Position Description

Position Description Guidelines

It is the practice of California State University Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) that a position description be provided to Staff and Management Personnel Plan (MPP) employees upon initial hire and subsequently when there is a substantial change in the essential functions of the position. In the event these guidelines conflict with a collective bargaining agreement, the collective bargaining agreement shall supersede the guidelines.

A position description serves as the foundation for many functions related to successful human resources activities such as: recruitment and selection, job classification and compensation, performance appraisal, and disability accommodation.

A copy of the Position Description should be placed in an employee’s official personnel file.

Understanding Position Descriptions

Position descriptions help employees get a sense of their job responsibilities, what is expected of them, and the standards by which they will be evaluated. The Appropriate Administrator is responsible for ensuring the position description accurately reflects the assigned duties and responsibilities. To keep the position description current, it is recommended that Appropriate Administrators review position descriptions at least annually.

Position descriptions may also help develop recruiting materials such as interview questions and screening criteria, and ensure consistency and equity among positions.

Position Descriptions vs. Classification Standards

Each position in your department should have a separate position description that provides details regarding the essential functions of that specific position. Be careful not to confuse position descriptions with official university Classification Standards, which are designed and maintained by CSU and shared among all 23 CSU campuses. Position descriptions differ from Classification Standards in the following ways:

Position descriptions define the essential functions of a position to meet your departmental needs, whereas Classification Standards are official CSU documents that state general duties.
Position descriptions are used to manage performance, and recruit employees, whereas Classification Standards are used for classification purposes and job audits.

Writing Your Position Description

In creating the position description, use the position description template found on the Human Resources website.

Working Titles:
Classification titles are broad and are used to distinguish a grouping of similar positions across a variety of settings, whereas a working title is specific to an actual position in an identifiable work unit.

A position may only have one working title, and should not duplicate another classification title. Working titles should clearly describe the function, responsibilities or scope of the position, and should not misrepresent the authority or function of the position.

For example, the classification “Administrative Support Assistant I or II” may not be sufficiently descriptive, particularly if there are several positions with the same classification title in the same work unit and each has a different function. A working title such as Support Assistant, Customer Service Representative, Administrative Assistant, and Department Assistant may be appropriate if this is the case.

Titles such as Administrator, Director, Associate Director, Assistant Director, Manager, and Supervisor, should only be used with positions designated as “management” or “supervisory”. Such positions have been designated as MPP (Management Personnel Plan) in accordance with the provision of the Higher Education Employer-Employee Relations Act (HEERA) and Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations.

The following are examples that may be used in working titles. This list is not mean to be all inclusive or restrictive.

Lead – Work leader for a small group; typically performs work that is substantially similar to co-workers.
Analyst – Professional; performs work requiring analysis
Specialist – Paraprofessional; may be subject matter expert for a certain specialization
Coordinator – High level support
Technician – Paraprofessional for technical positions