University Ombuds

Boston University; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Boston University seeks an experienced Ombuds to serve as an independent, confidential resource for faculty, students, and staff. This on-campus role provides impartial dispute resolution consulting, protects confidentiality, and informs university leadership.

The Ombuds Office collaborates across units to foster fair process and respectful dialogue while upholding ethics and civil culture. The candidate will have 7+ years of ombuds work, strong communication, integrity, and the ability to build

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred in a related field.
• Minimum 7+ years of ombuds, mediation, or conflict-management experience.
• Strong oral and written communication skills and impeccable integrity.

Responsibilities

• Provide impartial and confidential consultation to BU community on work, education, and life.
• Identify patterns from de-identified data and present organizational improvement recommendations.
• Build trusted relationships across academic, administrative, and research units while maintaining independence.
• Lead outreach to raise awareness of the Ombuds Office and collaborate with campus partners.

Skills

Active listening

Mediation

Conflict management

Communication skills

Ethical judgment

Independent / impartial

Cultural humility

Discretion

Data confidentiality

Equity & inclusion

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent

Advanced degree in law, conflict management, organizational development, public policy, social work, psychology, or related field

Job description

The University Ombuds serves as an independent, impartial, neutral, and confidential resource for members of the Boston University community, including but not limited to faculty, students, and staff on its campuses and satellite facilities. Ombuds office staff act as impartial dispute resolution consultants and provide strict confidentiality for those seeking its services.

The University Ombuds provides leadership for the Office of the Ombuds, offers insights that inform the university’s strategic thinking, and supervises staff and the work of the office. This is an on-campus position requiring regular, in-person presence to preserve the visibility, accessibility, and confidentiality essential to the role. The mission of the office is to provide a confidential place for people to voice concerns, develop options, and problem-solve. The Ombuds also provides de-identified information to university officials on general trends and patterns of complaints to prevent problems from escalating or recurring. Through its mission, the Ombuds Office builds and depends upon the trust of the community to advance the University’s strategic objectives and mission within a culture that is ethical and civil, where the values of the institution are upheld, and in which differences can be resolved and mutual understanding created through respectful dialogue and fair process.

• Provide impartial and confidential consultation to members of the university community related to concerns about work and work management, education, or life at BU including workplace conflict, supervisory relationships, academic or research-related integrity, discrimination or harassment concerns, ethical questions, interpersonal disputes, organizational change, and barriers to fair process.
• Identify recurring themes, patterns, and systemic barriers through de-identified data and observations; bring forward recommendations to unit/senior leaders for organizational improvement while protecting individual confidentiality. Develop periodic reports and maintain records that communicate aggregate trends, activities, and recommendations without identifying visitors or disclosing confidential information. Annually and/or upon request, meet with the Audit Committee of the Board of Trustees to provide a report of aggregate data and trends of possible risk to the university.
• Build trusted working relationships across academic, administrative, student-support, research, and affiliated units while maintaining appropriate independence from university management functions. Maintain accurate, secure, non-identifying data consistent with the Code of Ethics and professional ombuds standards of practice established by the International Ombuds Association, institutional policy, and applicable law. Consult with faculty and/or managers, and other community members to develop cooperative strategies for complaint resolution.
• Collaborate and consult with offices under the purview of the Office of the Senior Vice President for People, Belonging, and Culture. Lead outreach to maintain awareness of the Ombuds Office and its role through presentations, educational programming, and collaboration with campus partners.

Required Skills

Required Experience

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) required. Advanced degree in law, conflict management, organizational development, public policy, social work, psychology, or a related field preferred
• 7+ years of progressively responsible experience in ombuds work, mediation, conflict management, organizational development, or a closely related field
• Outstanding oral and written communication skills
• A reputation for integrity and sound professional judgment
• Demonstrated skill in active listening, conflict assessment, coaching, facilitation, mediation, and problem-solving in complex, sensitive, and high-stakes situations
• Demonstrated understanding of the role of an organizational ombuds and the International Ombuds Association Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics
• Proven ability to work impartially and independently while earning trust across varied constituencies and levels of authority
• Exceptional record of professional judgment, ethical practice, discretion, cultural humility, and ability to protect confidential information
• Commitment to equity, inclusion, accessibility, academic freedom, fairness, dignity, respect, and respectful engagement across a plurality of viewpoints

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience serving as an organizational Ombuds
• Training or certification in mediation, restorative practices, conflict coaching, or related dispute-resolution methods
• Experience in a private research-intensive university, academic medical center, or similarly complex institution
• Familiarity with research compliance, sponsored programs, faculty affairs, graduate education, and student-support systems