Employment Specialist

SE; Durant (OK); On-site; USD 42,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

Southeast Oklahoma State University, located in Durant, Oklahoma, seeks an Employment Specialist to deliver exemplary HR service to employees, applicants, students, retirees, and visitors. The role covers onboarding, payroll, benefits, leave, and general HR inquiries, with cross-training and collaboration with a fellow specialist.

Responsibilities include recruitment support, ATS maintenance, onboarding, policy compliance, and employee data management.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED.
• Excellent interpersonal and customer service skills.
• Strong organizational and time management skills.
• Demonstrated ability to maintain confidentiality.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office 365 applications, including Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams, and Adobe Acrobat.
• Ability to learn and utilize HRIS, ATS, and other enterprise software.
• Ability to prioritize multiple assignments while working in an environment with frequent interruptions.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the first point of contact for the Office of Human Resources by welcoming employees, applicants, students, retirees, and visitors in a courteous, professional, and service-oriented manner.
• Assist visitors with employment applications, onboarding paperwork, payroll forms, leave questions, and other Human Resources processes.
• Coordinate recruitment activities for all non-student positions.
• Maintain employment postings through the University's Applicant Tracking System (ATS).
• Assist hiring managers and search committees with ATS processes and recruitment procedures.
• Monitor applicant workflow throughout the recruitment process.
• Coordinate new employee onboarding and employment documentation.
• Process payroll packets and employment documentation.
• Maintain complete, accurate, and confidential personnel files.
• Audit personnel files to ensure compliance with university, state, and federal requirements.
• Maintain official employee transcripts and credential documentation.
• Maintain and update university job descriptions.
• Prepare correspondence, reports, spreadsheets, and presentations.
• Compile data for institutional, state, federal, accreditation, and other required reports.
• Maintain electronic and physical Human Resources records.
• Assist employees and supervisors with Human Resources forms and procedures.
• Administer employee leave reporting and maintain leave records.
• Process leave documentation and ensure timely reporting.
• Assist employees and supervisors with leave-related questions.
• Coordinate the staff performance evaluation process.
• Track probationary and annual evaluation due dates.
• Distribute evaluation forms and correspondence.
• Monitor receipt of completed evaluations and maintain evaluation records.
• Recruit, hire, train, schedule, and supervise Human Resources student employees.
• Monitor student employee schedules, payroll hours, and budget allocations.
• Provide training and daily work assignments.
• Work collaboratively with the other Employment Specialist to ensure seamless Human Resources operations.
• Maintain proficiency in all Employment Specialist responsibilities through ongoing cross-training.
• Share responsibility for all operational functions within the HR Office.
• Provide seamless coverage during vacations, leave, training, and other staff absences.
• Coordinate workload and priorities to ensure timely completion of assignments.
• Develop and maintain standard operating procedures.
• Recommend improvements to HR processes and customer service.
• Assist other Human Resources staff as needed.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Skills

Customer service

MS Office 365

HRIS/ATS

Confidentiality

Communication

Education

High school diploma or GED

Associate's or Bachelor's degree

Tools

HRIS

ATS

Payroll systems

Job description

The Employment Specialist serves as a primary point of contact for the Office of Human Resources and is responsible for delivering exceptional customer service to employees, applicants, students, supervisors, retirees, and visitors. This position represents the Human Resources Office by creating a welcoming, professional, and service-oriented environment while assisting individuals with employment, payroll, benefits, leave, and general Human Resources inquiries.

Working collaboratively with another Employment Specialist, both positions share responsibility for the daily operations of the Human Resources Office. Each Employment Specialist performs the full range of employment administration, onboarding, personnel records management, recruitment support, leave administration, office operations, and administrative support functions. Both positions are fully cross-trained and share responsibility for all assigned functions to ensure continuity of operations, consistent customer service, and uninterrupted support during employee absences or periods of increased workload.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Customer Service & Front Office Operations

• Serve as the first point of contact for the Office of Human Resources by welcoming employees, applicants, students, retirees, and visitors in a courteous, professional, and service-oriented manner.
• Answer, screen, and direct telephone calls while providing accurate information regarding Human Resources services.
• Monitor and respond to departmental email inquiries.
• Assist visitors with employment applications, onboarding paperwork, payroll forms, leave questions, and other Human Resources processes.
• Receive and distribute incoming mail and prepare outgoing correspondence.
• Maintain reception, conference, and common office areas in a professional manner.
• Schedule appointments and coordinate meetings as needed.
• Maintain office supplies and coordinate equipment maintenance.
• Notarize official university documents as needed.

Employment & Recruitment Administration

• Coordinate recruitment activities for all non-student positions.
• Process Employment Request Forms and Employee Transaction Forms.
• Maintain employment postings through the University's Applicant Tracking System (ATS).
• Assist hiring managers and search committees with ATS processes and recruitment procedures.
• Monitor applicant workflow throughout the recruitment process.
• Coordinate new employee onboarding and employment documentation.
• Conduct criminal background checks and other required pre-employment screenings.
• Ensure hiring documentation complies with university policies and applicable employment laws.
• Assist with employment reporting and compliance requirements.

Human Resources Administration

• Maintain complete, accurate, and confidential personnel files.
• Audit personnel files to ensure compliance with university, state, and federal requirements.
• Maintain official employee transcripts and credential documentation.
• Maintain and update university job descriptions.
• Prepare correspondence, reports, spreadsheets, and presentations.
• Compile data for institutional, state, federal, accreditation, and other required reports.
• Process payroll packets and employment documentation.
• Maintain electronic and physical Human Resources records.
• Assist employees and supervisors with Human Resources forms and procedures.

Leave Administration

• Administer employee leave reporting and maintain leave records.
• Process leave documentation and ensure timely reporting.
• Assist employees and supervisors with leave-related questions.

  Performance Management

  • Coordinate the staff performance evaluation process.
  • Track probationary and annual evaluation due dates.
  • Distribute evaluation forms and correspondence.
  • Monitor receipt of completed evaluations and maintain evaluation records.

  Student Employee Coordination

  • Recruit, hire, train, schedule, and supervise Human Resources student employees.
  • Monitor student employee schedules, payroll hours, and budget allocations.
  • Provide training and daily work assignments.

  Shared Operational Responsibilities

  • Work collaboratively with the other Employment Specialist to ensure seamless Human Resources operations.
  • Maintain proficiency in all Employment Specialist responsibilities through ongoing cross-training.
  • Share responsibility for all operational functions within the Human Resources Office.
  • Provide seamless coverage during vacations, leave, training, and other staff absences.
  • Coordinate workload and priorities to ensure timely completion of assignments.
  • Develop and maintain standard operating procedures.
  • Recommend improvements to Human Resources processes and customer service.
  • Assist other Human Resources staff as needed.
  • Perform other duties as assigned.

  MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

  Required

  • High school diploma or GED.
  • Excellent interpersonal and customer service skills.
  • Strong organizational and time management skills.
  • Demonstrated ability to maintain confidentiality.
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Office 365 applications, including Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams, and Adobe Acrobat.
  • Ability to learn and utilize Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS), Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), and other enterprise software.
  • Ability to prioritize multiple assignments while working in an environment with frequent interruptions.

  Preferred

  • Associate's or Bachelor's degree.
  • Human Resources.
  • Experience with HRIS, ATS, or payroll systems.

  Founded in 1909 as a teachers’ college, Southeast Oklahoma State University continues the strong tradition of producing outstanding educators for southeast Oklahoma and north Texas. Student enrollment is approximately6,000studentsand the campus is situated in rural Oklahoma. The main campusis inDurant, Oklahoma, which is 90 miles north of Dallas, Texas, and 150 miles southeast of Oklahoma City. The community is close to Lake Texoma and the Choctaw Casino Resort. Southeast Oklahoma State University continues to be among the nation’s most affordable universities according to the U. S. News & World Report’s America’s Best colleges.

  Salary will becommensuratewith qualifications and experience. The preferred start date isSeptember 1, 2026. Review of applications will beginimmediately and continueuntilfilled.

  Southeastern offers a comprehensive benefits package including university paid health, vision, life insurance, long term disability, retirement contributions to Oklahoma Teachers Retirement System, as well as a tuition waiver for employees and spouse/dependents who wish to enroll at Southeast. Southeast offers 25paid holidays per fiscal year and has a generous leave package including annual/vacation leave, sick leave, personal leave, and birthday leave. In addition to the SE paid benefits, there are many voluntary products available to employees such as 403(b), Health Savings Account, Flexible Spending Account, dental,short termdisability, dependent lifeinsuranceand a variety of ancillary benefits.

  Employment is contingent upon the results of a national criminal and sex offender background check. Candidates must be eligible to work in the United States. SEparticipatesin E-Verify.

  SE is an AA/EEO employer committed to multicultural diversity.

  Notice to applicants

  It is Southeast Oklahoma State University’s policy that all newly hired employees must provide an original social security card during the hiring process. Failure to provide an original social security card will delay the hiring process and ability to begin employment.