Search waiver guidelines can be found here.

A position is exempt from competitive recruitment when the University does not require a competitive recruitment.  An exemption is based on the position and not the individual.  Certain categories of appointments or transfers between academic title series may be exempt from open recruitment. When an exemption is in place, these appointments do not require formal approval for a search waiver because the appointment itself, or change in title series, is exempt from open recruitment. For all appointments exempt from open recruitment, the individual hired must meet the criteria for the appointment.  An exemption is continuous in duration until one or more qualifying conditions are changed.

  • WithoutSalary(WOS)Appointments: This exemption applies to appointees who are unpaid.
    • If an appointee is to receive salary subsequent to the initial without salary appointment, a search or an approved search waiver is required.
  • Salaried Visiting Appointments: A visiting appointee, such as a visiting professor, who is on leave from an academic or research position at another educational institution, research institution, or industry and is visiting the campus for research activity and/or to teach a course in his/her area of expertise is exempt from search requirements when appointed to a visiting position (Visiting Professor, Visiting Researcher or Visiting Project Scientist series).
  • Recall Appointments for Retired Academics: The University of California may recall to active service, for a part-time term appointment, academic appointees who have retired from the University. This exemption acknowledges that these appointees would have previously undergone a search, been approved on a search waiver, or held an appointment exempt from a search for their pre- retirement appointment.
  • Concurrent Academic Appointment: A concurrent academic appointment may be made for an appointee who is employed by the University in a staff, senior management group (SMG), or non-faculty academic title and who is asked to supervise academic personnel or to participate in occasional teaching activities that are directly related to the individual’s research or primary job. Normally, the concurrent academic appointment will be without salary. This exemption acknowledges that the primary paid appointment must have met the requirements for a search or search waiver under the appropriate personnel policy.
  • Lecturer in Summer Session: Faculty holding appointments in the associated department during the previous or following academic year and campus graduate students are exempt from recruitment requirements for assignment to Summer Session instruction. Individuals who do not hold a faculty appointment or graduate student status are subject to search or waive requirements.
  • Internal Hires (Change in Series): Note that this exemption does not preclude a search for appointment to any academic series when required by the University or campus. Rather, it acknowledges that an exemption may be applied when the change in series is intended to recognize growth and development in professional skills, knowledge, and responsibility of the appointee. All initial appointments in the senate series require a search or a search waiver. Exemptions may apply for certain changes or transfers in series.  As footnotes to this section detail, some (but not all) of these transfers are explicitly discussed in APM policy. In these cases, the Chancellor’s authority to grant exceptions can allow for the exemptions.

Change of Series

From:To:Exemption Permitted?
Senate Faculty
e.g., Ladder, In Residence, Clinical X, Lecturers with Security of Employment/Teaching Professor
Non-Senate Faculty
e.g., Adjunct, Health Sciences Clinical
or
Non-Faculty academic
e.g., Specialist, Professional Research Series, Project Scientists, Academic Coordinators
Yes.
Non-Senate Faculty
e.g., Adjunct, Health Sciences Clinical
Senate Faculty
e.g., Ladder, In Residence, Clinical X, Lecturers with Security of Employment/Teaching Professor
No – open recruitment or formal approval of a search waiver is required.
Non-Senate Faculty
e.g., Adjunct, Health Sciences Clinical
Non-Senate Faculty
e.g., Adjunct, Health Sciences Clinical
Yes – excluding Unit 18 titles.
Non-Faculty academic
e.g., Specialist, Professional Research Series, Project Scientists, Academic Coordinators
Non-Faculty academic
e.g., Specialist, Professional Research Series, Project Scientists, Academic Coordinators
Yes – if appointment is within the same unit/lab or equivalent .
Non-Faculty academic
e.g., Specialist, Professional Research Series, Project Scientists, Academic Coordinators
Faculty (any series)

(For Lecturers with Security of Employment/Teaching Professor series, refer below)
No – open recruitment or formal approval of a search waiver is required.
Ladder-rank Faculty Lecturer with Security of Employment series/Teaching Professor seriesYes – provided that a national search was conducted for the initial senate series appointment "Or a search waiver was approved for a target of excellence or spousal/partner hire or PPFP hire."]
Equivalent titles - APM -115
e.g., Astronomer Series, Agronomist Series) with no underlying Senate Ladder-rank
Ladder-rank FacultyNo – open recruitment or formal approval of a search waiver is required.