Introduction

Exempt and administrative Job Descriptions are comprised of three distinct parts:

• Position context, or the environment in which you operate.
• The core functions and duties for your job.
• The current position goals.

The purposes of the three sections are first, to connect the job to the institution’s and the department’s strategic initiatives and goals, second, to establish an accurate reflection of the current position responsibilities and expectations, and finally to identify specific project or activity goals for the coming 36-month evaluation period.

Developing an accurate job description is a critical part of the EAPAS process and will contribute greatly to your success here at Highline. One major concern expressed by many employees is the lack of clear direction in their job; this is your opportunity to get that direction, and have your supervisor agree to it. It is the way that you develop a common understanding about what you do and what you are expected to do at Highline.

If you have a recent (within the last two years) job description, and your job has not changed much in that time, this process will take several hours, and likely involve one or two meetings with your supervisor, and one or two drafts to be shared.

If you do not have a recent job description, this process will take a significant amount of time and will involve multiple discussions with your supervisor. Data from the EAPAS Pilot Group indicate it will take as much as 30 hours over a three to four week period to develop your Job Description and Development Initiatives. It is important that you schedule discussions and deadlines in advance with your supervisor, and make the time to meet those deadlines.

Samples of EAPAS Job Descriptions are available in the Tool Kit and Sample Forms document in the folder you received at training, and on this web site.

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Definitions and Format

The context of the position:

This section includes the position title, name of the department, a description of where that department fits in the college’s organization structure, reporting relationships, and a brief overview of the responsibilities of the position. The position context should also include any working conditions or job responsibilities that would not logically be inferred from the duties and responsibilities statements, such as off-site responsibilities, regular evening or weekend hours, or positions that are unusually fluid.

The context description should be a short, easily readable paragraph. See the example for a useful model.

The core functions and duties of the position:

This section describes essential duties of the job. You should have between four and ten core functions, with related duties grouped into each core function. Responsibilities outside your immediate work unit should also be included; these include contributions to the campus community and professional development.

Core functions should each indicate expected time demands, stated as a percentage, with no core function below 5%. The time demands should be an indication of how much time each year is spent working on those activities. These are a rough guideline, based both on what you expect it would take to successfully perform this function, and on what you can make available to do it. You are not required to log your time or record your hours; the percentages are guideposts to help in planning your work.

The core functions and duties are best expressed as an outline, with the core functions in bold type and related duties indented under those. Time demands should be stated as a percentage of your total job, and are only needed for core functions. See the examples for details.

The current position goals:

This section identifies three to five specific goals for the next 36 months. Current position goals should establish the direction and focus of your energies for your job. These goals should reflect or support the College’s Strategic Plan and any unit or departmental plans. Also, if there is a major temporary assignment, the nature of that assignment should be reflected in these goals.

Goals differ from Core Functions and Duties because they highlight a specific activity associated with your core functions and duties, or may be relevant for only the three years. Goals are also more task and job specific than Development Initiatives.

They are best listed as a set of bullet points or in a short outline. See the examples for suggested format and types of activities that are appropriate to identify as goals.

 

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