop and implement campus-wide initiatives
Engage and inform the campus community in the work of the ombud
Provide an appropriate measure of transparency to the ombud function
Identify, develop and deliver an ongoing curriculum of interpersonal skill-building workshops and educational opportunities for faculty and staff
Partner with Human Resources, EOA, Academic Affairs, UT constituents and other entities to integrate training and development offerings with systematic employee and organizational development initiatives
Implement methods for seeking workshop participant feedback to inform opportunities for improvement, future offerings and return on investment
Provide recommendations for employee development needs to collaborative HR, EOA, AA and UT partners based on trends from the perspective of the Office of the Ombuds
Generate reporting of education and training engagements to support demonstration of impact
Maintain Ombuds website content in alignment with best practices