Employment Eligibility Compliance Management

University of Utah; Campus (IL); Hybrid; USD 75,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Utah is seeking an Employment Eligibility Compliance Manager to lead the university’s employment eligibility compliance program, directing I-9 and E-Verify activities, policy development, and regulatory adherence.

You will oversee audits, respond to nonconformities, monitor USCIS and DHS changes, and collaborate with General Counsel, HR Operations, HRIS, and cross-functional partners to reduce risk and improve processes.

Qualifications

• Minimum Qualifications: Requires a bachelor’s degree or equivalent plus years of related work experience; master’s degree with equivalency also acceptable.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the employment-eligibility program (I-9, E-Verify) and related activities.
• Interpret federal/state requirements and develop university-wide policies and procedures.
• Oversee audits, corrective actions, and risk management across the program.
• Collaborate with Office of General Counsel, HRIS, HR Operations, and other partners to improve processes.

Job description

Employment Eligibility Compliance Management

Job Title Employment Eligibility Compliance Management

Working Title

Working Title Employment Eligibility Compliance Manager

Career Progression Track M00

Track Level M3 - Manager

FLSA Code

FLSA Code Administrative

Patient Sensitive Job Code?

Patient Sensitive Job Code? No

Standard Hours per Week 40

Full Time or Part Time?

Full Time or Part Time? Full Time

Shift

Shift Day

Work Schedule Summary

Monday through Friday 8am-5pm
The Employment Eligibility Compliance Manager will work a hybrid schedule of 3 days from our Downtown SLC office and 2 days working remote.
Work location expectations will follow University policy for remote, hybrid, and in-person work arrangements and are subject to change based on the business needs of the unit.

VP Area

VP Area President

Department

Department 00410 - Human Resources

Location

Location Campus

City

City Salt Lake City, UT

Type of Recruitment

Type of Recruitment External Posting

Pay Rate Range

Pay Rate Range $75,000 to $80,000

Close Date

Close Date 10/30/2026

Priority Review Date (Note - Posting may close at any time)

Priority Review Date (Note - Posting may close at any time) 10/09/2026

Job Summary

Employment Eligibility Compliance Management
Lead the university’s employment eligibility compliance program by establishing strategic direction, operational standards, and regulatory compliance practices for I-9, E-Verify, and related activities. Interpret federal and state employment-eligibility requirements, develop institutional policies and procedures, and oversee program performance, audit readiness, regulatory compliance, and institutional risk. Lead ICE audits, compliance reviews, and continuous improvement initiatives while providing guidance on complex and nonstandard compliance matters. Monitor regulatory changes and translate requirements into university wide practices and processes. Serve as a primary liaison with university leadership, the Office of General Counsel, HRIS , HR Operations, and other cross functional partners to address compliance risks and improve operational effectiveness.
Learn more about the great benefits of working for University of Utah: benefits.utah.edu .

Policy & Program Governance

• Interprets federal and state employment-eligibility regulations and establishes institutional operational standards for consistent, university-wide application.
• Owns full institutional accountability for the I-9, E-Verify, and related compliance program, including audit readiness, regulatory alignment, and defensible recordkeeping.
• Approves exception handling and non-standard case determinations, including work-authorization reviews, authorized representative arrangements, and remote-hire risk determinations.
• Owns the Compliance program’s business continuity strategy, ensuring the team can sustain federally mandated obligations through staffing disruptions and system outages.
• Develops staffing, resource, and technology recommendations based on compliance trends, workload analysis, audit findings, and operational needs; prepares business cases and funding requests for HR leadership consideration.

Risk Management & Regulatory Oversight

• Identifies enterprise-level compliance risks across the employment-eligibility lifecycle and develops mitigation strategies.
• Approves institutional corrective action plans and audit remediation strategies developed by the Employment Eligibility Compliance Specialist III , ensuring alignment with regulatory obligations and enterprise risk priorities.
• Serves as escalation authority for Final Nonconfirmation ( FNC ) E-Verify outcomes, suspected document fraud, and complex legal questions, coordinating with the Office of General Counsel on high-risk findings, escalations, and policy exceptions.
• Monitors employment eligibility regulatory developments such as USCIS , DHS , and IER ; translates regulatory change into institutional action.
• Serves as a trusted advisor to senior HR leadership on institutional compliance risk, regulatory change, and operational impact.

Program Improvement & Strategic Leadership

• Leads strategic improvements to compliance systems, workflows, technology, and service delivery to advance efficiency, accuracy, and scalability.
• Partners with HRIS to define compliance-related system requirements, prioritize enhancements, and advance automation of I-9/E-Verify workflows.
• Drives continuous improvement of quality assurance methodology in partnership with the Employment Eligibility Compliance Specialist III .

Cross-Functional Leadership & Stakeholder Partnership

• Serves as the primary liaison to the Office of General Counsel on employment-eligibility and immigration matters.
• Partners closely with HR Operations to support efficient onboarding, coordinate employment eligibility workflows, and ensure timely, compliant employment transactions while providing compliance oversight, guidance, and continuous process improvement.
• Partners with HRIS , Payroll, Benefits, Talent Acquisition, International Student & Scholar Services, and Internal Audit to align compliance practice with institutional operations.
• Represents the compliance program in HR leadership discussions and institutional audit or risk assessment forums.
• Reports compliance metrics, audit readiness, regulatory risks, and program performance to the HR Operations Director and Senior HR leadership, providing recommendations on emerging compliance issues and operational impacts.

Team Leadership & Performance Management

• Directs, coaches, and manages performance for the Employment Eligibility Compliance team staffwhile providing strategic leadership and oversight for the Employment Eligibility Compliance program.
• Coordinates workload distribution across the Employment Eligibility Compliance team, monitors operational capacity, and recommends staffing adjustments or additional resources to HR leadership when supported by workload analysis and compliance trends.
• Owns the Compliance team training strategy, including I-9 certification and E-Verify curricula developed in partnership with HRIS .
• Reviews Compliance program quality metrics and team performance trends to inform staffing, training, and process decisions.
• Fosters a culture of accuracy, accountability, and continuous improvement across the Employment Eligibility Compliance team.
• Manages day-to-day staff scheduling, workload assignments, onboarding, training, and performance management activities for Employment Eligibility Compliance staff.

Manage the activities of supervisors and/or individual contributors. Responsible for hiring, firing, performance appraisals, and pay reviews. Broad knowledge of the field with demonstrated leadership skills.

Minimum Qualifications

EQUIVALENCY STATEMENT : 1 year of higher education can be substituted for 1 year of directly related work experience (Example: bachelor’s degree = 4 years of directly related work experience).
Manager, Employment Eligibility Compliance Management: Requires a bachelor’s (or equivalency) + 6 years or a master’s (or equivalency) + 4 years of directly related work experience.

Preferences

Employment Eligibility Compliance Management Preferences: Comfortable navigating ambiguity while leading a newly formed team. Ability to work in changing systems. Familiar with I-9 compliance and regulations including international hires.

Additional Information

The University is a participating employer with Utah Retirement Systems (“URS”). Eligible new hires with prior URS service, may elect to enroll in URS if they make the election before they become eligible for retirement (usually the first day of work). Contact Human Resources at [phone] for information. Individuals who previously retired and are receiving monthly retirement benefits from URS are subject to URS’ post-retirement rules and restrictions. Please contact Utah Retirement Systems at [phone] or [phone] or University Human Resource Management at [phone] if you have questions regarding the post-retirement rules.

This position may require the successful completion of a criminal background check and/or drug screen.

The University of Utah values candidates who have experience working in settings with students and possess a strong commitment to improving access to higher education.

Veterans’ preference is extended to qualified applicants, upon request and consistent with University policy and Utah state law. Upon request, reasonable accommodations in the application process will be provided to individuals with disabilities.

Consistent with state and federal law, the University of Utah does not discriminate based upon race, ethnicity, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, or protected veteran’s status. The University does not discriminate on the basis of sex in the education program or activity that it operates, as required by Title IX and 34 CFR part 106. The requirement not to discriminate in education programs or activities extends to admission and employment. Inquiries about the application of Title IX and its regulations may be referred to the Title IX Coordinator, to the Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, or both.

To request a reasonable accommodation for a disability or if you or someone you know has experienced discrimination or sexual misconduct including sexual harassment, you may contact the Director/Title IX Coordinator in the Office of Equal Opportunity and Title IX ( OEO ). More information, including the Director/Title IX Coordinator’s office address, electronic mail address, and telephone number can be located at the: University of Utah Non‑Discrimination page .

Online reports may be submitted at https://oeo.utah.edu
https://publicsafety.utah.edu/safetyreport/ This report includes statistics about criminal offenses, hate crimes, arrests and referrals for disciplinary action, and Violence Against Women Act offenses. They also provide information about safety and security-related services offered by the University of Utah. A paper copy can be obtained by request at the Department of Public Safety located at 1658 East 500 South.

As per University of Utah policy 5-108: Transfer of Benefits Eligible Staff Members , a new hire to the University of Utah who is still serving a 12 month probationary period will not be hired into another University of Utah job (a transfer) until the successful completion of the probationary period.

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

• * What is your highest level of completed education?
  • None
  • High School Diploma or Equivalent
  • Associate Degree
  • Bachelor's Degree
  • Master's Degree
  • Doctorate Degree
• * How many years of related work experience do you have?
  • Less than 2 years
  • 2 years or more, but less than 4
  • 4 years or more, but less than 6
  • 6 years or more, but less than 8
  • 8 years or more, but less than 10
  • 10 years or more, but less than 12
  • 12 years or more, but less than 14
  • 14 years or more
• * Are you legally authorized to work in the United States?
  • Yes
  • No
• * Will you now or in the future require sponsorship for employment visa status (e.g., H-1B status)?
  • Yes
  • No

Required Documents

• Resume
• Cover Letter

Optional Documents

University Human Resource Management
250 East 200 South, Suite 125 Salt Lake City, UT 84111
Contact us: [phone] By Email: [e-mail]