Human Resource Coordinator, Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics in Cockrell School of Engineering

Job Posting Title:

Human Resource Coordinator, Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics in Cockrell School of Engineering

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Hiring Department:

Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics

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Position Open To:

All Applicants

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Weekly Scheduled Hours:

40

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FLSA Status:

Exempt from FLSA

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Earliest Start Date:

Immediately

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Position Duration:

Expected to Continue

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Location:

UT MAIN CAMPUS

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Job Details:

General Notes

As a top-10 engineering school with the No. 1 program in Texas, the Cockrell School of Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) has been a global leader in technology innovation and engineering education for over a century. With 11 undergraduate and 13 graduate programs, over 20 research centers and a faculty community that boasts one of the highest number of National Academy of Engineering members among U.S. universities, Texas Engineering has launched some of the nation’s most accomplished leaders and pioneered world-changing solutions in virtually every industry, from space exploration to energy to health care. Situated in the heart of Austin — named “America’s Coolest City” by Expedia and “The Best Place to Live in the U.S.” by U.S. News and World Report — the Cockrell School embodies the city’s innovative spirit. Major companies with Austin campuses, such as Dell, National Instruments, Apple, IBM, Samsung, Google and many others, continue to recruit Cockrell School students at a remarkable rate, launching thousands of successful careers and developing Texas Engineers into industry leaders.  UT Austin, recognized by Forbes as one of America’s Best Large Employers, provides outstanding employee benefits and total rewards packages that include:

• Competitive health benefits (employee premiums covered at 100%, family premiums at 50%)
• Voluntary Vision, Dental, Life, and Disability insurance options
• Generous paid vacation, sick time, and holidays
• Teachers Retirement System of Texas, a defined benefit retirement plan, with 8.25% employer matching funds
• Additional Voluntary Retirement Programs: Tax Sheltered Annuity 403(b) and a Deferred Compensation program 457(b)
• Flexible spending account options for medical and childcare expenses
• Robust free training access through LinkedIn Learning plus professional conference opportunities
• Tuition assistance
• Expansive employee discount program including athletic tickets
• Free access to UT Austin's libraries and museums with staff ID card
• Free rides on all UT Shuttle and Austin CapMetro buses with staff ID card

 

About Us

As the new space age emerges, the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics at The University of Texas at Austin has the exciting opportunity to establish ourselves as the nucleus for technology development for new space and as the hub for the next generation of computational methods and data analytics for aerospace. This role has a high impact on our ability to support our cutting-edge research and efforts in areas such as space engineering/science, aviation, robotics, computation, mechanics and more. At UT Aerospace, where our academic programs rank among the top 10 in the nation, the sky is not the limit!

Purpose

The Human Resources Coordinator position provides comprehensive human resources and administrative support for the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics (ASE/EM), with primary responsibility for the accurate and timely processing of employee appointments (including student employees, research staff, and visiting scholars), visa coordination, onboarding and separations, timekeeping, and graduate student scholarship and tuition benefit documentation. The role serves as departmental liaison to the Dean’s Office, Payroll Office, Human Resources, and other University offices, and ensures departmental compliance with university, state, and federal policies through the preparation of compliance reports and the maintenance of complete and accurate personnel records. In addition, the position provides administrative support to the Department Director by assisting with departmental operations, coordinating staff recruitment activities, and supporting projects requiring independent judgment, discretion, and a high level of confidentiality. This role offers an excellent opportunity for a candidate looking to build a career in human resources at UT Austin, providing hands-on exposure to the full range of HR functions — from appointments, onboarding, and compliance to high-level administrative support — within a dynamic, research-driven academic department.

 

Responsibilities

• Process HR Appointments – Create new visiting scholar, post-doctoral fellow, undergraduate, and graduate student employee appointments, as well as appointments for research staff and unpaid visiting researchers. Process costing changes as needed for all appointments, ensuring accuracy and adherence to university payroll deadlines.
• Visa Coordination – Work with faculty and departmental administrative staff to coordinate visas for international employees and visiting scholars. Coordinate with Texas Global to obtain necessary visa paperwork through myIO, ensuring all steps are completed so that visas are received in a timely manner.
• New Employee Onboarding – Coordinate and complete the onboarding process for new employees, including processing background checks, I-9 paperwork, and informing new employees of applicable HR policies such as timekeeping, payroll deadlines, and benefits enrollment deadlines. Monitor onboarding activity to ensure all necessary actions are taken.
• Process Employee Separations – Coordinate out-processing for separating employees, including providing guidance on retirement paperwork needed, processing payouts at separation, and terminating appointments in Workday.
• Process Scholarship and Tuition Reduction Benefit Documents – Process scholarship and tuition documents each semester for graduate students, to include tuition vouchers and international fees. Coordinate with research centers and other departments as necessary to ensure all ASE/EM students receive tuition and scholarship support, as applicable.
• Compliance – Run monthly compliance reports related to onboarding, time & leave, payouts at separation, work authorizations, etc. to ensure the department remains in compliance with all HR policies. Maintain centralized department personnel files ensuring their accuracy and completeness.
• Timekeeping – Serve as the department’s primary point of contact for timekeeping questions and issues. Review and approve timesheets for department staff and research personnel, monitor timesheets on a monthly basis, send reminders as appropriate, and process leave balance payouts as required by university policy.
• Administrative Support – Provide support to the Director in all aspects of administration. Assist with departmental operations, coordination of staff recruitment efforts, and various projects that require exercising a high degree of initiative and judgment.
• Perform other relatefunctions as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and two years of experience in human resources, business administration, public administration, or a related field.
• Working knowledge of foundational human resources management concepts and practices.
• Demonstrated ability to manage a high volume of work assignments in a fast-paced and dynamic environment while maintaining accuracy and meeting deadlines.
• Proven ability to exercise tact, diplomacy, discretion, and sound judgment when handling sensitive and confidential matters.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with strong interpersonal skills and a professional demeanor, and the ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a team.
• Demonstrated attention to detail and follow-through.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).

Relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate.

 

Preferred Qualifications

• More than the required amount of related experience.
• Experience working in a higher education environment, including working closely with faculty and graduate students.
• Experience working in a research environment.
• Familiarity with UT Austin policies and procedures, particularly those related to HR or student employment.
• Demonstrated ability to anticipate departmental needs, proactively identify opportunities for improvement, and develop systems to streamline processes.
• Strong Microsoft Excel, data tracking, and organizational skills.
• Working knowledge of Workday, DEFINE, NRRECS, EASI, and GSIS systems.

 

Salary Range

$50,000 + depending on qualifications

 

Working Conditions

• Work is performed in a standard office environment.
• Repetitive use of keyboard at workstation.
• Work outside of standard business hours, including evenings and weekends, is required.

 

Work Shift

• Standard business hours are Monday – Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Work outside of normal business hours may be required on an occasional basis during peak times.

 

Required Materials

• Resume/CV
• Letter of interest
• 3 work references with their contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisor

Important for applicants who are NOT current university employees or contingent workers: You will be prompted to submit your resume the first time you apply, then you will be provided an option to upload a new Resume for subsequent applications. Any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) will be uploaded in the Application Questions section; you will be able to multi-select additional files. Before submitting your online job application, ensure that ALL Required Materials have been uploaded.  Once your job application has been submitted, you cannot make changes.

Important for Current university employees and contingent workers: As a current university employee or contingent worker, you MUST apply within Workday by searching for Find UT Jobs. If you are a current University employee, log-in to Workday, navigate to your Worker Profile, click the Career link in the left hand navigation menu and then update the sections in your Professional Profile before you apply. This information will be pulled in to your application. The application is one page and you will be prompted to upload your resume. In addition, you must respond to the application questions presented to upload any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) that were noted above.

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Employment Eligibility:

Regular staff who have been employed in their current position for the last six continuous months are eligible for openings being recruited for through University-Wide or Open Recruiting, to include both promotional opportunities and lateral transfers. Staff who are promotion/transfer eligible may apply for positions without supervisor approval.

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Retirement Plan Eligibility:

The retirement plan for this position is Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS), subject to the position being at least 20 hours per week and at least 135 days in length.

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Background Checks:

A criminal history background check will be required for finalist(s) under consideration for this position.

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Equal Opportunity Employer:

The University of Texas at Austin, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.

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Pay Transparency:

The University of Texas at Austin will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information.

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Employment Eligibility Verification:

If hired, you will be required to complete the federal Employment Eligibility Verification I-9 form.  You will be required to present acceptable and original documents to prove your identity and authorization to work in the United States.  Documents need to be presented no later than the third day of employment.  Failure to do so will result in loss of employment at the university.

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E-Verify:

The University of Texas at Austin use E-Verify to check the work authorization of all new hires effective May 2015. The university’s company ID number for purposes of E-Verify is 854197. For more information about E-Verify, please see the following:

• E-Verify Poster (English and Spanish) [PDF]
• Right to Work Poster (English) [PDF]
• Right to Work Poster (Spanish) [PDF]

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Compliance:

Employees may be required to report violations of law under Title IX and the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act). If this position is identified a Campus Security Authority (Clery Act), you will be notified and provided resources for reporting. Responsible employees under Title IX are defined and outlined in HOP-3031.

The Clery Act requires all prospective employees be notified of the availability of the Annual Security and Fire Safety report. You may access the most recent report here or obtain a copy at University Compliance Services, 1616 Guadalupe Street, UTA 2.206, Austin, Texas 78701.