Associate Ombuds - req# 34876

The Associate Ombuds, as part of Ombuds Services, is a designated neutral and skilled practitioner whose major function is to provide confidential and informal support to UNM students, staff, faculty, and administrators who visit the ombuds. This position provides a variety of informal services to assist visitors in improving collaboration, preventing and/or resolving conflicts. Ombuds listen respectfully, offer information about available resources, and emphasize collaboration and fair consideration of all sides of an issue. An ombuds is neither an advocate for any individual nor the organization, but rather is an advocate for fairness, who acts as a source of information and referral, and aids in answering individual’s questions, and assists in problem solving. Ombuds Services supplements, but does not replace, the University’s existing resources for formal conflict resolution. 

Critical Skills and Characteristics 

Communication and Problem-Solving Skills. An Associate Ombuds must have outstanding communication skills and be able to communicate effectively with individuals at all levels of the organization, as well as with people of all cultures. It is imperative that the Associate Ombuds has excellent problem-solving process knowledge and skills to help the inquirer develop appropriate options and actions. 

Decision-Making/Strategic Thinking Skills. An Associate Ombuds must be aware of how all decisions might impact the visitor, as well as other stakeholders and UNM. An ombuds must know how to proceed with issues, and help the visitor assess who should be involved and at what stage. 

Conflict Management/Resolution Skills. An essential element of the Associate Ombuds' role is that of facilitating the resolution or constructive management of conflict. It is important that the Associate Ombuds have a thorough understanding of what leads to conflict, the nature of conflict, and methods of resolution. The skills used to assist people to resolve their conflicts include:

•  helping people learn how to deal with the matter directly if they wish to do so
•  informally bringing people together and serving as a facilitator or mediator
•  approaching the issue generically within the larger environment (especially when the visitor fears retaliation)
•  influencing systems change which could obviate the individual problem

The Associate Ombuds should also have the ability to help the visitor determine which conflict resolution method would be appropriate for the specific situation. 

Organizational Knowledge and Networking Skills. An Associate Ombuds must become knowledgeable about UNM, its structure, culture, policies, and practices. The ombuds must have excellent networking skills, understand and participate in collaboration with others, and be able to establish and maintain broad contacts throughout the organization, all while remaining neutral.

Sensitivity to Diversity Issues. The Associate Ombuds must be sensitive to dealing with individuals from a wide variety of backgrounds and cultures. The ombuds should be innovative in helping the visitor develop options that are responsive to differing needs. 

Integrity. An Associate Ombuds should establish and maintain a reputation for integrity and for dealing fairly, effectively, and in a timely fashion with all constituents. 

UNM Ombuds Services is based on the assurance of confidentiality to the extent to which the law allows. Therefore, the ombuds must keep information confidential in accordance with the Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice of the International Ombudsman Association. 

An Associate Ombuds should understand that this position may, on occasion, challenge even the highest levels of the administration in an effort to foster fair and just practices. 

Composure and Presentation Skills. An Associate ombuds should maintain a professional demeanor, should have strong presentation skills, and should be able to organize and communicate information to groups of varying sizes and hierarchical levels in the organization. 

Accountabilities 

Working with individuals:  conducting visits and beyond

•  Assist visitors in clarifying goals or issues and generating options for moving forward.
•  Provide impartial and confidential conflict management services to members of the campus community who are aggrieved or concerned about an issue,
•  Support the visitor’s assessment of the pros and cons of possible options.
•  Assist visitors in obtaining relevant information regarding university resources, policies, and procedures.
•  Remain independent, neutral and impartial, and exercise good judgment.
•  When appropriate, facilitate conversations or meetings, or provide negotiation skills to facilitate communication.
•  Whenever appropriate, help visitors navigate UNM resources, such as Human Resources, the Employee Assistance Program (CARS), LGBTQ Resource Center, Student Health and Counseling, Veterans Resource Center, and the like.

Assist Ombuds Services to give policy analysis and feedback

•  Assist Ombuds Services to serve as a campus resource for officials in formulating or modifying policy and procedures, raising issues that might surface as a result of a gap between stated UNM goals and actual practice.
• Assist Ombuds Services as a liaison between individuals or groups and the campus administrative structure, serving as a communicator or informal facilitator, as appropriate, and providing upward feedback.
• Help the office function as a sensor within the campus community to identify problems or trends that affect the entire campus or significant parts of the community; if appropriate, recommend creative ways to address these concerns.
• Help the office to provide early warning of new areas of organizational concern, upward feedback, critical analysis of systemic needs for improvement, and make systems change recommendations.

Assist Ombuds Services in developing and offering workshops and presentations

•  Provide Outreach and Education about Ombuds Services and collaborative problem solving to the Campus Community
• May design and conduct training programs for the campus community in constructive communication, negotiation skills, dispute/conflict resolution, and related topics.

Assist in Maintaining Ombuds Services Office

•  Supervise office staff and volunteers, as necessary. Formulate, manage, and monitor the overall goals, direction, projects and programs of the office.
•  Ensure that the integrity of the office is maintained by all office staff and volunteers through independence, fair process, neutrality, impartiality, confidentiality, and treating people with dignity and respect.

Reporting 
The ombuds function is independent of existing administrative structures and reports directly to the president or other senior leader in the administration.  The Associate Ombuds reports to the Ombuds or Senior Associate Ombuds.

Professional Membership and Ongoing Development

•  Maintain active membership in relevant professional associations, such as the International Ombudsman Association and COOP in order to stay on the leading edge of ombuds professionalism.
•  Ombuds skills should be continually enhanced through training courses offered by these professional associations.

See the Position Description for additional information.

• Must be able to provide proof of having attended basic mediation training and at least 100 hours of mediation experience.
• Employees who provide services or work in patient care or clinical areas are required to be in compliance with the University's influenza vaccination requirement.

Bachelor's degree; at least 5 years of experience directly related to the duties and responsibilities specified.

Completed degree(s) from an accredited institution that are above the minimum education requirement may be substituted for experience on a year for year basis.

Education and Work Experience 
The UNM Associate Ombuds must have a Bachelor’s degree; however, an advanced degree combined withrelevant dispute resolution training or ombuds experience is preferred.Experience working with people of diverse backgrounds and cultures is alsodesired. 

Only applications submitted throughthe official UNMJobs site will be accepted. If you are viewing this jobadvertisement on a 3rd party site, pleasevisit UNMJobs to submit an application.

Positions posted with a Staff Type of Regular or Term are eligible for the Veteran Preference Program. See the Veteran Preference Program webpage for additional details.

The University of New Mexico is committed to hiring and retaining a diverse workforce. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer, making decisions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected class.

The University of New Mexico requires all regular staff positions successfully pass a pre-employment background check. This may include, but is not limited to, a criminal history background check, New Mexico Department of Health fingerprint screening, New Mexico Children, Youth, and Families Department fingerprint screening, verification of education credentials, and/or verification of prior employment. For more information about background checks, visit https://policy.unm.edu/university-policies/3000/3280.html. Refer to https://policy.unm.edu/university-policies/3000/3200.html for a definition of Regular Staff.