HR Manager - Institute of Arctic Biology

The Institute of Arctic Biology (IAB) at the University of Alaska Fairbanks is seeking a knowledgeable and detail-oriented Human Resources Manager to lead HR operations for the Institute. This position oversees recruitment, hiring, onboarding, and personnel actions for IAB's faculty, staff, and student employees; ensures compliance with university policy; and serves as a trusted resource for supervisors and employees across the Institute. Join a dynamic team dedicated to IAB's mission to advance research and innovation for healthy Arctic communities and ecosystems.

This is a unique opportunity to shape the employee experience at one of UAF's flagship research institutes. You will work closely with IAB leadership, lead and supervise HR staff, and support a mission-driven community of over 40 faculty, 90 regular staff, and 100 graduate students dedicated to understanding the living systems of the Arctic. IAB is the home of Toolik Field Station, the Bonanza Creek Long Term Ecological Research Program, the Alaska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, the Alaska IDEA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE), the Center for Alaska Native Health Research, and the Center for Transformative Research in Metabolism, in addition to many other funded research and outreach projects led by our faculty and staff. Supporting a workforce this varied, from laboratory and administrative staff to seasonal field crews and grant-funded researchers, calls for someone who enjoys variety, solves problems thoughtfully, and is comfortable navigating a range of appointment types and funding sources.

This role is critical to fostering a fair, positive, and welcoming workplace at IAB, helping supervisors build strong teams, and ensuring that the people behind IAB's research are well supported.

What you'll do

• Lead recruitment, hiring, onboarding, and offboarding for faculty, staff, and student positions
• Advise the Director, Executive Officer, and supervisors on personnel matters, policy, and potential compliance issues, and put corrective procedures in place when needed
• Ensure compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and university policies and procedures
• Manage HR projects and maintain the integrity of personnel processes and records
• Serve as IAB's liaison with UA Human Resources and other internal and external partners
• Work with fiscal staff to align personnel actions with budgets and grant funding

What you'll bring

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including the ability to collect, interpret, and act on complex information and data
• Excellent written and verbal communication, with the judgment and tact to handle sensitive matters
• Experience leading and supervising staff
• Basic knowledge of budgets and the grant process
• Advanced computer skills

Minimum Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree in a related field and two years of relevant experience or an equivalent combination of training and experience. Master’s degree preferred.

Preferred: Professional Human Resources Certification and / or training in mediation. Working knowledge of UA Personnel/Human Resources policies, procedures, and practices, as well as State of Alaska and Federal regulations (i.e., EO, ADA, FMLA, FLSA, Workman's compensation, and USCIS). Knowledge of collective bargaining agreements. Knowledge of international visa requirements and procedures. Proficient knowledge of interfacing software, including knowledge of reports and querying of data.

Position Details:

This position is located on the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus in Fairbanks. This is a full-time, exempt staff position complete with both a competitive salary and full employee benefits package. UA provides a generous compensation package that includes retirement options, annual leave, 12 paid holidays per year, tuition waivers for employees and family members, and affordable medical, dental and vision care coverage. New hires will be placed on the UA Staff Salary Schedule, Grade 79, based on education and experience.

Application review will begin on October 19, 2026. To ensure consideration, please submit your application by 11:55 PM Alaska Standard Time on October 18, 2026.

📃To view the full list of job responsibilities, please click HERE.

☎️If you have any questions regarding this position, please contact Debby Queen at dkqueen@alaska.edu.

This position is part of a bargaining unit represented by the Coalition of Alaska University Staff for Equity (CAUSE)-UAW.

*To be eligible for this position, applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States without restriction.  Applicants who now or may in the future require visa sponsorship to work in the United States are not eligible.

The University of Alaska (UA) is responsible for providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities throughout the applicant screening process. If you need assistance in completing this application or during any phase of the interview process, please contact the ADA team at ua-ada@alaska.edu.

The University of Alaska (www.alaska.edu) is an Equal Opportunity/Equal Access Employer and Educational Institution.  The University is committed to a policy of non-discrimination (www.alaska.edu/nondiscrimination) against individuals on the basis of any legally protected status.

The successful applicant is required to complete a background check. Any offer of employment is contingent on the background check.

Your application for employment with the University of Alaska is subject to public disclosure under the Alaska Public Records Act.

All employees at the University of Alaska are expected to uphold the highest standards of ethics and professionalism when conducting or engaged in university business.

*Each university within the University of Alaska system publishes an Annual Security and Fire Safety Report which contains information regarding campus safety and security including topics such as: campus law enforcement authority; crime reporting policies; campus alerts (Timely Warnings and Emergency Notifications); fire safety policies and procedures; programs to prevent dating violence, domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking; the procedures the University will follow when one of these crimes is reported; and other matters of importance related to security on campus. The report also contains information about crime statistics for the three most recent calendar years concerning reported crimes that occurred on campus; in On-Campus Student Housing Facilities; in Noncampus buildings or property owned or controlled by the University or a recognized student organization; and on public property within, or immediately adjacent to and accessible from, the campus.  The report also contains fire statistics for any fires occurring in an On-Campus Student Housing Facility during the three most recent calendar years.  

Access to the reports is available at:

UAA: (Addresses Anchorage campus, Aviation Technology Complex, JBER - Elmendorf Extension, JBER - Richardson Extension, Kenai Peninsula College - Kachemak Bay campus, Kenai Peninsula College - Kenai River campus, Kodiak College, Kodiak High School Extension, Matanuska-Susitna College, Prince William Sound College, and Prince William Sound College - Cordova Extension) Online: https://www.uaa.alaska.edu/students/safety. Request a paper copy in person: UAA Police Department Office at Room 114 of Eugene Short Hall on the Anchorage campus / UAA Dean of Students Office at Room 122 of Rasmuson Hall on the Anchorage campus. Request a paper copy by mail: 907-786-1120 or police@uaa.alaska.edu / 907-786-1214 or uaa_deanofstudents@alaska.edu. 

UAF: (Addresses Fairbanks Campus, Bristol Bay Campus, Chukchi Campus, Community and Technical College, Kasitsna Bay Campus, Seward Marine Center, Tok Campus, Kuskokwim Campus, and Northwest Campus) Online: https://www.uaf.edu/orca/files/ASFSR.pdf. Request a paper copy in person: UAF Office of Rights, Compliance and Accountability on the 3rd Floor of Constitution Hall. Request a paper copy by mail: 907-474-7300 or uaf-orca@alaska.edu.

UAS: (Addresses the Juneau Auke Bay Campus, Juneau Technical Education Center, Sitka Campus, & Ketchikan Campus) Online: https://uas.alaska.edu/equity-and-compliance/docs/clery/UAS_ASFSR.pdf. Request a paper copy in person: Hendrickson Building, Suite 202 on the Juneau campus. Request a paper copy by mail: 907-796-6371 or emailing uas.clery@alaska.edu.