URI’s job architecture provides a consistent framework for organizing positions across the university. It helps define career paths, establish pay structures, and ensure jobs are evaluated consistently.
The framework includes:
- Job Families and Subfamilies
- Career Streams and Levels
- Job Profiles
- Pay Ranges
The University of Rhode Island’s job architecture includes the following components:
Job Families & Subfamilies
Job families provide a framework for organizing roles across URI based on the type of work performed and the knowledge and skills required. They help bring consistency to how jobs are defined, evaluated and developed, while also supporting career growth and workforce planning.
Career Streams & Levels
Career streams group jobs into general categories by the fundamental nature of the work being performed. Within each career stream, there are a series of job levels, which group jobs based on a consistent set of career leveling dimensions.
The following are brief descriptions of the three career streams:
- Operational Contributor: Operational Contributors support the university’s day-to-day operations through administrative, technical, and operational work. These roles generally follow established processes and procedures and are typically classified as non-exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). URI has defined three career levels for Operational Contributors.
- Professional Contributor: Professional Contributors apply specialized knowledge and expertise within a profession or discipline. These roles typically design, implement, manage, or advise on programs, services, policies, or processes and often require advanced education, certification, or equivalent experience. URI has defined five career levels for Professional Contributors.
- Managerial Contributor: Managers are responsible for leading people and resources to achieve organizational goals. They translate strategic priorities into operational plans and make decisions regarding the allocation of staff, budget, and other resources. To be classified within the managerial career stream, a position must include formal people management responsibilities and at least one direct report. URI has defined five career levels for the Managerial career stream.
Career Leveling Dimensions
| Dimension | Definition |
|---|---|
| Complexity of Work | Complexity of job tasks or problem solving or creative production. |
| Communication & Collaboration | The nature and scope of the communication and collaboration. |
| Scope of Accountability | Degree of sole/shared responsibility for outcomes and impact. |
| Autonomy & Decision Making | Degree of sole/shared responsibility for decision-making, and degree of supervision. |
| Required Knowledge and Experience | Minimum education, training, skill and experience required to perform a job including the depth and scope of knowledge within and beyond the job’s area of expertise. |
| People Management | Degree to which a position must develop, lead, influence individuals and internal and external stakeholder groups. |
Job Profiles
Job profiles define and describe the work performed by a position. URI has created a Job Catalog, which includes common job profiles. Each position is assigned a job profile that defines its overall purpose, primary responsibilities, and expected scope of work. Job duties may evolve over time as business needs change. As long as those changes remain consistent with the assigned job profile, a position generally does not require reclassification. More detailed or specific duties should be described in the job description. Department and division leadership are expected to maintain job descriptions with approval from Human Resources.
Pay Ranges
URI purchases market survey data annually which is published by third party providers, ensuring validity of the data. URI utilizes a market pricing methodology that targets the 50th percentile, or the market median, which aligns with market data and best practices. External market data for both higher education and other industries within the Northeast region is leveraged.
Each job profile at URI is assigned to a pay range that reflects the market value of the work performed. Pay ranges establish the minimum and maximum compensation levels for a position, and employees are compensated within the pay range assigned to their job profile.
URI regularly reviews pay ranges using market data and compensation analyses to help ensure alignment with relevant labor markets. Pay ranges may be adjusted periodically based on market conditions and university considerations.