Job Architecture 101
Job Architecture
A job architecture provides a structural base to create consistency and a better understanding of the roles and their purpose at Virginia Tech. It is a standardized framework to classify jobs based on the nature of the work they do and the level at which the work is completed. A job architecture provides visibility into how jobs are organized, and typically reflects both industry market practice as well as the internal needs and characteristics of the organization but is independent of organizational reporting structure. For a visual representation, see this job architecture overview illustration.
| Job Architecture Design |
| Function |
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| Sub-function |
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| Discipline |
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Classifying Jobs
As jobs are classified, they are sorted into increasingly smaller categories based on the nature of the work (e.g., function, sub-function, and discipline). In practice, this leads to job architectures like the following example. Virginia Tech has 16 primary functions for A/P faculty jobs. This job architecture definitions document contains definitions for Virginia Tech's functions, sub-functions, and disciplines.
Example: Job architecture for Equity and Accessibility (Illustrative only)
| Function | Sub-function | Discipline |
| Legal and Compliance | Equity and Accessibility | Affirmative Action |
| Equity and Accomodations | ||
| Investigations |
Job Architecture versus Organization Reporting Structure
Job architectures are not related to the reporting structure of an organization. Job architectures group similiar jobs together although those jobs may exist in many departments. Job architectures are about what jobs do; the role they perform for the organization. Organizational structure identifies where a job reports.
For example, Virginia Tech has finance managers that support designated colleges and departments. These finance managers have similiar jobs across the university so they are grouped under the same job architecture (Finance) even though they may report to different managers within the college or department they support.
Career Tracks and Career Track Levels
When the job architecture is linked to a career structure it shows career paths available and how an individual could grow in their career. A career structure is defined by a set of career tracks and a set of levels within each career track. When the job structure and career structure are combined it provides clarity on how employees can develop and progress in an organization. Virginia Tech has five distinct career tracks in addition to a management/ leadership track for A/P faculty jobs. For a visual representation, see this career track overview illustration. This job architecture definitions document contains additional information on Virginia Tech's career tracks and career track levels.
Career tracks are the basic infrastructure of a career structure and represent a group of jobs characterized by distinct responsibilities (e.g., general administration, STEM, management/leadership).
Career track levels are used to differentiate jobs within a career track based on autonomy, complexity, experience, knowledge, and scope of impact. Career levels are defined consistently across A/P faculty positions at Virginia Tech and apply to all functional areas (e.g., general administration, G1-G5; STEM T1-T5; manager, M1-M3).
Job Titles
Job titles are developed using systematic protocols like combining key components of a job profile. A job profile includes the function, sub-function, discipline, career track, and career track level. This process produces common titles.
Each job profile is assigned a system title (will be called “classification title” in Virginia Tech’s HR systems), which typically reflects the function, sub-function, and discipline as well as the career track and level of the job. Each system title is tied to internal and external market data and is the create a foundation for compensation analysis, pay equity, and career path planning. In this way, system titles support an employee’s ability to identify career paths as well as the organization's ability to accurately classify jobs and ensure pay equity.
Example: System Title Protocol (Illustrative only)
| 1. Level: Senior | 2. Function: Financial | 3. Classification: Analyst |
| Level: Indicates the hiearchical position within the career track. This is typically left blank for intermediate-level jobs. | Function: Indicates the functional area that the job is associated with. Examples: Finance, Information Technology, Human Resources | Classification: The essence of the job. The manager manages; the analyst analyzes. The classification is usually paired with a function and often the function serves as the role. Examples: engineer, registrar |
Working titles allow additional flexibility for what positions are called. Managers and departmental HR representatives typically determine the appropriate working titles for their employees. Working titles can be used for business cards, email signatures, and internal/external communications. They can also be referenced on job postings (along with the system title) and organizational charts. A system title is distinct from an employee’s working title.
For example, a communications leader that works for the College of Engineering may have a system title or classification title of general, communications and marketing, like other similiar positions in colleges and academic units, but use a working title of director of communications, College of Engineering to clearly identify both what they do and where they work.