Job Title: HR Generalist
FLSA Classification: Non-Exempt
Supervisor: Human Resources Manager
Pay Grade: Grade 12; step depending on experience and qualifications
Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; 12 Month Employee. Hours may vary based on program needs
Position Summary
The Human Resources Generalist independently manages a broad range of day-to-day human resources processes across the employee lifecycle, including recruitment, hiring, onboarding, benefits, leave, employee records, HR systems, training administration, performance-process support, employee changes, compliance, and separations. The position is a hands-on HR professional role, not an administrative assistant position.
Reporting to the Human Resources Manager, the Generalist serves as an accessible resource for employees and supervisors, resolves routine HR questions and transactions, maintains accurate records and follow-through, and escalates matters that require manager-level judgment. Effective performance allows routine HR work to move accurately and promptly while preserving the Manager's capacity for employee relations, investigations, supervision, improvement work, and more complex HR matters.
Connection to EOAC's Work
Vision: Every family thriving.
Mission: EOAC moves families forward by connecting them to opportunities that build lasting stability.
Every EOAC position contributes to the agency’s mission, values, and strategic plan. The Human Resources Generalist supports EOAC’s work by helping ensure employees are hired, onboarded, supported, documented, and separated consistently and that supervisors receive timely administrative and procedural support.
· Putting people first by providing respectful, timely, and helpful HR support to applicants, employees, and supervisors.
· Acting with integrity by protecting confidentiality, maintaining accurate records, following approved processes, and raise concerns when something does not appear correct.
· Working together by coordinating closely with the Human Resources Manager, supervisors, Finance, and employees, so HR transactions and information move smoothly.
· Focusing on results by completing routine HR work accurately and on time, reducing missed follow-up, and helping employees and supervisors understand what is required next.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Role Authority and Partnership
The Human Resources Generalist independently manages assigned routine HR processes and resolves routine questions within approved policy, established procedures, and delegated authority.
The Human Resources Manager is responsible for HR leadership, policy interpretation, complex employee relations, investigations, compensation analysis and recommendations, significant personnel guidance, and matters requiring higher-level judgment. The Generalist supports those responsibilities through documentation, research, coordination, and follow-through and escalates issues appropriately.
Supervisors remain responsible for managing employees, assigning work, addressing daily performance, and making supervisory decisions within EOAC policy.
Finance owns payroll processing. The Generalist prepares and communicates accurate personnel, benefit, leave, deduction, and other employee-change information needed by Finance for payroll.
Recruitment and Hiring
· Manage assigned recruitment workflows from approved vacancy through onboarding, including job posting, applicant tracking, interview coordination, and candidate communication.
· Maintain current job postings and applicant information in EOAC's recruitment systems.
· Conduct or coordinate initial applicant screening as assigned and ensure candidates receive timely communication.
· Coordinate interview schedules, materials, and documentation with hiring managers.
· Prepare approved offer materials and coordinate required pre-employment steps.
· Coordinate background checks, references, screenings, physicals, credentials, and other position-specific pre-employment requirements.
· Track open positions and recruitment activity and provide accurate status information to the Human Resources Manager and hiring managers.
Onboarding and Employee Changes
· Coordinate new-hire paperwork, orientation scheduling, HRIS setup, benefits information, required acknowledgments, and other onboarding activities.
· Ensure required employment documents are complete, accurate, and filed appropriately.
· Process approved employee changes including transfers, promotions, compensation changes, status changes, reporting changes, and separations.
· Communicate approved employee changes to Finance and other internal functions that require the information.
· Maintain onboarding and employee-change checklists and follow through until required steps are complete.
· Assist employees and supervisors with routine questions about onboarding, employment records, and HR processes.
Benefits, Leave, and Employee Support
· Administer routine employee benefit enrollment, changes, qualifying events, and termination of coverage in coordination with carriers and vendors.
· Provide employees with accurate routine information about benefit enrollment, plan resources, and required forms without giving advice outside EOAC's role.
· Receive and process leave requests and maintain required leave documentation and tracking under the Human Resources Manager's direction.
· Coordinate routine workers' compensation, return-to-work, unemployment, and related HR documentation and escalate complex matters.
· Maintain accurate benefit and leave records and communicate payroll-related changes to Finance.
· Respond to routine employee questions promptly and identify matters requiring Human Resources Manager review.
Employee Records, HRIS, and Compliance
· Maintain accurate and confidential personnel, medical, credential, background, training, and related HR records.
· Enter and update employee information in HRIS and other HR systems accurately and promptly.
· Track expiring credentials, required screenings, acknowledgments, training, and other employment-related requirements assigned to HR.
· Follow up with employees and supervisors regarding missing or expiring HR documentation.
· Maintain required employment posters, forms, templates, and routine compliance records.
· Support audits, monitoring reviews, records requests, and compliance activities by organizing and retrieving assigned HR documentation.
· Identify records, compliance, or data inconsistencies and bring them to the Human Resources Manager for resolution.
Performance Management and Employee Relations Support
· Coordinate the administrative workflow for performance evaluations, introductory-period reviews, performance plans, and other established performance processes.
· Track due dates, distribute approved forms or reminders, receive completed documentation, and maintain records.
· Receive routine employee questions or concerns and provide information within established policy and authority.
· Recognize when an employee concern involves potential misconduct, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, safety, legal risk, or significant workplace conflict and promptly elevate it to the Human Resources Manager.
· Support employee-relations reviews and investigations through scheduling, document collection, records organization, note preparation, and other assigned follow-through.
· Do not independently conduct significant investigations, determine disciplinary action, or provide final interpretations of complex policy matters unless specifically delegated.
Training, Recognition, and Employee Experience
· Coordinate logistics, registration, records, reminders, and materials for required training, supervisory training, onboarding, and other HR learning activities.
· Maintain employee training records and the HR training calendar.
· Support employee recognition, survey, engagement, and workplace-improvement activities.
· Assist with collecting employee feedback and organizing information for analysis by the Human Resources Manager.
· Help employees locate HR resources and understand routine processes, policies, forms, and contacts.
Separation and Offboarding
· Coordinate approved employee separations, including notices, system changes, benefit actions, records, property-return coordination, and required internal communication.
· Prepare separation documentation and ensure records are complete and filed appropriately.
· Coordinate exit surveys or interviews as assigned and route significant information to the Human Resources Manager.
· Communicate approved separation information to Finance and other internal functions that require it.
· Ensure offboarding steps are completed and unresolved items are followed through.
HR Operations and Department Support
· Maintain current HR forms, templates, checklists, standard communications, and administrative workflows.
· Prepare accurate personnel and benefit information for Finance payroll processing and assist with resolving routine discrepancies.
· Support benefits renewals, vendor coordination, compensation data collection, and other HR projects through research, records, and follow-through.
· Track assigned HR deadlines, recurring requirements, and open items and ensure they are completed or escalated.
· Identify routine workflow improvements that reduce duplication, errors, or delays and recommend them to the Human Resources Manager.
· Provide reliable support for special HR projects and organizational initiatives as assigned.
Key Results and Accountability
Effective performance should result in:
· Recruitment processes that move efficiently and keep applicants and hiring managers informed.
· New employees who begin work with required documentation, HR setup, and onboarding steps complete.
· Accurate HRIS and personnel records.
· Required credentials, checks, training, and employment documentation tracked and followed through.
· Benefit and leave transactions processed accurately and employees receiving timely routine assistance.
· Approved personnel changes communicated accurately and promptly to Finance.
· Performance-management administrative processes completed on schedule.
· Routine employee questions answered professionally and significant concerns escalated appropriately.
· Employee separations completed accurately and consistently.
· Fewer missed deadlines, incomplete files, avoidable errors, and unresolved follow-up items.
· Reliable day-to-day HR support that allows the Human Resources Manager to focus on supervision, employee relations, investigations, process improvement, and higher-level HR work.
Core Competencies
Generalist HR Knowledge: Applies working knowledge across recruitment, onboarding, benefits, leave, records, performance processes, compliance, and separations.
Organization and Follow-Through: Tracks multiple deadlines and transactions to completion and recognizes when something remains unresolved.
Employee Service: Provides responsive, respectful assistance while maintaining appropriate HR boundaries.
Confidentiality and Judgment: Protects sensitive information, recognizes significant concerns, and escalates appropriately.
Accuracy and Compliance: Maintains reliable records and applies established requirements consistently.
Communication and Collaboration: Communicates clearly with applicants, employees, supervisors, Finance, vendors, and HR leadership.
Systems and Data: Uses HRIS, recruiting systems, spreadsheets, electronic records, and other tools accurately and efficiently.
Knowledge and Skills
· Working knowledge of common employment practices, confidentiality requirements, employee records, and HR administration.
· Strong organization, follow-through, written communication, interpersonal, and customer-service skills.
· Ability to independently manage routine HR work while recognizing when an issue requires escalation.
· Proficiency with Microsoft Office, HR information systems, electronic records, and data entry.
· Ability to handle sensitive and confidential information with discretion.
Qualifications
· Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Public Administration, Organizational Leadership, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant HR experience.
· Broad human resources experience or demonstrated experience across multiple HR functions.
· Ability to travel between EOAC locations and throughout the agency's service area as needed.
· Must successfully complete EOAC's required background and pre-employment requirements.
Preferred Qualifications
· Prior experience as an HR Generalist or in a broad HR role.
· Experience in a nonprofit, Head Start, early childhood, human services, government-funded, or similarly regulated organization.
· Experience supporting a multi-site workforce.
· Professional HR certification or active progress toward certification.
Physical Demands and Work Environment
· Ability to sit and work at a computer for extended periods of time.
· Ability to frequently use a keyboard, telephone, and other office equipment.
· Ability to stand, walk, bend, reach, and move throughout the office and program locations as needed.
· Ability to occasionally lift, carry, and move office materials, files, supplies, or equipment weighing up to 20 pounds.
· Ability to travel between EOAC locations, community events, partner meetings, and other locations as required.
Other Duties
This job description is not intended to list every duty, responsibility, or qualification associated with the position. The Human Resources Generalist may be assigned additional duties by the Human Resources Manager or program leadership as needed to support EOAC’s operations, and EOAC’s mission.