Senior HR Consultant-Morganton

Join Team NCSSM at the #1 rated Best Public High School in America for 2025

POSITION TYPE: Permanent, 12-month, Exempt Professional Staff (EPS), FLSA Exempt, 1.0 FTE

HIRING SALARY RANGE: $90,000 - $96,000

Hiring salary will be determined based on education, experience, equity, budget, and market considerations.

NCSSM and Human Resources foster an environment of collaboration across departments and divisions and support community-engaged service and research. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, age, sexual orientation, genetic information, status as an individual with a disability, or status as a protected veteran or national guard. If you are an individual with disabilities requiring accommodations in the application and interview process, please contact us at hr@ncssm.edu.

Description of Duties:

The Senior HR Consultant serves as a vital human resources generalist based at the NCSSM-Morganton campus. This position reports directly to NCSSM's Associate Vice Chancellor for Human Resources and Chief Human Resources Officer (AVC/CHRO), with a dotted-line reporting relationship to the Vice Chancellor and Chief Campus Officer for Morganton. While based in Morganton, the Senior HR Consultant is expected to work closely and collaboratively with the HR team at NCSSM-Durham.

This role provides hands-on human resources support across a range of areas, including talent acquisition, employee relations, benefits coordination, and the management of personnel actions within the Schools HR systems. The Senior HR Consultant is responsible for applying state and UNC System Office HR policies, advising supervisors and employees on HR matters, and ensuring consistent, accurate, and compliant HR practices on the Morganton campus.

As a key resource for Morganton campus leadership and employees, the Senior HR Consultant supports day-to-day operations for all employee types-faculty and non-faculty-and contributes to the effective delivery of HR services aligned with institutional goals. The role requires strong independent judgment, the ability to work under remote supervision, and ongoing collaboration with HR colleagues and stakeholders across both campuses.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead recruitment, hiring, and onboarding for permanent Morganton positions.

• Advise on job classification, compensation, and organizational structure.

• Serve as the campus contact for employee relations, investigations, and performance management.

• Provide guidance on benefits, leave, and ADA accommodations.

• Process HR transactions and maintain accurate data and reports.

• Support policy compliance, CDL testing, and campus HR planning efforts.

• Coordinate engagement, training, and employee recognition activities.

This position offers a hybrid/flexible work schedule, with the option to work remotely up to two days per week, subject to supervisor approval.

Some limited travel may be required from Morganton to Durham, Raleigh, and Chapel Hill to attend meetings, workshops, training, etc.

Preferred Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Demonstrated experience handling sensitive personnel issues, including employee relations cases, conflict resolution, and disciplinary processes, with a strong ability to maintain confidentiality and exercise sound judgment.

• Experience in HR within the UNC System institutions and/or North Carolina state government HR policies and procedures is highly desirable.

• HR professional certification (e.g., PHR, SPHR, SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP).

• Experience using North Carolina's Integrated HR-Payroll System (Beacon/Fiori) or similar enterprise-level HRIS platforms.

• Proven ability to manage multiple HR projects simultaneously while meeting deadlines in a fast-paced environment.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to work effectively with employees and managers at all organizational levels.

• Excellent organizational and time management skills, with keen attention to detail.

• Demonstrated ability to work independently and collaboratively as part of a team.

• Creative problem-solver with adaptability, diplomacy, and initiative.

• Proficiency with Google Workspace applications (Gmail, Calendar, Docs, Sheets, etc.).

• Experience developing and delivering training or professional development programs for staff and supervisors is preferred.

Bachelor's degree and two years of progressively responsible professional human resources management experience; or equivalent combination of training and experience. All degrees must be from appropriately accredited institutions.

Preferred experience: Five years of progressive human resources experience, ideally in a generalist role with responsibilities in employee relations, talent acquisition, benefits, classification, and performance management.

Team NCSSM Benefits

NCSSM offers a competitive and comprehensive benefits package designed to support the well-being, growth, and work-life balance of our employees. Highlights include generous vacation and sick leave; 12 annual holidays; paid parental, family medical, and community service leave; and flexible work schedules where applicable. Leave is earned monthly and pro-rated for part-time employees and those working less than 12 months. Employees also enjoy access to the State Health Plan, multiple retirement options (including TSERS and ORP), supplemental retirement savings plans, tuition waiver benefits across the UNC System, and free access to on-site facilities like a gym, library, and cafeteria. Additional perks include life insurance, disability coverage, flexible spending accounts, and membership eligibility with the State Employees Credit Union.

Please visit NCSSM Employee Benefits for more information.

About NCSSM:

North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics (NCSSM) is a world-class public high school with statewide reach empowering academically talented students from diverse backgrounds from every corner of the state to design their own future. We offer residential high school programs in Durham and Morganton for juniors and seniors or virtual high school courses and programs that students can take alongside their local curriculum, all tuition free. Our wide array of summer offerings for rising 5th- through 12th-graders includes free opportunities for in-state students alongside paid options for students from anywhere in the world. NCSSM Extended Learning partners with communities and regions to advance student learning and outcomes.

Specializing in science, technology, engineering, and math, and embracing the fine arts and humanities, NCSSM has become the model for 18 such specialized schools around the globe since its founding in 1980 and is a full constituent of the University of North Carolina System. NCSSM's Ignite + Transform comprehensive campaign seeks to raise $50 million in private support for our mission.

The new NCSSM-Morganton campus opened in 2022 for summer programs and its first fall academic term. NCSSM-Morganton focuses on the booming fields of data science and artificial intelligence, preparing the leaders of tomorrow to navigate a future driven by data and machine learning, with emphasis on the humanistic implications and ethical use of these tools.

Nearly two-thirds of NCSSM graduates earn a bachelor's degree in a STEM field -- over three times the national average, including 58 percent of our underrepresented minority graduates, which is nearly four times the national average. Nearly three-quarters have earned or are seeking a graduate degree. A 2020 economic impact study found that 54 percent of our alumni continue to live and work in North Carolina, catalyzing nearly $1.3 billion in annual economic activity. NCSSM values the diversity in our student body, and all members of the NCSSM community are expected to foster a safe environment of respect and inclusion for all faculty, staff, and students.

For more information, please read the NCSSM strategic plan and visit ncssm.edu.

How to Apply:

Submit electronic application via this link: Senior HR Consultant-Morganton.

Please complete your application in full. All required Competencies, Work History, and Credentials must appear on the application in the Education and Work Experience sections of the application to receive consideration during the selection process. Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of completing the State Application form in its entirety. "See Attached Resume or an Embedded Text Resume" will be considered incomplete and will not be processed. Degrees must be received from appropriately accredited institutions.

Applicants seeking Veteran's Preference must attach a DD form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, along with the state application. Applicants seeking National Guard Preference must attach a NGB 23A (RPAS) if they are a current member of the NC National Guard in good standing. If applicants are a former member of the NC National Guard who served for at least six years and was discharged under honorable conditions, they must attach either a DD256 or NGB 22 along with their state application.

Final candidates are subject to criminal and sex offender background checks. Some vacancies also require a motor vehicle check. If the highest degree is from an institution outside of the U.S., final candidates are required to have their degree equivalency verified at www.wes.org or equivalent service. NCSSM participates in E-Verify. Federal law requires all employers to verify the identity and employment eligibility of all persons hired to work in the United States.

Please refrain from submitting multiple applications. However, if multiple applications are submitted to a posting, only the most recent application received prior to the posting close date will be accepted. There is a 24 hour waiting period before an applicant can re-apply to a position.

If you have questions, please contact Tracy Fullgraf at fullgraf@ncssm.edu.

NCSSM is an EEO/eVerify/VEVRAA Employer