Job Seeker

Why should you work for UWF?

Because UWF is more than just a place to work. We are a family who has close ties to our community, a positive, encouraging atmosphere, and quality programs for the education of our students.

Our main campus features beautiful trees and landscaping, a nature trail boardwalk, and four cross country trails which wind through the Baars-Firestone Wildlife Sanctuary. While we maintain this natural beauty, we continue to develop new, state-of-the art facilities. Some of our latest developments include the Lewis Bear Jr. College of Business Education Center, the Health, Wellness and Counseling Services building, and the Science and Engineering building, which has been recognized with a LEED Gold Certification for environmentally friendly design and construction.

Employees of UWF enjoy access to many amenities including the 10,000 square foot fitness center (free of charge), aquatic facilities/indoor Olympic-sized swimming pool (reduced rate), events at our Center for Fine and Performing Arts (reduced rate), and admission to any of our nationally-ranked athletics events. In Fall 2016, UWF debuted its football team in the NCAA Division II and competes in the Gulf South Conference (GSC). In it's second year, the UWF Argonaut Football team finished as the Division II National Runner Up following a 37-27 loss to No. 8 Texas A&M Commerce in the championship game at Children's Mercy Park.

UWF partners with our community in various ways. Our academic departments promote faculty and student engagement with companies in the region in ways that are mutually beneficial and aligned with university priorities. Eight of our UWF organizations were recognized through Presidential Service Awards for completing hundreds of hours of public service. Additionally, we encourage a culture of educational and community philanthropy. For more information, visit our Career Development and Community Engagement page.

UWF has received formal acknowledgment as being a premier workplace. The Chronicle of Higher Education conducts an annual survey of participating colleges and UWF was reported as a "Great College To Work For" in 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023. The Great Colleges program is one of the largest and most respected workplace recognition programs in the country.

In addition to being a wonderful place to work, Pensacola and Northwest Florida is a great place to live! Some of Pensacola's claims to fame are:

Rich Historian Heritage

Pensacola's history goes back to 1559 when Don Tristan de Luna attempted the first major settlement in America. St. Augustine may be the "oldest continuously occupied" settlement, but Pensacola was the "first.” Our Historic Pensacola Village (part of UWF Historic Trust) showcases life in early Pensacola and other periods in our past. Our Palafox Historic District, spanning from Chase to Zaragoza streets and Spring to Tarragona streets in downtown Pensacola, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

We are known as the “City of Five Flags” because of our history of being ruled by Spain, France, Britain, the Confederacy and the United States. This gives our area a broad and unique cultural heritage with many influences.

Pensacola is recognized as being the cradle, or birthplace, of Naval Aviation as we are home to the first U.S. Naval Air Station (NAS). It was created in 1914 and is still in existence today. NAS is also home to the world renowned Blue Angels (the U.S. Navy's flight demonstration squadron), the National Naval Aviation Museum (the world’s largest naval aviation museum and one of the most-visited museums in Florida), and the National Flight Academy. 

Cost of Living and Housing

The greater Pensacola area has a wide variety of surroundings in which to live – bay front, historic locales, country settings, or suburban areas, to name a few. According to Forbes, the cost of living in our area is 2.0% below the national average and the median home price is $216,000 (as of 2021).

Events and Activities

Our community is full of major musical, culinary, and cultural events that keep us busy all year long. Among our annual celebrations are the Pensacola Seafood Festival, Mardi Gras, Crawfish Festival, Greater Gulfcoast Arts Festival, and the Fiesta of Five Flags. More regularly, we enjoy Gallery Night, Blue Wahoos baseball games (double-A affiliate of Cincinnati Reds), Evenings in Olde Seville Square, Bands on the Beach, Blue Angels air shows, Winterfest, and Pensacola Ice Flyers hockey games. 

Arts & Culture

Pensacola offers a variety of opportunities for art lovers, from Broadway-level shows, opera, symphony and ballet. For aficionados of visual arts, we have many galleries, art festivals, and museums. 

Outdoors

Pensacola Beach has long been known for its stunning sugar white sands and emerald green waters. In fact, Pensacola Beach and Navarre Beach were named in Trip Advisor's 2019 Travelers' Choice Top 25 U.S. Beaches in the United States.

We are also home to the world's largest intentionally created artificial reef, the USS Oriskany. This reef among many others provides plenty of fishing and diving opportunities. 

Escambia County and its neighboring areas offer many settings for enjoying recreation and communing with nature. To name just a few of the activities we enjoy almost year-round, you will find:

• Beaches
• Boating
• Camping
• Canoeing/Kayaking
• Fishing
• Geocaching
• Golf
• Jet ski/Waverunner
• Nature tours
• Parasailing
• Parks
• Sailing
• Scuba diving and snorkeling
• Tennis
• Waterskiing

Links/More Information

The following websites list further details on our area and the richness of our community.

Greater Pensacola Chamber
Visit Pensacola

Founded in 1963, the University of West Florida is a vibrant, distinctive institute of higher learning with undergraduate, graduate and targeted research programs. With multiple locations in Northwest Florida, the university serves a student population of nearly 13,000.

Dedicated to helping students realize their full potential, UWF favors small class sizes with quality teacher-scholars who deliver personalized, hands-on learning and leadership opportunities. The university offers a dynamic learning environment that inspires innovation, creativity and collaboration and is focused on student success.

UWF is a member of the Gulf South Conference and the New South Intercollegiate Swim Conference for swimming & diving, with 15 athletic teams, over 115 Gulf South Conference championship titles and 10 national championship titles.

Thank you for your interest in a career with the University of West Florida!
To assist with your career search, the application process was streamlined by creating an online application that enables you to search and apply for positions in a web-based environment. Some of the many advantages this system offers include the following:

• View and apply for job postings online in a secure, web-based environment.
• Maintain an online employment application and track the status of the positions for which you have applied.
• Search and apply for positions from any location with Internet access at any time.

For more information, please visit our Job Search site.

As you embark on your job search with UWF, please take some time to learn and understand the various types of employment offered. A comprehensive guide is available to you explaining the various appointment types at UWF.

Please feel free to contact our office at 850.474.2694 or email jobs@uwf.edu.
Hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. CST.

The University of West Florida is an Equal Opportunity/Access/Affirmative Action/Disabled/Veteran Employer.

This contractor and subcontractor shall abide by the requirements of 41 CFR 30-300.5(a) and 41 CF 60-741.5(a). These regulations prohibit discrimination against qualified protected veterans and qualified individuals on the basis of disability, and requires affirmative action by covered prime contractors and subcontractors to employ and advance in employment qualified protected veterans and qualified individuals with disabilities.

Pursuant to provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act, any person requiring special accommodations to respond is requested to contact the Human Resources Department at 1.850.474.2694 (Voice), 1.850.857.6158 (TTY), or 711 for TTY-based Telecommunications Relay Service.

The University of West Florida offers employees the opportunity to participate in a variety of benefit programs. OPS employees may also be eligible for certain benefits. All insurance programs are voluntary; however, employees must choose a retirement plan. We offer competitive plans for medical, dental, vision, and other supplemental plans. In addition, benefit eligible employees are offered their choice of several retirement plans. For more detailed information on these plans, you may review our Benefits and Services Offered, as well as our Benefits page.

UWF employees in certain employment classes are eligible to receive annual and sick leave benefits. We also offer employees many perks such as valuable discounts at local restaurants, discounts on cell phone plans, free gym memberships on campus, and more.

Employees of The University of West Florida have access to a variety of retirement planning resources. All employees in established (non-OPS) positions are members of the Florida Retirement System from their first day of employment. Here are some of the options available to eligible UWF employees:

• Pension Plan
• Investment Plan
• State University System Optional Retirement Plan (SUSORP)

In addition, employees in OPS or Line positions are eligible to contribute to these investment plans.

• 403(b) (Pre-Tax) Investment Plans
• 457 Plans (Deferred Compensation)
• Roth 403(b) (Post-Tax) Accounts

The University of West Florida (UWF) Board of Trustees adopted a Strategic Plan for 2022-2027 which builds upon the solid foundation of teaching, research, and service established since we opened our doors in 1967. The plan is built on five strategic directions and highlights priorities for transformation and growth.

The five strategic directions are:

• Learner Centered & Focused
• Personnel Investment & Engagement
• Academic Programming, Scholarship, & Research
• Community & Economic Engagement
• Infrastructure

Human Resources works collaboratively with other university entities, as well as external community organizations, to help meet the university’s ADA mission and goals. From that perspective, the Human Resources Office monitors our campus for ADA compliance, consults and advises faculty, students, and staff on disability related issues, and provides training and awareness opportunities for the campus community. If assistance is needed, please visit the ADA Programs webpage or call 850.474.2694.

A conditional offer of employment is an offer of employment which is dependent upon the successful completion of certain criteria. This criteria may include a background screening, verification of a degree, reference checking completion, etc.

 

Upon your acceptance of a conditional offer of employment, you will be required to complete a background screening.  Additional requirements, if any, will be determined by the hiring department.

The University of West Florida is committed to protecting the safety and security of its employees and students, as well as safeguarding the interests of UWF. In an effort to help provide this safety and security, UWF conducts criminal history screenings on all final candidates for Executive Service, University Work Force (staff), Faculty, Adjunct, and OPS positions and certain student positions prior to employment.

The University pays the background screening costs.

There are two types of background screenings: a Level 1 and a Level 2.

• The Level 1 background screening is required of all Executive Service, University Work Force (staff), Faculty, Adjunct, OPS, Instructor of Record, and Graduate Teaching Assistant finalists. 
  • The hiring department submits a contingent offer letter for the finalist to Human Resources for review. Once a finalist accepts a contingent offer of employment, any pre-employment paperwork will become available in their onboarding portal. 
  • Typically, the necessary forms are as follow: 
    • Background Screening Request Form, Level
    • Statement on Controlled Substance Conviction Form
  • Once the paperwork has been completed, the applicant will receive an email from HireRight requesting personally identifiable information. The applicant must respond to the email as soon as possible to initiate the Level 1 screening process.
• The Level 2 background screening is required of finalists for any position of special trust. Positions of special trust are those positions in specific departments or with job responsibilities of a sensitive nature (Visit the Background Screening Process and Information page for a detailed description). There are two types of Level 2 background screenings. Positions in the Educational Research Center for Child Development (ERCCD) and Summer Camps are required to complete a background screening processed through the Florida Department of Children and Families. All other positions of special trust are required to complete a background screening through the Florida Department of Law Enforcement Volunteer and Employee Criminal History System (VECHS).
  • ERCCD/Summer Camp applicants – Florida Department of Children and Families
    • An appointment will be scheduled with Human Resources to obtain additional paperwork, fingerprints, and a photograph.
    • ERCCD/Summer Camp applicants will be required to complete the Affidavit of Good Moral Character and the Privacy Policy.
  • All other positions requiring Level 2 backgrounds – VECHS
    • Human Resources will schedule the applicant for an appointment for fingerprints.
      • The applicant will complete the VECHS Waiver Agreement form via their onboarding portal or provide to Human Resources when attending their fingerprinting appointment.

The Level 1 background screening uses name only to conduct a search of criminal felony and misdemeanor offenses. A social security trace, national criminal search, and sex offender registry search are also included in the Level 1 background screening.

The Level 2 background screening searches state and national fingerprint databases to identify arrests, warrants, and other criminal information pertaining to the applicant.

All Executive Service, Staff, OPS, and Faculty finalists are required to complete a Level 1 background screening.

All finalists, including students, for positions of special trust are required to complete a Level 2 background screening.

Applicants applying for positions of special trust are required to complete a Level 2 background screening, which entails performing a fingerprint-based criminal history search rather than just a name-based search. Section 435.04, F. S., mandates the Level 2 background screening of employees identified in Chapter 435 F.S.

The presence of a criminal history does NOT automatically exclude an applicant from employment. Many factors are taken into consideration if an applicant’s background check reveals a criminal history. Each applicant’s results are reviewed, and the employment decision is determined on a case-by-case basis.

The completion of the background checks is dependent upon a number of factors including the number of addresses an applicant provides, the reporting agency’s turn-around-time, and type and amount of information requiring review by Human Resources.