Position Summary
The HR Generalist is a professional-level exempt position responsible for administering and overseeing key Human Resources functions, with a primary focus on employee benefits administration, faculty commitment letters, and payroll/HRIS support. This role serves as a central point of contact for employees and faculty, exercising discretion and independent judgment to ensure accurate records, effective coordination, and high-quality service. The position operates with limited supervision and serves as a trusted Human Resources resource while ensuring compliance with applicable employment and benefits regulations.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Benefits Administration • Administer employee benefits programs including medical, dental, vision, retirement, life insurance, disability, and related plans.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for employee benefits questions, enrollments, qualifying life events, and general plan information.
• Plan, coordinate, and manage the annual open enrollment process, including employee communications, system updates, and enrollment support.
• Manage relationships with benefits vendors and carriers and assist with resolving employee claims and coverage issues.
Faculty Commitment Letters • Prepare, distribute, track, and maintain faculty commitment letters.
• Coordinate approvals and signatures with Academic Affairs and the Director of Human Resources.
• Maintain accurate records of signed faculty commitment letters and related documentation.
Payroll & HRIS Support • Serve as a liaison between Human Resources and Payroll/Finance, exercising discretion in coordinating employee data changes.
• Review, analyze, and process employee status changes, benefits deductions, compensation updates, and terminations.
• Maintain HRIS data integrity, conduct audits and ensure personnel records are accurate and up to date.
Employee Records & Administration • Maintain employee personnel files in both electronic and physical formats in accordance with record retention requirements.
• Process employment verifications and respond to routine HR-related requests.
Onboarding & Offboarding • Coordinate benefits enrollment and required documentation for new hires.
• Conduct the benefits portion of new hire orientation.
• Process offboarding paperwork, including COBRA notifications and benefits terminations.
HR Operations & Front Desk Coverage • Share responsibility with other HR Generalists for responding to walk-in employees, incoming phone calls, and general HR inquiries
• Exercise judgment to triage, prioritize, and route inquiries appropriately within Human Resources or to other departments.
• Oversee and manage, in coordination with the HR team, the HR shared inbox and general HR phone line, ensuring timely, accurate responses and appropriate follow-up.
Compliance & Reporting • Assist with compliance and regulatory reporting, including ACA reporting, benefits audits, and census data requests.
• Track and maintain required employment and benefits documentation to support compliance efforts.
Qualifications
Education & Experience • Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field preferred.
• Minimum of 2-4 years of experience in Human Resources, with emphasis on benefits and HR operations.
• Experience in a higher education or non-profit environment preferred.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities • Working knowledge of employee benefits programs and HR administrative processes.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to handle confidential information with discretion and professionalism.
• Proficiency with HRIS systems and Microsoft Office applications.
• Customer-service oriented with the ability to manage multiple priorities.
Other Duties
This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive. The employee may perform other related duties as assigned to meet the needs of the organization. Employment Type: Full-Time