Hiring Guidelines

This section outlines the process for hiring a PTK faculty (Faculty Specialist, Faculty Assistant, Post-Doc, etc), particularly for those funded by research grants.

Search Requirements

  • Positions that are specialized and tied exclusively to a single project may be filled through an ad hoc hire.  These roles must be 100% funded by a single grant.
  • Positions that are supported by start-up funds or multiple worktags and have responsibilities spanning multiple projects—must go through a formal search process in Workday. Provide the following information to psycpayroll@umd.edu to start the process.
      • Job ad
      • The search committee (Quorum of 3) is composed of the following.
          1. Committee Chair – Voting member
          2. Search Coordinator – Voting member
            Search Coordinator manages logistics and communication, including scheduling interviews, coordinating with all parties, and acting as the primary contact for candidates. They ensure everyone has the necessary information and may conduct initial screenings to verify basic qualifications before the candidate advances to technical interviews.
          3. Committee Member – Voting member
          4. Optional Committee Member – Voting member
          5. Optional Committee Member – Voting member
          6. Optional Committee Member – Voting member
          7. Optional Committee Member – Voting member
      • Who is the hiring manager
      • Sample Search Committee Document

Eligibility and Documentation

  • Eligibility: The individual cannot be currently enrolled in a UMD graduate program. Graduate students are ineligible for the Faculty Specialist role.
  • Grant Not Established: You can only proceed with a hire once your grant account has been officially established. You cannot float a hire on State funds until the grant is active and the account has been set up.
  • Offer Letter: Once you receive approval from both the Chair and the Dean’s Office, you can provide the letter to the prospective employee.

Lab Personnel and Payroll Titles

This information defines the categories and specific payroll titles for full-time lab personnel, who are typically hired under the Professional Track Faculty (PTK) research faculty category.

Professional Track Faculty (PTK)

  • PTK are generally lab managers involved in a combination of administrative and research duties.

Payroll Titles

  • Faculty Specialist: For personnel with a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree.
  • Post-Doctoral Associate: For personnel being hired as a post-doc.

Salary and Equity Guidelines

These guidelines are designed to maintain internal equity among lab personnel.

  • Minimum Salary: The current minimum salary for Faculty Specialists is $49,072.90; however, you may offer a higher rate.
  • Post-Doc Salary: Post-Doctoral Associates are hired at $65,000.
  • Equity Recommendation: Maintain equitable salaries among your lab personnel.
    • Offer a similar rate for Faculty Specialists with similar education (e.g., Bachelor’s) and experience.
    • Consider offering more to an employee with a Master’s degree and additional experience than to one with a Bachelor’s.
    • Crucially, ensure Faculty Specialist salaries do not approach the post-doc salary of to maintain clear distinctions and equity in the lab.

Leave and Benefits

Full-time regular-status research faculty (PTK) are eligible for a comprehensive benefits package.

Annual Leave Accrual

Leave Type Annual Accrual
Annual Leave (Vacation) 22 days Earned on a bi-weekly basis
Sick Leave 15 days Earned on a bi-weekly basis
Personal Leave 24 hours Provided all at once at the beginning of the start date
Holiday Leave
  • Annual Total: 14 or 15 days per year, depending on whether it’s an election year.
  • Scheduled Work/Compensated Time: Three holidays (President’s Day, and Veterans’ Day) are worked but are taken off as part of Winter Break.
  • Proration Note: If a PTK employee starts after President’s Day, they will need to use 8 hours of their own annual/personal leave to cover the holiday leave they did not accrue.

Other Benefits

  • Retirement and Benefits: Full-time research faculty are eligible for retirement and benefits. More information will be provided during onboarding.
  • Tuition Remission: Full-time regular-status faculty and staff (100% FTE) are eligible for tuition remission:
        • Spring/Fall: Not to exceed 8 credits.
        • Winter Term: Not to exceed 6 credits.
        • Summer Sessions: Not to exceed 8 credit hours total.
    • Remission is available for undergraduate and graduate-level courses and can be used at any USM institution.
    • Resource: https://uhr.umd.edu/benefits/tuition-remission/eligibility/

External Resource Links