Johns Hopkins is committed to providing its staff with clear career pathways that align with the university's mission and Ten for One strategic goals. One way it is supporting career development is by adopting a new Career Architecture structure. This initiative, which was announced in May 2024, was created to clarify, define, and classify every staff job at the university. Its objective is to help every employee envision a career path at Hopkins that is right for them, while building the skills and experience that are needed to be successful and realize their goals at every phase and stage of their career.
Phase one
The Human Resources team has to date collaborated with more than 350 subject matter experts representing all job families to standardize 2,000-plus job titles and descriptions across 18 job families. This effort establishes clear contributor levels and provides transparency to continuous career growth opportunities across JHU.
Launched in January, this first phase of implementing the structure involved 1,309 staff members across the HR and IT job families. Managers received training to understand the structure and the impact on job titles and descriptions, and staff then participated in overview sessions to explore the framework, tools, and career development resources. Feedback from this phase is informing refinements for the next implementation.
What to expect next
The remaining job families will transition to the new Career Architecture structure in waves through June 30. As implementation continues and new job families are transitioned to the structure, staff will receive details from their managers and invitations to information sessions to learn more about what this means to them.
This initiative, HR leaders point out, is about defining roles and career paths, not about changing compensation and benefits. While the framework will help to inform future salary structures over time, it does not mean, nor guarantee, future changes.
Coming soon: myCareer—your career growth hub
This summer, after Career Architecture is fully implemented, the university will launch myCareer, a robust online platform designed to help staff members take control of their professional development.
"Think of it as JHU's own internal LinkedIn," says Meredith Stewart, interim vice president for human resources. "It will help you build your personal career profile, explore internal opportunities, and access key development resources—all in one place."
In addition, myCareer will connect with the university's new myLearning platform and the Center for Staff Life Design, providing tailored resources to support each employee's career aspirations.
"By investing in your career growth, we're strengthening the entire university," Stewart says. "The work we're doing now is about equipping you with the tools and clarity to shape your career because when you thrive, JHU thrives."
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