The Importance of a Strong Job Architecture in Higher Education

A job architecture defines the framework of an organization. It should align with and support your mission and your culture. For a job architecture to be credible it must be part of your actionable reality. A proper design and supporting communication will help your staff clearly understand how they can move vertically, diagonally, and horizontally to drive their own and the organization’s success.

Institutions of higher education are often more complex and expansive than a small city. Each has its own culture and most have a long and colorful history. The institutions are both highly competitive and admirably collegial. Roles run the gamut from hourly blue-collar workers to academics and professionals. In this unique and diverse setting, a strong job architecture is a critical component of success.

How Job Architecture Differ in Higher Education

Creating a cohesive job architecture can be challenging at any company but especially at institutions of higher education. To ensure your job architecture captures the unique structure and organization of higher education, here are some important items to understand when designing a comprehensive job architecture for higher education institutions.

Jobs in Higher Education

Higher education is characterized by a distinctive blend of academic and administrative jobs. Academic jobs are filled by professors and researchers dedicated to teaching and advancing knowledge, while administrative jobs are held by deans, department heads, and administrative staff responsible for managing institutional operations and supporting academic functions. This duality presents a distinctive job landscape. Creating a job architecture that aligns the priorities of both groups poses challenges yet is achievable with thoughtful planning and collaboration.

Higher education encompasses a wide array of jobs, resembling a miniature city. Numerous roles are uniquely specific to the focus of each university. Depending on the institution’s size and scope, specialized jobs such as coaching, museum management, farming, skilled trades, and other jobs may exist to support its distinct academic and operational mission.

Several jobs are found uniquely in higher education. Two examples are the roles of Provost and Registrar. The Provost is the highest-ranking academic leader at the university and will report into the President of the institution. The Registrar is a senior administrative officer that manages student records and academic policies. These roles are distinct from other organizations and industries and illustrate the difference of jobs within higher education.

Job Families/Functions

Given the unique and distinctive nature of higher education, your job families and functions will include a diverse array of jobs tailored to support the institution’s academic, administrative, and operational needs. While this diversity results in a broad job architecture spanning various families and functions, its scale should not be seen as a deterrent, as each component plays a crucial role and is an integral part to the institution’s overall functioning and success. Each job family and function contribute to the multifaceted organization and establishes a foundation for compensating employees in a market-based and fair manner.

Titling

In higher education, the “director” title is used more liberally than most other industries. Commonly the “director” title is reserved for higher level management or deeply experienced individual contributors. In higher education, even relatively junior individual contributors may hold variations of the “director” title, such as assistant or associate director. As a result, the title alone does not reliably indicate the level of experience or expertise in higher education.

Titling for academia is tied to achieving the rank of tenured professor. The progression from assistant professor to associate professor to tenured professor represents increasing levels of experience, accomplishment, and responsibility within the academic hierarchy. Achieving tenure and advancing through these ranks require dedication to scholarly excellence and contributions to the academic community.

Market Surveys

Due to the diversity of jobs in higher education, multiple surveys are typically necessary to gauge market competitiveness. Institutions compete for talent in the higher education sector and in the local market for administrative and operational jobs. Well-known surveys specific to higher education, such as CUPA-HR (College and University Professionals Association for Human Resources) and WMG (Western Management Group) EduComp, provide valuable compensation data for unique roles at an institution. Also, you may need to use a well-known generic industry survey, such as WTW (Willis Towers Watson), Mercer, or Aon Radford, to determine market competitiveness for other administrative and operational jobs. Market aggregator tools, such as Salary.com’s CompAnalyst and PayScale’s Payfactor, may also prove to be useful tools for many positions. It is unlikely that any single data source will be sufficient for a larger institution. Always consider data availability for scope and location when selecting a market survey.

Total Rewards

Total rewards packages in higher education differ slightly from those in most other industries, and even vary across job families and functions. Salary structures in academia can vary widely based on academic rank, field of study, and institutional funding. Compensation for academic and coaching staff is often tied to achievements and success in their respective fields. Annual bonuses for administrative personnel are not standard practice. Retirement plans are usually more generous and comprehensive than other industries, serving as a key retention tool in this sector.

Summary

Job architecture in higher education must effectively meet the diverse needs of both academic and administrative staff. Understanding the nuanced jobs across academic, administrative, and operational functions is crucial for designing a comprehensive job architecture in higher education. While unique challenges and complexities exist within these institutions, adherence to fundamental principles of job architecture is key to achieving success.

Partner with FutureSense for Tailored Compensation Solutions in Higher Education

At FutureSense, we understand the challenges of designing a comprehensive job architecture in higher education. Our team of experienced professionals will work to create a customized approach that reflects your organizational goals, cultural values, and the unique dynamics in higher education.

Reach out to FutureSense today and explore our compensation consulting services!