Associate Director, HR Generalist

Leading Educators; United States; On-site; USD 87,243 - 111,037; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

100% paid medical, dental, and vision coverage

401k matching plan

Flexible Spending Accounts

Employee Assistance Program

Generous time off policies

Job summary

A national nonprofit organization is seeking an Associate Director, HR Generalist to manage core HR operations, ensuring payroll accuracy and compliance across multiple states. The ideal candidate will have over 5 years of HR experience, especially in payroll and benefits administration. This remote position requires strong attention to detail, time management skills, and the ability to handle sensitive information with discretion. Competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits package offered.

Qualifications

• Proven experience managing payroll and benefits in a multi-state environment.
• Strong knowledge of employment laws at federal and state levels.
• Ability to manage leave processes (FMLA, ADA).

Responsibilities

• Execute payroll and benefits administration with precision.
• Support employee relations with compliant documentation.
• Identify and recommend process improvements for HR workflows.

Skills

Payroll processing

Benefits administration

Leave management

Multi-state tax compliance

HR compliance knowledge

Attention to detail

Time management

Education

5 to 7 years experience in HR operations

Job description

At Leading Educators (LE), we know that excellent teaching is the most important driver of student success. The moment a student steps foot in the classroom, their opportunity to learn depends on how prepared their teacher is to translate complex content knowledge, standards, and their knowledge of that student into lessons that help them learn deeply and apply their thinking to the real world.

That’s a big lift, and it often happens alone. As a national nonprofit, we partner with school systems to overcome persistent instructional challenges, foster intentional collaboration and adult learning by design, and ignite new possibilities through systemic solutions at the intersection of teaching, talent, and technology.

We work shoulder-to-shoulder with educators at every level of the education system to strengthen their instructional and leadership practices, bring a vision for excellent instruction to life with consistency, and ensure every student reaches their full potential.

Through direct support, strategic advising, innovation pilots, and best-in-class research, we help educators work toward a future where every student is ready to thrive. Learn more about our work at leadingeducators.org.

Internal and External Candidate Application Deadline: 3/26/26

Position

The Associate Director, HR Generalist is responsible for executing the core HR operations that keep Leading Educators running smoothly. You'll own payroll processing, benefits administration, leave and accommodation management, multi-state tax compliance, HR compliance, and employee relations documentation across our organization. This is a high-precision, execution-focused role. Accuracy is non-negotiable. When you process payroll, employees get paid correctly and on time. When you administer benefits, employees receive clear guidance and their elections are tracked precisely. When you manage leave cases, employees navigate FMLA and ADA requirements with confidence while maintaining benefits continuity. When you execute multi-state tax compliance and employer setup, the organization stays compliant across all jurisdictions and meets tax obligations in every state where we operate. When you maintain HR records, everything is audit-ready and aligned across systems. Errors in this role directly impact employee trust, organizational compliance, and financial accuracy.

You'll also serve as a critical support partner for employee relations processes. You'll prepare documentation for performance improvement plans, written warnings, and termination materials with precision and consistency. You'll track employee relations cases, maintain complete and compliant documentation, and ensure all materials are aligned with organizational standards. You'll support managers and the Director, Employee Experience & Operations by ensuring all employee relations administrative work is executed accurately and on time. This is a high-visibility function where your execution directly enables the organization to manage performance and conduct difficult conversations with confidence and documentation integrity. You'll serve as the primary point of contact for the People support inbox, responding to employee questions about payroll, benefits, leave, and HR policies with clarity and timeliness. You'll identify process inefficiencies, recommend improvements, and continuously refine workflows to reduce errors and increase operational speed. This role reports to the Director, Employee Experience & Operations and is accountable for ensuring that HR operations run smoothly, accurately, and without disruption.

Do you have expertise in…

• Payroll processing, benefits administration, and leave management in a multi-state environment
• Multi-state tax compliance, employer setup, and tax registration requirements across multiple jurisdictions
• HR compliance requirements across federal, state, and local employment laws
• Managing high-volume operational cycles (payroll runs, open enrollment, leave events) with disciplined accuracy
• Working with precision and attention to detail, especially under time pressure
• Managing multiple recurring workflows and ensuring nothing falls through the cracks
• Identifying patterns in operational issues and implementing process improvements
• Learning and applying new tools—including AI-enabled workflows—to improve efficiency and reduce manual work

If you've answered affirmatively to these questions and meet the following prerequisites, we urge you to seize this opportunity. This role calls for the following

• 5 to 7+ years of experience in HR operations, payroll, benefits administration, or HR compliance
• Demonstrated experience managing payroll, benefits, and HR processes in a multi-state environment
• Strong knowledge of HR compliance, including federal, state, and local employment laws
• Experience managing leave and accommodation processes (FMLA, ADA, and related regulations)
• Strong attention to detail and ability to maintain accuracy across multiple systems
• Demonstrated ability to manage recurring operational workflows with consistency and reliability
• Strong organizational and time management skills
• Ability to handle sensitive information with discretion and accuracy
• Strong written and verbal communication skills

Travel Requirements

• This remote position requires 5 to 8 trips a year.
• National travel for org retreats, programming, job related travel, or professional development
• Outside of the above mentioned travel, this person will work from a home office that must be located anywhere within the U.S.

Questions? We’re here to help.

If you have questions about this role or about our hiring process at any point, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at [e-mail]. This inbox is monitored regularly, and we aim to respond within two business days. To ensure your question receives a thoughtful and timely response, we kindly ask that you refrain from emailing individual staff members or members of our HR team directly. The best way to connect with us is always through [e-mail].

Why Work at Leading Educators?

Imagine being part of an organization where your ideas and perspectives are highly valued. At Leading Educators, we believe in fostering individual strengths, encouraging personal growth, and embracing innovative ideas. If you thrive in a remote working environment, with the added excitement of travel, we're the perfect fit for you. By joining us, you become part of a powerful community of peers nationwide. Regardless of your location, you possess the power to make a significant impact on both students and teachers who rely on us daily. Join Leading Educators and become an integral part of driving progress in education.

Learn About Our Mission & Values:

Mission:

Leading Educators partners with school systems to sustain the teaching, leadership, and conditions for every student to succeed in school and in life.

Values:

• Build on strengths: We affirm and begin with the unique and collective talents, experiences, and wisdom of ourselves and others.
• Continuously learn: We develop ourselves and others. We apply new learning and deepened self‑awareness to our relationships and practices.
• Prioritize people: We build trust and reflect on the impact of different perspectives and experiences.
• Champion success for all: We re‑imagine structures, habits, and mindsets to ensure every learner has access to evidence-based learning opportunities.

Use of Artificial Intelligence in Hiring

We use artificial intelligence–enabled tools throughout our hiring process, from the moment a candidate applies through the offer stage, to support administrative tasks and the initial review of candidate materials. These tools help us organize, analyze, and surface relevant information efficiently, but they do not make hiring decisions.

All candidate materials—including applications, resumes, assessments, and interview feedback—are reviewed and evaluated by people. All hiring decisions, including interview selection, advancement, and offers of employment, are made by humans.

We use AI solely as a support tool to assist with early‑stage reviews and process efficiency. We do not use AI in ways that discriminate based on protected characteristics, nor do we use ZIP codes or similar data to target or exclude protected groups. Our hiring practices are designed to be fair, consistent, and aligned with equal employment opportunity standards.

Compensation & Benefits

• Compensation: If hired for this position, the base compensation range is $87,243 to $111,037 annually. New hires typically enter the range at a set comp ratio (e.g., 0.95 or 0.98), depending on the role. For this position, the salary entry point is $99,140. Candidates may move up the range based on additional years of relevant experience beyond the role’s minimum years of experience qualification. If you have more than 7 years of directly relevant experience, your starting salary may be adjusted higher within the range, up to a maximum starting salary of $104,239. This approach ensures that candidates with additional experience beyond the minimum are recognized in the initial salary offer.
• Benefits: 100% paid medical, dental, and vision coverage for individual employees. Additional premium costs are covered 60% by Leading Educators for partners and dependents on medical, dental, and vision plans. 4% matching 401k plan, Flexible Spending Accounts for medical, childcare and commuter expenses, and an Employee Assistance Program (EAP). Benefits are valued at or above $9,000 for employees.
• Time Off:
• First three years of employment, full time staff accrue 22 days a year.
• Five additional days are accrued after the third and sixth year of employment.
• Leading Educators also offer 22 additional paid days off for various holidays, including three floating holidays staff may use at their discretion.

Equal Opportunity Employment

Leading Educators is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, marital status, military status, pregnancy, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local, state, or federal laws, rules, or regulations.

Apply

https://leadingeducators.org/careers/opportunities