Associate HR Business Partner

The University of Maine at Farmington (UMF) is seeking a proactive, tech-fluent, and collaborative Associate Human Resources Partner (Associate HRP) to serve our campus community at UMF. This position focuses on the daily execution and implementation of HR strategies, providing vital generalist support, and managing the practical logistics of our talent acquisition and employment processes. 

If you are a systems-oriented professional who excels at building productive relationships, optimizing talent acquisition platforms, dissecting dense policies into clear, accessible procedures, and delivering engaging training, this position is the perfect opportunity to put your skills to work.

Based on the qualifications and experience of the successful applicant, the anticipated annual salary for this position is up to $58,000 plus a 10% employer contribution to the UMS retirement plan. Additional benefits include medical, dental, vision, and tuition waiver programs for employees and dependents.

Complete Job Description 

Where You Will Make an Impact (Responsibilities)

🎯 High-Volume Talent Acquisition & Recruitment 

• Drive the Recruitment Lifecycle: Partner directly with hiring managers and campus departments to implement proactive recruitment strategies that meet talent needs.
• Leverage Recruitment Marketing: Utilize social media, and innovative strategies to build robust talent and elevate UMF’s employer brand. 
• Data-Driven Analysis: Utilize recruitment knowledge resources to conduct comprehensive salary analyses, that align with university standards and collective bargaining agreements, analyze trends of search processes and identify workflow bottlenecks. 

💻 Technology & Process Optimization 

• ATS Backend Management: Act as the super-user and operational anchor for our applicant tracking and HR systems. Maintain, configure, and troubleshoot hiring stages to ensure a flawless candidate and user experience. 
• Navigate Complex Frameworks: Maintain an in-depth understanding of collective bargaining agreements, System Administrative Practice Letters (APLs), and Federal/State employment laws to ensure consistency and compliance in day-to-day operations. 
• Build Operational Solutions: Analyze routine administrative challenges and establish proactive solutions by translating university guidelines and complex policies into clear, user-friendly procedures that help managers navigate HR processes efficiently and transparently.

🗣️ Leadership Coaching & Relationship Building

• Deliver Impactful Training: Serve as a trusted advisor to Search Chairs and Committee members, providing direct coaching, compliance oversight, and strategic guidance throughout the entire interview and selection process.
• Coach Campus Leadership: Provide reliable direction, counsel, and orientation to administrators, search committees, and supervisors regarding human resources.
• Campus Outreach: Serve as a primary internal and external point of contact, cross-functional meetings and maintaining communication between HR and various campus constituents. 

🤝 Relationship Management & Employee Support

• Cultivate Trusted Partnerships: Build productive, cross-functional relationships with internal and external customers.
• Manage Employee Relations: Serve as an objective, responsive advocate while addressing and resolving routine issues. Conduct thorough, objective investigations in alignment with University policies, procedures, and collective bargaining agreements. 

Core Competencies for Success

• Tech-Agility: You don't just use software; you enjoy figuring out how it works. You adapt instantly to new platforms and enjoy configuring back-end systems to make manual tasks obsolete. 
• People-First Communication: You are comfortable presenting to senior leaders, guiding tough compliance conversations and building authentic partnerships across departments.  
• Perceptual Objectivity: You exercise diplomacy, good judgment, and strong analytical skills to define problems, identify trends, collect data, and establish facts to draw valid conclusions.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience. 
• One year or more of relevant professional HR experience.
• Basic foundational knowledge of human resources principles. 
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with internal and external contacts, including strong presentation and facilitation skills. 
• Experience working both independently as well as collaboratively.
• Previous experience leveraging a wide array of technologies and communication tools. 
• Proven track record of building relationships with internal and external customers.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Direct HR experience within a higher education setting or a similarly complex, multi-unit organization governed by collective bargaining agreements. 
• Professional HR credentialing (such as SHRM-CP or PHR). 

• Cover Letter
• Resume/Curriculum Vitae
• Contact information for three (3) professional references

We are not able to consider applicants who require Visa sponsorship support.
Incomplete application materials cannot be considered. Materials received after the initial review date will be reviewed at the discretion of the University.
For full consideration, materials must be submitted by 4:30 pm EST on Friday, July 31, 2026.

The successful applicant is subject to appropriate background screening and post-offer physical as applicable.

The University of Maine at Farmington employees are Mandatory Reporters with the exception of UMF’s licensed, clinical medical providers (including athletic trainers) and mental health providers and their clinical interns when working in their capacity as providers.  
 

About UsAbout the University of Maine System
The University of Maine System (UMS), established in 1968, consists of seven universities and the University of Maine School of Law, spread across various locations in Maine. UMS provides system-wide services and governance from these locations, leveraging the distinct strengths and collaborations among its institutions to advance strategic priorities for UMS and the state of Maine.
Choosing UMS means opting for a high quality of life supported by excellent benefits such as tuition waivers, robust retirement contributions, and comprehensive insurance coverage including medical, dental, vision, life, and disability. Maine's diverse landscapes, from accessible wilderness and rugged coastline to urban centers and rural communities, offer numerous cultural activities, strong public schools, safe neighborhoods, and high-quality healthcare. Discover more about Maine's exemplary lifestyle on the Maine Office of Tourism website. About the TeamThe University of Maine at Farmington has earned a national reputation for excellence, gaining stature as one of the finest state-supported liberal arts colleges in the northeastern U.S. Additionally, UMF is rated 5th in U.S. News & World Report Top Regional Public College North for 2023 and has been rated one of America's Best Colleges by U.S. News 25 times since 1998.
The campus is in historic downtown Farmington, just a short walk away from coffee shops, funky stores, restaurants, banks, bookstores, a multi-screen movie theater and a whole lot more. Our perfect location combines the active outdoor lifestyle with the arts & smarts of a small college town.  With enrollment at around 1,600 full-time students, UMF is about the same size as many of New England’s most selective private colleges and offers many of the same advantages, yet at a very affordable price — providing a tremendous college value in a spectacular natural setting.  Established in 1864 as Maine’s first public institution of higher education, the University of Maine at Farmington is a founding member of The Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges (COPLAC) an exclusive national group of public colleges and universities committed to providing superior liberal arts and sciences education.