Penn State Job Catalog

The defined natural career progression within or between job profiles.

Ombuds

The Ombuds Manager serves as a senior-level, impartial, and confidential resource for the university community, including faculty, staff, administrators, postdoctoral fellows, and students seeking assistance in navigating complex issues, resolving conflicts, and understanding institutional policies and procedures; works to enhance effective communication, avoid misunderstandings, and clarify issues and language in interactions between unit stakeholders; fosters a culture of fairness, respect, and transparency in alignment with Penn State's core values; operates independently from formal administrative structures to provide informal conflict resolution services and identify patterns affecting the broader university environment; develops and implements a structured process for selecting ombuds representatives across organizational units; oversees protocols and trainings for unit-level ombuds; serves as a central point of contact for questions, guidance, and coordination.

• Lead the university's confidential conflict resolution services; develop and implement strategic plans for ombuds services that align with institutional goals and evolving university needs
• Develop and implement inclusive outreach strategies to ensure all members of the university community are aware of and can equitably access ombuds services
• Establish and maintain operational protocols to ensure consistency, confidentiality, and quality of service delivery across ombuds functions
• Lead evaluations and assessments of the effectiveness and impact of ombuds services, utilizing data and stakeholder feedback
• Collaborate with other university offices, while maintaining independence, to coordinate responses to recurring issues
• Oversee the development and maintenance of confidential case management systems and office documentation procedures
• Track and analyze trends, issues, and patterns while preserving confidentiality; prepare regular and annual anonymized reports highlighting issues and areas for institutional improvement
• Provide expert guidance to senior leadership regarding trends, climate concerns, and recommendations on ways to enhance institutional fairness, equity, transparency, and accountability
• Neutrally advocate for institutional structures that promote psychological safety and respectful workplace and academic cultures
• Assist in crisis response planning by offering input on effective conflict de-escalation strategies and support mechanisms during institutional emergencies or tensions
• Design and facilitate workshops, presentations, and training sessions on topics such as conflict resolution, effective communication, and fairness
• Benchmark ombuds services against peer institutions and national standards to ensure excellence and continuous improvement
• Represent the university at professional ombuds or conflict resolution associations and conferences to stay current with best practices and build professional networks
• Ensure adherence to the International Ombuds Association (IOA) Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice
• Manage a team of staff including hiring, assigning work, managing workflow and deadlines, ensuring quality of service, and identifying development opportunities

Level:

– Senior Manager

Base Description:

– Manages direct reports where primary duty is the management of a working unit.

Level Summary:

– Demonstrates advanced skills in critical functions related to unit's success. Demonstrates advanced knowledge of emerging technologies and processes. Monitors completed work of others to ensure effectiveness and adherence to requirements. Sets clear expectations and holds team accountable. Establishes a shared team/unit vision. Demonstrates ability to evaluate and enhance team/unit practices that promote a strong commitment to inclusionary practices. Coaches others using appropriate strategies. Demonstrates diplomacy. Demonstrates ability to serve as liaison between senior-level management and staff. Resolves complex, controversial, or unprecedented issues and problems.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

– Oversees large team or teams of individual contributors and/or supervisors/managers
– Leads a department or functional area

Fiscal Responsibilities:

– Monitors and tracks large budgets
– Plans, forecasts, and/or develops budgets
– May approve budgets for specific area
– Typically has final signature authority for specific area

Problem Solving:

– Encounters highly varied and complex problems that impacts the team and possibly the unit
– Develops creative and/or novel approaches to resolve problems that are difficult in nature
– Independently resolves complex and/or unprecedented issues and problems

Independence of Action:

– Work results are not clearly defined
– Generally sets own goals and determines how to accomplish results with few or no guidelines to follow
– Monitors completed work of others to ensure soundness of approach, effectiveness of meeting requirements, the feasibility of recommendations and adherences to requirements
– Delegates more advanced tasks to others

Communication and Collaboration:

– Communicates with both internal and external audiences
– Collaborates closely with team members and various areas across the University
– Fosters collaboration between units and engages others' coordinated efforts to reach desired outcomes with broad scope

• Comp Grade – 15
• Minimum – $109,300.00
• MidPoint – $136,600.00
• Maximum – $164,000.00

• Advising
• Business relationship management
• Change Management
• Confidentiality
• Conflict Resolution
• Consulting
• Data Analysis
• Ethical Standards
• Facilitation
• Operations management
• Program evaluation
• Strategic Planning
• Systems thinking
• Training