Human Resources Consultant: Tickle College of Engineering - UTK

University of Tennessee, Knoxville; Knoxville (TN); On-site; USD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Tickle College of Engineering seeks an HR Consultant who will provide consultative HR guidance and analytical support to leaders and HR partners, focusing on compensation strategy execution, offers, and position management. You will work with Oracle HCM and Smartsheets, ensure consistent job descriptions, and support classification reviews.

The role emphasizes risk-aware guidance on employee programs, workflow optimization, reporting, and training,

Qualifications

• Experience optimizing compensation processes and pay governance.
• Ability to produce decision-ready analyses for leadership.
• Familiarity with classification and PD workload workflows.

Responsibilities

• Lead compensation strategy execution and document pay exceptions.
• Coordinate salary recommendations and merit actions with campus partners.
• Own PD intake workflow and ensure timely submissions.
• Provide HR guidance on compliance, risk, and employee programs.
• Develop SOPs and train unit HR staff.

Skills

Compensation strategy execution

Position management

Offers & pay actions

Job description standardization

Data analysis & reporting

Oracle HCM (system)

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR Management, Industrial Psychology, or related field

Tools

Oracle HCM

Smartsheets/TDX

Job description

Job Description

Reporting to the Director of HR, the HR Consultant provides consultative HR guidance and analytical support to leaders and HR partners across the Tickle College of Engineering (TCE), with primary emphasis on compensation strategy execution, job offers, and position management. The role leads and coordinates college processes that strengthen consultation for position descriptions, support classification‑related reviews, promote consistent titling and documentation standards, and contribute to career pathing and role standardization efforts. The HR Consultant prepares reporting and analysis to identify trends, support compliance and quality control, and provides decision‑ready recommendations to the Director of HR and college leadership. In partnership with campus and system HR functional teams, the role supports risk‑aware HR guidance on employee programs and workforce actions (e.g., leave‑related guidance, workers' compensation, and employee change documentation) and leverages systems (primarily Oracle HCM) and service workflows (e.g., Smartsheets/TDX processes as applicable) to improve service delivery and operational efficiency.

Compensation Strategy, Position Management, Offers, & Pay Actions (60% of time)

• Serve as the college subject matter expert for compensation strategy execution, including maintaining documentation/justifications for pay exceptions or outliers in coordination with campus compensation partners.
• Coordinate salary recommendation requests for new hires and support compensation actions such as merit processes and out-of-cycle adjustments by preparing analysis, ensuring documentation quality, and facilitating timely routing/approvals.
• Identify and elevate potential compensation inequities or risk points to HR leadership using evidence-based analysis and clear documentation to support decision‑making.
• Support wage certification and other compensation‑related reporting requests by producing accurate, auditable data outputs and associated documentation.
• Own and manage the intake and workflow for position description (PD) requests (including TDX ticket ownership as applicable), ensuring PDs are complete, consistently titled, and submitted on schedule.
• Provide consultative support for job family reviews, compression analyses, and reclassification/compression‑related review packages by gathering documentation, coordinating stakeholders, and facilitating submission through appropriate compensation/classification channels.
• Strengthen role standardization across the college by supporting role architecture efforts (e.g., standardized roles, career paths, and upskilling options) and documenting procedures that improve consistency and scalability.
• Develop and maintain college SOPs and tools that improve PD quality, reduce rework, and support accurate downstream classification/compensation decisions.

HR Consultation, Stakeholder Partnership & Service Leadership (15% of time)

• Serve as an HR consultant to college leaders and unit HR/business staff by providing guidance, problem‑solving support, and decision‑ready recommendations aligned with UT policy and established HR standards.
• Maintain active partnerships with campus and system HR functional areas (e.g., compensation, employee relations) to ensure consistent interpretation/application of policy and smooth escalation/coordination of complex cases.
• Provide consultative coverage and representation for college HR leadership as assigned (e.g., when the Director is unavailable), ensuring continuity of HR guidance and service expectations.
• Contribute to continuous improvement of HR deliverables through benchmarking, training, research, and structured feedback loops with HR leadership and operational partners.

Compliance, Risk Support & Employee Program Guidance (15% of time)

• Provide guidance to leaders and unit staff on compliance‑related HR topics and employee programs (e.g., leave tracking/administration support such as FML), seeking interpretation from campus partners when unique or high‑risk situations arise.
• Support workforce change actions (including reductions in force/externally funded position eliminations) by coordinating documentation and assisting leaders with process steps and communications in alignment with policy and approvals.
• Serve as the college point of contact for workers' compensation issues by ensuring timely reporting/coordination with campus risk partners and maintaining appropriate documentation and updates to HR leadership.
• Coordinate with International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) as needed to validate and assemble visa‑related documentation (e.g., H-1B and J-1 requests/renewals) in support of compliant employment actions.
• Maintain continuing education and awareness of changing employment law and compliance expectations to support accurate guidance and risk‑aware decision support.

HR Systems, Ticket/Workflow Management, Reporting & Training (15% of time)

• Develop and apply advanced working knowledge of UT HR systems (primarily Oracle HCM) to provide functional/administrative support, data validation, and operational troubleshooting tied to HR transactions and reporting needs.
• Manage HR intake and workflow systems (including TDX/TDX inbox processes as applicable) by monitoring volume/timing, applying routing rules/SOPs, identifying bottlenecks, and recommending workflow improvements and resourcing needs based on workload trends.
• Produce, analyze, and interpret HR reports to support college processes and compliance/quality control (e.g., appointments, student FTE, work permissions, COI, APR/annual compliance, background checks, temp positions, compensation), and advise HR leadership on trends and risks.
• Develop, maintain, and deliver training and SOPs for unit HR/department representatives, and maintain an organized inventory of training resources for the college/campus HR procedures.
• Maintain organized HR files/records standards for the college HR function consistent with internal controls and operational needs.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Education: High school diploma or GED required or a bachelor's degree in HR Management, Industrial Psychology, or other HR related fields.
• Experience: