HR Employee Success Manager - UTK

The Employee Success Manager will develop and implement strategic employee success initiatives in partnership with HR leaders and campus partners including but not limited to onboarding, retention, recognition, engagement, and development to ensure employees have the resources and support they need to be successful.

• Manage and develop employee success team. Assess staffing needs and develop team structure with senior leadership.
• Design, manage, and implement employee success initiatives.
• Collaborate with partners to set goals for employee success initiatives.
• Develop and report on a variety of metrics including impact and effectiveness of employee success initiatives and programs. Recommend enhancements and changes based on analysis of metrics.
• Prepare detailed reports and recommend improvements based on insights derived from metric analyses. Provide impact and effectiveness of employee success initiatives and programs.
• Develop strategic initiatives to address gaps in employee success and leverage campus partners to understand issues and implement initiatives. Evaluate vision and direction of employee success function and recommend and implement programs that reflect organizational goals.
• Cultivate a culture of employee success through innovative services and programming.
• Develop and maintain relationships with campus partners to implement employee success initiatives. Act as a liaison between departments to ensure alignment of goals across campus.
• Perform research of employee success best practices to support new initiatives and analysis of current programs; implement process improvements in current programs.

Required Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s Degree.
• Experience: Five years of progressively responsible professional level human resources experience in multiple areas of human resources which may include talent acquisition, on-boarding, talent development, employee engagement or other related area which includes leadership and supervisory experience. Experience creating and implementing successful employee success programs and initiatives.
• Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:

Knowledge: Knowledge of state and federal employment laws and university policies and practices. Knowledge of human resources issues with both internal and external impacts. Knowledge of reporting and compliance.

Skills: Consulting, problem solving, and collaborating skills. Analytical and decision-making skills.

Abilities: Ability to supervise, motivate, and mentor others. Ability to communicate effectively both orally and writing. Ability to gather and evaluate information and synthesize reports and recommendations. Ability to understand when to elevate issues to senior management and when to engage other functional areas.

Preferred Qualifications

• Education: Master's degree. HRCI or SHRM certification.
• Experience: Employee success experience in a Human Resources office. Experience in a higher education HR department.

Work Location:

• Location: Knoxville, TN
• Onsite

Compensation and Benefits:

• UT market range: MR14
• Anticipated hiring range: $85,000 - $90,000
• Find more information on the UT Market Range structure here
• Find more information on UT Benefits here

Application Instructions:

To express interest, please submit an application with the noted below attachments. To be assured of full consideration, requested materials should be submitted on or before August 6, 2025.

• Resume
• Cover Letter
• List of 3 Professional References

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has shaped leaders, changemakers, and innovative thinkers since its founding in 1794. The university is home to more than 38,000 students and 10,000 statewide employees—the Volunteers—who uphold the university’s tradition of lighting the way for others through leadership and service.

UT Knoxville offers over 900 programs of study across 14 degree-granting colleges and schools. As Tennessee’s flagship land-grant university, its footprint spans the entire state. The university holds the highest Carnegie classification for research activity and has deep partnerships with industry leaders and the US Department of Energy’s largest multidisciplinary laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

The Knoxville campus serves and recruits for UT Knoxville, including the Institute of Agriculture and the Space Institute, as well as the UT Institute of Public Service.

UT Knoxville considers its employees its number one asset. With values that focus on work-life balance, compensation, and innovation leadership, all Vols are supported to advance professionally. Employees have access to career development and coaching, continued education, and an extensive list of development and training possibilities. The Volunteer employee experience implements structures and practices that attract and retain a diverse community and that support a culture where everyone matters and belongs.

The university holds a strong commitment to its land-grant mission of learning and engagement, with a tradition of service and leadership that carries that Volunteer spirit throughout the state and around the world. It has been ranked nationally as “Best Employer for New Graduates,” “One of America’s Best Large Employers,” and “Best Workplace for Women,” and has been designated as “Best Place for Working Parents” by Forbes Magazine.

Apply today and join the Tennessee Volunteer community!