Policy on Posting Positions

Policy Number: 407

Human Resources

The permanent link for this policy is: https://policies.northeastern.edu/policy407/

I. Purpose and Scope

Northeastern University is committed to engaging in employment recruitment practices designed to attract highly qualified individuals from diverse backgrounds. This policy sets forth a standard framework that will enable qualified candidates to learn about open positions and facilitate their opportunity to apply. The policy supports compliance with applicable law and is designed to offer equal employment opportunity to qualified applicants and employees. Unless expressly excluded, this policy applies to all university position postings.

II. Definitions

N/A

III. Policy

a.) Posting Requirements

Open new and vacant positions for which the university seeks to hire should be filled through a search process. Open positions should be posted on the university’s online application platform so that the search process may be managed through this system.

Once an open position is approved, Human Resources will generate the position posting electronically and post it on the university’s online application platform. HR or the local hiring manager will determine appropriate external recruitment sources, which may vary depending on the position.

Generally, a position will first be posted internally for 5 business days to give current qualified employees the opportunity to apply and receive consideration ahead of external candidates. A position will then be posted externally for at least 10 business days. Business holidays will not be counted. Unless previously approved by HR Talent Acquisition, position postings should include a closing date by which an application must be received for the candidate to be considered for the position. Postings for positions other than tenure and non-tenure track positions should not be open longer than 180 days.

b.) Use of Search Firms

Any department wishing to engage a search firm should notify HR Talent Acquisition so that it may be aware of and, where appropriate, coordinate the engagement. Internal and external recruitment may take place simultaneously for positions being managed by an outside search firm.

c.) Exclusions

Temporary positions and visiting faculty positions are not subject to the posting requirements outlined in this policy. For temporary positions and visiting faculty positions, please refer to the university’s Policy on Temporary Non-Student Employees and the Policy on Visiting Faculty Appointments.

Grant-funded research positions are not subject to the posting requirements outlined in this policy when they will be filled by an individual: (1) who transferred to the university with a grant and/or performed research on a grant transferred to the university; or (2) who was identified by name on a written research proposal submitted to an external funding agency.

There may be business purposes to exclude an open position from all or some of the posting requirements outlined in this policy. Under limited circumstances, the university may waive the internal or external posting of a position or permit a candidate to be selected without a search. To request a waiver from this policy, the hiring manager or their designee should provide the position description and the business purpose for the requested waiver to the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (ODEI) via email to diversity@northeastern.edu. ODEI may request additional information. Waiver requests will be responded to within 24 hours and granted on a case-by-case basis.

IV. Additional Information

This policy supplements guidelines on faculty recruitment and hiring that may be issued by the Office of the Provost, including the Tenured and Tenure-Track Faculty Recruitment: Outline of the Process and Recommended Resources, and relevant modules of the Faculty Handbook.

For any positions that are covered by a collective bargaining agreement (CBA), please refer to the CBA for any provisions concerning position openings, postings, and hiring. Should anything in this policy conflict with the provision of any CBA, the CBA language shall control.