On October 21, 2024, the University of Vermont migrated positions held by non-union staff and those represented under the United Electricians (UE) and Teamsters unions to a redesigned and streamlined classification system. This new system aims to provide a clearer path for job development and career growth while reinforcing UVM’s commitment to equitable pay. This transformation is the result of the Career Path Development Project, which was initiated in 2022.
The New University Job Architecture
- Job Family: A Job Family consists of 16 broad categories that group positions based on the general subject of work they involve. These categories organize roles that share similar types of work.
- Sub-Family: A Sub-Family breaks down a Job Family into more specific areas of focus. The number of sub-families varies per job family. For instance, the Student Services family includes nine sub-families while the Veterinary & Animal Care family has two.
- Career Stream: Career streams categorize the function of a position into one of four pathways:
- Operational Contributor: Roles focused on day-to-day operations and administrative support.
- Professional Contributor: Positions that require specialized skills and expertise, contributing to projects and strategic work.
- Management: Roles that involve overseeing teams and managing resources to meet organizational goals.
- Leadership: Senior roles responsible for setting strategic direction and leading organizational change.
- Level Guide: The Level Guide defines the scope, experience, and responsibilities associated with a position within each career stream. Levels may vary across career streams but are assessed using the same criteria, including:
- Impact: The influence and effect the role has on the organization.
- Problem Solving and Complexity: The complexity of tasks and challenges the position addresses.
- Communication & Influence: The extent to which the position requires effective communication, collaboration, and the ability to influence others within and outside the organization.
- Leadership and Talent Development: The level of responsibility for leading others or developing talent.
- Knowledge and Experience: The expertise and background required for the role.
Positions are mapped into a job family, sub-family, and career stream. Based on the scope and experience requirements, each position is further assigned a specific level. For example, “HR Partner PC3” would be a position housed in the Human Resources family, HR Partner subfamily. This position is in the Professional Contributor Career Stream at Level III (very experienced).
The next step of the Career Path Development Project is to update UVM’s job catalog with compensation pay bands. This step is essential for ensuring pay transparency, simplifying the hiring process, and ensuring accuracy within pay bands. This will not lead to a reduction in pay for any employee, and it is not expected to affect current pay.
Having utilized the previous career/pay classification system for nearly two decades, the new University Job Architecture offers a modernized approach. It helps employees visualize their career advancement opportunities and assists managers in creating or reclassifying positions. While the new system provides a streamlined process and greater transparency, it will not significantly impact most staff members’ day-to-day operations. UE- and Teamsters-represented employees and non-union staff will receive new classification titles and job codes; however, their Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) exemption status, employment term, full-time equivalency, pay, union affiliation (if applicable), and in many cases, working titles will remain unchanged.
For more information, including a complete list of job families, sub-families, career streams, and level guides, visit the University Job Architecture webpage.