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UNM is conducting a nation-wide search for a new vice president for human resources.
Search coordinator Lisa Marbury said the search committee recently approved the advertisement and position profile and will advertise the position for one month before beginning the selection process.
Marbury said the committee will choose the candidates to be interviewed, but David Harris, executive vice president for administration, is to decide which candidate will take the position. The candidate should be identified and offered the job by the end of July, Marbury said.
Harris said he thinks the advertising agency will help UNM reach many qualified candidates.
“I would assume, in a position of that magnitude, that we’ll probably have at least 100 applicants who will need to be screened,” he said.
The advertising firm will include the ad in various circulars for higher education and human resources, including the Chronicle of Higher Education, Women in Higher Education and the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources, Marbury said.
The position’s duties and responsibilities include providing direction and oversight for staff and salary programs, ensuring communications with staff and faculty organizations, managing employment processes and directing the administration of insurance, retirement and other benefits programs, according to the position’s description.
The minimum job requirements include a master’s degree and at least 10 years of experience.
Marbury said the committee is looking for someone who can go beyond the day-to-day requirements and help UNM navigate the ongoing changes to benefits and medical care.
“The concern is that it’s just going to get more complicated as benefits and medical things change and what we’re all going through with health insurance and retirees,” she said. “It’s challenging, so we’re looking for someone who can really step up and be a leader through that.”
Last month the Board of Regents passed a health insurance plan that included a number of changes, such as increasing deductibles and out-of-pocket charges.
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The plan incited staff and faculty to voice concerns to the administration.
Harris said he hopes the search will find a suitable candidate for the University.
“I think it’s a very healthy and open process that will invite any and all qualified applicants,” he said. “I’m hopeful that at the end of the process — which I hope doesn’t last too long — we settle on the very best candidate.”
