Position Descriptions

A Staff Position Description (SPD) defines a position for classification, recruitment, and performance evaluation.

The Staff Position Description (SPD) is used by people leaders, staff, and applicants for many purposes including defining and classifying a position, recruitment, and performance evaluation.

It is important to prepare an SPD that realistically encompasses the duties and responsibilities of the position as well as identifying the critical skills and behavioral competencies, level of education and experience needed to achieve top performance.

The SPD preparer should use the templates provided and follow the guidelines below.

Sections include:

• Culture of Inclusion and Community Standards
• Department Background
• Rewards and Benefits
• Position Summary
• Required Qualifications
• Preferred Qualifications
• Position Responsibilities
• Position Leadership/Management Responsibilities
• Work Designation: Work Designation
• Essential Working Conditions

Elements of the Staff Position Description

Culture of Inclusion and Community Standards

This section contains required language on Cornell’s commitment to diversity and inclusion essential for individual and organizational success. 

• University Core Values serve as the foundation for a more equitable and inclusive atmosphere for all Cornell campuses.
• Staff Skills for Success and Leadership Skills for Success are essential in establishing the key values of the institution and are foundational to what is expected of every employee and leader working at Cornell.

Department Background

In this section, state a brief overview of your college/unit to create line of sight. Optional language may be included to describe the department and functional statement.

• Use a College/Unit Statement to describe the mission and/or core values.
• Use a Department Statement to describe the general values and principles that support the college/unit.
• Use a Function Statement to describe connectivity with other units.

Rewards and Benefits

This section includes a link to the benefits offered by Cornell. Please indicate any additional unique rewards and benefits specific to the position.

Position Summary

In this section, in addition to the required language referencing Cornell’s culture of belonging and a psychologically healthy work environment; state the purpose for the position, creating context that summarizes the main responsibility statements and other important information. Consider the college/unit/department missions and connectivity to the university’s priorities. How does this position support or contribute to achieving them?

• Campus Collaboration (optional): State the position’s responsibilities related to university and functional partnerships and/or reporting relationships.
• Success Factors (optional): State specific knowledge, skills, traits, values, or characteristics that enhance institutional success. May also be stated in the position qualifications section.

Portions of this section should be tailored to develop effective job posting language when advertising for open positions.

Required Qualifications

In this section, state the minimum equivalency for education and progressively responsible related work experience, plus any certifications or skills required for effective performance after an appropriate introductory period.

• Position Competencies/Skills: Include job profile competencies and other relevant knowledge, skills, abilities, and behaviors that contribute to success and effective performance in the position.
• Diversity and Inclusion: Contains required statement on experience to supporting diversity, equity, access, inclusion, and wellbeing AND required additional detailed statement selected from pick list.

Preferred Qualifications

In this section, state preferences for specialized education, experience, certifications, or attributes that are desired in the ideal candidate.

Position Responsibilities

Separately state the position's major responsibilities indicating the result and purpose to be accomplished. Estimate the annualized percentage of time spent on each responsibility. List these statements in descending order from greatest to least percentage of the position's annual time. These statements should address the position's responsibilities that must be performed for the department to continue to operate successfully.

Be specific and clear when explaining the work of a position and determining the complexity that will be resolved by the incumbent in relation to the complexity of cases referred to a supervisor or others for resolution. Prepare responsibility statements beginning with action verbs and including context. Add enough detail under each responsibility statement to ensure clear understanding.

Examples

• Prepare routine, straightforward quarterly financial reports to support compliance requirements for the Controller.
• Clean test tubes in accordance with established procedures to prepare for experiments by Research Specialist.
• Negotiate supply prices up to limit of $X per order with vendor to balance quality with controlling costs for department.
• Analyze departmental software needs and recommend appropriate upgrades to Director to support unit business needs.

Avoid using words like "handle" and "manage" which are so broad that nothing is communicated. For example, you might replace "handles all phone calls" with "screens and refers calls, answering routine questions about the department", or "takes messages when others are out of the office". In this case, "handle" obscured differences in the level of responsibility.

Position Leadership/Management Responsibilities

This section should be completed to indicate the number (or range of) direct reports for position with responsibilities focused on managing the work of others and developing others.

Examples

• 5 exempt direct reports, 2 nonexempt direct reports
• <10 exempt direct reports, <5 nonexempt direct reports
• 1-5 exempt direct reports, 0 nonexempt direct reports

Work Designation

In this section, select the position’s primary setting for performing work: Fully On Site, Hybrid Remote or Fully Remote

Essential Working Conditions

In this section, select the essential working conditions for physical, visual and hazards related to the position after considering reasonable accommodations. This area seeks information that describes commonly occurring circumstances for the position and is not intended to describe infrequent activity.