What you need to know:
- People, Culture and Belonging has unveiled Project Polaris, a new job architecture initiative.
- The project aims to build clear career pathways and personal growth opportunities across the university.
- Full implementation is scheduled for April 2025.
Vanderbilt University’s People, Culture and Belonging has unveiled Project Polaris, a transformative job architecture initiative to enhance staff career development. Named after the guiding North Star, Project Polaris works to light clear career pathways and foster growth opportunities across the university.
“Project Polaris represents a significant investment in our staff,” said Sydney Savion, vice chancellor for People, Culture and Belonging. “By creating a more transparent and flexible job architecture, we’re empowering our employees to navigate their careers with greater confidence and purpose.”
Project Polaris will:
- Provide a comprehensive view of potential career paths within the university, allowing for more strategic career planning and progression
- Clarify the skill requirements for various roles to identify development needs and enable targeted training programs for personal growth
- Provide a common language for roles and responsibilities that will improve staff visibility across university departments, fostering enhanced collaboration and mobility throughout the institution.
Why a new job architecture
- By establishing this robust job architecture, Project Polaris creates the essential groundwork for a cohesive and comprehensive approach to staff development and organizational growth.
- Project Polaris serves as the foundation for People, Culture and Belonging’s strategic vision, and provides the framework necessary for implementing and optimizing key programs.
- The clear career pathways and skill requirements defined by Project Polaris will inform talent acquisition strategies and guide learning and development programs.
- The enhanced understanding of roles and responsibilities will improve effective performance management and enable data-driven workforce planning.
Timeline for launch
Vanderbilt is partnering with Mercer, a leading HR consulting firm, to implement best practices in developing this job architecture. The project is scheduled for implementation in April 2025.
“We’re currently in the development phase,” said Cleo Rucker, associate vice chancellor and chief people experience officer. “We’re excited about the progress we’ve made and look forward to engaging with our leaders and staff as we move forward.”
Impact
While focusing primarily on staff positions, Project Polaris will affect the wider Vanderbilt community, enhancing the university’s ability to support its faculty and students.
As Vanderbilt adapts to the evolving landscape of higher education, Project Polaris will demonstrate the university’s commitment to its people by working to create an environment where every staff member can thrive, innovate and contribute meaningfully to Vanderbilt’s mission of advancing knowledge and improving the human condition.
For more information and updates on Project Polaris, please visit the official project website.
