Dear CIRES Supervisors and Leads,
CIRES HR has prepared this memo with the objective of providing our supervisors with the most updated information on current hiring practices.
Regular positions:
- Grant-funded Hires: CIRES is currently hiring for all positions funded with soft money (typically 130XXXXX numbered speedtypes) for which work can be performed remotely and for which the supervisor is able to onboard, train and to supervise remotely.
- Position checklist and justification: Hiring supervisors who desire to open a search must present a 2-3 sentence explanation on why their position is mission critical and must be posted at this time. This justification will accompany the position checklist form and will be routed for approval to CIRES Director Waleed Abdalati, the hiring supervisor, and our CIRES HR Director, Angela Knight.
- Offer letters: Offer letters will be routed first to CIRES Director Waleed Abdalati and must also be accompanied by a brief justification for his consideration.
- Access to campus: For positions where the onboarding process cannot be completed remotely, or for which the new hire will need access to main campus or DSRC, please clearly communicate this need to CIRES HR. We will ask you to consult with federal partners (if housed at DSRC) on the likelihood that this hire will be approved to return to campus before we post the position. All Return to Research requests must be approved by CIRES Director Waleed Abdalati before we open the search.
- General-funds Hires: If a position is funded through a university general fund (typically a speedtype starting with 110XXXXX), we will require permission from CIRES Director Waleed Abdalati, Vice Chancellor for Research Terri Fiez, and Provost Russell Moore before we can launch the search
- Telecommuting and return to the office: During interviews, please be clear about expectations for initial telecommuting arrangements, followed by a return to the office. In most cases, telework is expected to continue for an undetermined period of time; however, employees are expected to return to the office once our Director/ the University Administration/ Health officials determine that it is safe to do so. Also please make sure that you communicate clearly about set-up and schedule expectations for telecommuting: the need to have a good internet connection, an office space, be available for daily Zoom/ Google Meet during business hours, and any other pertinent information for the benefit of your new hire.
- Quickstart Program Orientation: All CIRES employees now participate in the general CU QSP Orientation. After a new employee’s start date is confirmed in the offer letter or subsequent addendum, the new employee will be registered for this brief, online program during their first week after joining the university. The QSP is generally offered by CU on the 1st day of each month (when this falls on a weekday), and on most Mondays. CIRES HR will work with the central office, the appropriate supervisor, and your new hire to determine the day of (remote) attendance. You and your employee will then receive email confirmations with the details of the meeting and the proper Zoom ID link. If your new employee cannot use Zoom as per federal rules, they should be able to download Zoom to their home computer, smart phone or Ipad and participate remotely in that way.
- Benefits information: Please note that due to Covid19 and the inability to meet in person, Central HR has considerably shorten the length of the QSP orientation. New employees no longer learn about benefits in person and are instead directed here to learn about the details of our health and retirement programs, life insurance and other benefits offered by CU.
Temporary Positions:
- CIRES can hire employees in temporary positions for work that can be performed remotely and for which the supervisor is able to onboard, train, and supervise remotely.
- Temporary positions funded 100% from sponsored funds (grants) or research related gifts outside of an Institute may proceed with department Chair/Director (or designee) approval. CIRES HR Director, Angela Knight, will sign off on hiring checklists/offer letters for the approval of temporary hires.
- Temporary positions supported in any amount from general fund sources (typically a speedtype starting with 110XXXXX) may proceed with approval from CIRES HR Director, Angela Knight, and Vice Chancellor for Research, Terri Fiez. Hiring supervisor will need to provide a 2-3 sentence justification explaining why their position is mission critical to current operations and why hiring can’t be postponed.
- If the work for the temporary position cannot be done remotely, please make sure you have already received approval through the Return-to-Research request form before requesting to hire the temporary employee. Return-to-Research information and requirements can be found here.
Hiring Foreign Nationals:
CIRES continues to hire and support foreign national employees, as they are essential to our mission.
- Please note that new visas, as well as renewals and extensions, are taking longer to process due to the pandemic. After you obtain a verbal acceptance from a candidate for a CIRES role, please check on the need for a visa by asking if the candidate “will need visa sponsorship to legally work in the U.S now or in the future.” If your new employee is a foreign national who needs visa assistance, please put them in contact with our Visa Coordinator, Janet Garcia, right away so that she can decide on the most appropriate document based on immigration history, country of citizenship, and other factors.
- Although the need for an H-1B is rare, please note that the federal government does not currently allow us to process this type of document for a future employee who is currently outside the U.S. For an employee who is already in the U.S, H-1Bs are still being permitted.
- There is no guarantee that any foreign national will be able to obtain a visa status; however, CIRES will pursue the appropriate visa status whenever possible. The inability for a potential CIRES employee to obtain a visa status to work at CIRES is rare, but we will continue to monitor immigration updates and inform you as appropriate.
Please reach out to us if you have any questions and we will be delighted to help you,
Your CIRES HR Team
