Professional Staff Compensation
Position Review

In-Grade

Purpose

To review a salary when current salary grade is appropriate, but a salary increase is desired for reasons such as:

• Change in level of duties and responsibilities
• Meritorious performance with increased level of functioning
• Market-related pressures (external equity)
• Employment offer or active recruitment from outside the University
• Misalignment of salary relationships (internal equity)

Process Steps & Form Completion

1. Supervisor - consult with the department/major organization’s administrator and determine the desired salary adjustment and the reason(s) for it.
2. Supervisor - complete the Compensation Change Request Form and forward it for organizational approval.
3. Final organizational approver - send the approved request to the Human Resources Compensation Office, Box 359487.
4. The Compensation Office completes the review and emails notification of the results to the individuals designated on the form.

Review Completion Timeline

Most in-grade salary adjustment requests are processed within three business days of receipt if:

• The salary change is ten percent or less.
• The resulting salary is less than the salary grade maximum.
• For grades 5-10, the salary level requested does not exceed 130% of the market-range midpoint for the payroll title.

Requests that do not meet these criteria may take longer, but most in-grade adjustment reviews are completed within 10 to 15 business days of receipt.

Title Change

Purpose

To change a payroll title when the salary and grade remain appropriate.

Typically done to better align the payroll title with the nature of the work, or when Human Resources Compensation determines that the payroll title should change to match the appropriate professional staff exemption.

Process Steps & Form Completion

1. Supervisor - consult with the department/major organization’s administrator and determine the desired payroll title and the reason(s) for the payroll title change.
2. Supervisor - complete the Compensation Change Request Form and forward it for organizational approval.
3. Final organizational approver - send the approved request to the Human Resources Compensation Office, Box 359487.
4. The Compensation Office completes the review and emails notification of the results to the individuals designated on the form.

Review Completion Timeline

Most payroll title change requests are completed within 30 business days of receipt.

Research Scientist Engineer Review Process

Purpose

To review a professional staff position that requires academic training in a scientific or engineering discipline, where the level of responsibility has changed significantly in:

• Level of judgment required
• Level of knowledge or skill required
• Complexity and/or scope of duties and responsibilities

Or to review a monthly-paid classified or academic position where the unit’s administration believes the position meets the research exemption criteria and should be properly assigned to one of the Research Scientist/Engineer job titles displayed below.

Research Scientist/Engineer Job Titles and Generic Job Descriptions

The Research Scientist/Engineer generic job descriptions reflect the attributes typically found in positions within a specific grade/payroll title. You can use the generic job descriptions to help identify a salary grade and payroll title for a particular level of work. The Job Title links open a window that displays that title's generic job description. If you wish to print the text of a job description, it may be easiest to copy the text and paste it into a word processing program and then print it. You may also view all Research Scientist/Engineer job descriptions on a single page.

Job Title	Job Code	Grade	OT Eligible
Research Scientist/Engineer-Assistant	9691	5	Y
Research Scientist/Engineer 1	9692	6	Y
Research Scientist/Engineer 2	1493	7	N
Research Scientist/Engineer 3	1494	8	N
Research Scientist/Engineer 4	1495	9	N
Research Scientist/Engineer-Senior	1496	10	N
Research Scientist/Engineer-Principal	1497	11	N
Research Scientist/Engineer-Sr.Principal	1498	12	N

Career Path Guidelines

The Career Path Guidelines identify the core competencies for various job functions. You can use this tool to quickly identify an appropriate job level for a particular position based on required competencies, and you can determine competencies required to progress to a specific level. A position is generally assigned to a salary grade that represents the majority of the position's competencies but does not have to perform all competencies at a specific grade level to be assigned to that grade.

Process Steps

Note: this section only applies to Research Scientist/Engineer reviews. It does not apply to reviews for Research Coordinator, Research Consultant and Research Manager.

1. Complete the Research Scientist/Engineer Questionnaire and obtain required organizational approvals. If the position is occupied by classified employee, complete the Employee Signature Form. The employee signature form is not required for other reviews.
2. Supervisor - complete the Compensation Change Request Form and forward it and the completed Research Scientist/Engineer Questionnaire for organizational approval (include the Employee Signature Form if one is required).
3. Send the review request forms to the Human Resources Compensation Office, Box 359487.
4. The Compensation Office completes the review and emails notification of the results to the individuals designated on the form.

Review Completion Timeline

The Compensation Office's goal for completing position reviews is within 60 days of receipt. Position review requests that do not provide complete information may take longer.

Position Review - Not Research Scientist Engineer

Purpose

To review positions where the level of responsibility has changed significantly in:

• Staff supervision
• Financial and/or budgetary matters
• Policy development

Or where there has been a significant increase in:

• Level of judgment required
• Level of knowledge or skill required
• Complexity of duties and responsibilities

Or to review the position of a monthly-paid classified or academic employee where the unit’s administration believes the position meets one or more of the criteria for the professional staff exemption.

Process & Form Completion

Note - this section does not apply to Research Scientist/Engineer reviews.

1. Complete the Professional Staff Position Description Form. See Position Description Form instructions.
   1. For Research Coordinator, Research Consultant and Research Manager also complete the Research Activities Form.
2. If the position is occupied by a classified employee, also complete the Employee Signature Form. The employee signature form is not required for other reviews.
3. Supervisor - complete the Compensation Change Request Form and forward it and the completed Professional Staff Position Description form and the related forms for organizational approval.
4. Send the approved request to the Human Resources Compensation Office, Box 359487.
5. The Compensation Office completes the review and emails notification of the results to the individuals designated on the form.

Review Completion Timeline

The Compensation Office's goal for completing position reviews is within 60 days of receipt. Position review requests that do not provide complete information may take longer.