Academic HR Partner (5391C), Berkeley Law #88784

University of California; Berkeley (CA); Hybrid; USD 93,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Background check

Job summary

University of California, Berkeley invites applications for the Academic HR Partner position at Berkeley Law. The role focuses on managing academic appointments, salary administration, and faculty affairs while aligning with campus policies and collective bargaining agreements.

Responsibilities include supporting MRAC, handling merit reviews, and coordinating with UCPath for term updates. The role requires substantial HR acumen and a commitment to inclusive leadership at a premier law school.

Qualifications

• Thorough knowledge of campus, system-wide, and college policies, union contracts, and legal trends governing academic HR.
• Strong analytical and communication abilities for complex decisions and senior leadership advisement.
• Ability to navigate confidential information with tact and discretion.
• Familiarity with trends in academic planning and HR practices in law schools.

Responsibilities

• Facilitates and manages the academic appointment and review process for senate faculty.
• Supports and advises the Dean and MRAC at Berkeley Law.
• Drafts and edits appointment letters, reviews, and recommendations.
• Ensures timely submission and maintains administrative records in UCPath and campus systems.
• Provides data for internal and external reports and analyzes teaching/workload metrics.
• Executes benefits and visa-related tasks and coordinates with central offices.

Skills

Policy interpretation

Analytical thinking

Communication skills

Interpersonal skills

Project management

Independent work

Education

Bachelor's degree in related area

Tools

UCPath

CalAnswers

Job description

Academic HR Partner (5391C), Berkeley Law #88784

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 makes it a special place for students, faculty, and staff, who are among the most talented and accomplished anywhere, including Nobel laureates, Pulitzer Prize winners, and MacArthur Fellows. Since our founding in 1868, we have been an engine for innovation - driving intellectual, economic, and social progress that benefits California, the U.S., and beyond. Together, we change the world.

At Berkeley, the best careers are built on a foundation of continuous learning and growth . We actively support professional development by providing all full-time staff employees with at least 80 hours of paid time per year and provide space for supportive colleague communities via numerous employee resource groups.

UC Berkeley School of Law (Berkeley Law) is one of the nation's great centers for legal education, ever exploring and pushing new intellectual boundaries while tackling urgent, real-world issues. Berkeley Law is also known for its vibrant and engaged community of students and scholars who are committed to providing leadership and making a difference on problems of local, national, and global import.

The Human Resources department supports the goals and challenges of the law school by providing services which promote a work environment that is characterized by fair treatment, open communications, personal accountability, trust and mutual respect. We are committed to providing the highest level of responsive, confidential service possible, while serving as a resource of information and expertise.

Position Summary

The Academic HR Partner recommends, develops, implements, administers, coordinates, and evaluates Academic Human Resources policies, labor contracts, statutes, programs, and procedures covering one or more of the following: academic recruitment, appointment, and advancement; compensation and salary administration; faculty welfare programs; visa procurement; benefits; payroll; training and development; faculty misconduct; and faculty equity. The position primarily manages faculty titles, such as Professor and Assistant Professor of Law, Clinical Professor and Clinical Assistant Professor of Law (LSOE), and Visiting Professors.

Application Review Date

The First Review Date for this job is September 28, 2026. For full consideration, please apply on or before the first review date.

Responsibilities

Facilitates/manages the academic appointment and review process, primarily for senate faculty, identifying issues relating to policy and compensation.

• Supports and advises the Dean and Merit Review Advisory Committee (MRAC) at Berkeley Law.
• Reviews, analyzes, and generates information regarding the quality and quantity of teaching, research, and service efforts by faculty.
• Drafts and/or edits academic appointment cases, academic personnel reviews, academic appointment letters, exceptional requests and/or other decanal recommendations.
• Casework primarily consists of senate faculty, including professors, senior lecturers with security of employment, as well as endowed chair appointments or reappointments, and associate dean appointments or reappointments.
• Reviews and analyzes merit and promotion cases for faculty.
• Ensures timely submission of academic cases and shepherds them through the review process.
• Serves as primary administrative support for MRAC.
• Facilitates and provides administrative support for faculty discussions of personnel actions. (E.g. scheduling and ballots for faculty votes for mid-career reviews or promotions.)
• Implements personnel actions, mostly in partnership with Berkeley Regional Services (BRS), to ensure UCPath reflects current appointment terms.
• Processes expense reimbursements for faculty hiring, including job talks, relocation, and other related expenses.

Provides strategic advice and counsel to unit head and senior leadership by analyzing and interpreting system-wide and campus policies, collective bargaining agreements, academic personnel procedures and practices.

• Provides information and data for internal and external reports (e.g. American Bar Association (ABA) or Association of American Law Schools (AALS)).
• Accurately tracks and monitors teaching workloads, service commitments, and faculty leaves or sabbaticals.
• Runs relevant reports and audits on academic personnel records via UCPath and/or CalAnswers or other campus systems.
• Maintains faculty records and personnel files.

Counsels senate on moderate to complex work-related problems, such as teaching workload calculations, sabbatical leaves, medical leaves, and unpaid leaves.

• Helps resolve issues related to leaves.
• Analyzes and interprets guidelines and policies to provide advice and counsel to academic appointees on issues such work-eligibility (visa) matters such as H1-B processing or PR application, general benefits, and benefits considerations in the event of a leave.

Assists as needed to coordinate and/or manage senate academic searches, including search waiver requests, drafting of search plans, the placement of ads, and search reporting.

• Partners with the Office of Faculty Equity and Welfare (OFEW) to ensure search practices comply with campus guidelines.
• Coordinates the hiring of academic appointees with the central Academic Personnel Office (APO) and Berkeley Regional Services (BRS), and other units as needed.
• May assist with the review, analysis, and generation of information for non-senate academic personnel reviews, such as Academic Coordinators, Specialists, Adjunct Professors, and Librarians.
• May draft and/or edit excellence reviews and merit recommendations for Unit IX titles.
• May draft or assist in the preparation of appointment or reappointment letters for Unit IX titles or other non-senate academic titles.

Engages in professional development and training opportunities as needed.

• Performs additional duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• Comprehensive knowledge of (or ability to learn/interpret) campus, system-wide, and college policies, union contracts, and legal trends governing academic HR administration.
• Excellent critical thinking and analytical skills to address complex management issues, develop solutions, and advise senior leadership on personnel decisions.
• Strong political acumen, tact, and discretion when handling sensitive and confidential information.
• Thorough knowledge of and/or ability to learn campus and school goals, priorities and values and the legal and human implications of decisions.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate effectively with diverse audiences.
• Demonstrated initiative and the ability to navigate change and deal with ambiguity.
• Excellent computer skills and the ability to successfully learn new computer programs and software systems with ease.
• Excellent planning and organization skills.
• Self-starter with the ability to successfully work independently as well as collaboratively in teams.
• Knowledge of trends in academia in law, especially in the areas of academic planning, human resource management and administration highly desired.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate and work effectively with individuals and groups from a wide range of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives.
• Demonstrated commitment to fostering an inclusive and supportive environment that promotes collaboration and mutual respect among all members of the UC Berkeley community and its stakeholders.
• Must demonstrate strong interpersonal skills, including the ability to engage with and understand individuals from varied academic, socioeconomic, cultural, disability, gender, and ethnic backgrounds.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in an academic/higher learning environment.

Education / Training

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

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 annual range that the University reasonably expects to pay for this position is $93,000.00 - $110,000.00.

• This is an exempt, monthly-paid position.
• This is a full-time (40 hours/week) Career position eligible for UC benefits.

Other Information

• This position is eligible for up to 1 day/week 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.
• This is not a visa opportunity. This position does not include sponsorship of a new consular H-1B visa petition that would require payment of the $100,000 supplemental fee.

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.

Misconduct

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:

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.