UC Berkeley recognizes that addressing the needs of dual career couples is an essential part of recruiting and retaining the highest quality senate faculty.
The Division of the Vice Provost for the Faculty provides information, options, and referrals to address the partner hiring needs of prospective (those with an offer of appointment) and current Senate faculty. Assistance is available to a partner without regard to marital status.
Academic partner employment assistance
What kinds of academic employment at UC Berkeley can the campus assist with?
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The campus can potentially assist with full or part-time employment if a partner’s qualifications match needs for an academic appointment at Berkeley, i.e., one of the following position types:
- Senate Faculty (Professor series, Teaching Professor series, Professor in Residence series)
- Adjunct Professor series
- Lecturer
- Researcher
- Postdoctoral Fellow
- Visiting Scholar
- Academic Coordinator
- Librarian
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Funding for the position for the partner, and terms of the partner appointment, will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
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A search waiver can be granted for a partner hire. Information about search waivers for Senate faculty positions is available on this page. Information about search waivers for non-Senate academic positions is available on this page.
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Appointment cases for partner hires are reviewed in the normal fashion; the candidate must meet Berkeley standards.
When is the right time to ask about partner hiring?
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The two optimal times to address academic partner employment needs are
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at the original time of hire (recruitment)
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when a continuing faculty member has received an outside offer, the campus is seeking to retain them, and a partner hire is a critical part of their decision to stay or go (retention)
How does a finalist in a senate faculty search process convey to the campus the need for their academic partner to find employment?
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After a candidate has been selected and received a preliminary soft offer, the department chair (or school dean) will begin discussing with the candidate the needs they have that the University can support. This is the best time for the candidate to disclose that they have partner hire needs. Department chairs should request the partner’s CV and immediately consult with their dean. The dean may, in turn, connect with other chairs, deans, and the Vice Provost, who can act as a broker to facilitate cooperation between departments and schools.
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Finalists may prefer to discuss partner hiring needs in confidence with the Associate Vice Provost before sharing them with the hiring unit. The Associate Vice Provost is also available to consult with finalists at any time.
How does a faculty member who has an outside offer initiate the process for seeking an academic position for their partner?
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As soon as a faculty member receives, or anticipates receiving, a competitive offer (from a peer institution), the faculty member should inform their chair and dean that their partner’s academic employment at UC Berkeley is critical to their retention. Department chairs should request the partner’s CV and immediately consult with their dean. The dean may, in turn, connect with other chairs, deans, and the Vice Provost, who can act as a broker to facilitate cooperation between departments and schools.
Is it possible for partners to be hired into the same academic department?
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Yes; there is no rule against this. University policy permits the employment of near relatives in the same department, upon recommendation, if the appointment is justified and in the best interests of the University (APM 520).
How likely is a partner hire attempt to succeed?
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It depends on several factors: funding, candidate qualifications, hiring unit needs. Every year, some hire attempts succeed and others do not.
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A partner hire into a campus appointment is not an entitlement.
Partners seeking non-academic employment or academic employment at other institutions
For partners looking for non-academic employment or appointments at other colleges and universities, there are several job listing aggregators which (prospective) senate faculty and their partners can access.
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The UC Berkeley jobs website lists current job openings on the UC Berkeley campus.
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The campus partnership with the Higher Education Recruitment Consortium provides faculty and their partners access to a searchable database of academic and administrative job listings at colleges and universities in various regions, including Northern California. You can create a profile to receive notifications of new postings of interest to you.