HR Generalist

PowerPollen; Ames (IA); On-site; USD 65,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

PowerPollen is seeking an HR Generalist to own day-to-day HR, recruiting, onboarding, benefits, compliance, and employee relations, while improving processes as the company grows. You will collaborate with leadership and may flex into finance or marketing as needed.

The role emphasizes hands-on administrative work with initiative to streamline workflows, maintain records, and ensure policy compliance across the organization.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in HR, Business, Accounting, Agricultural Business, or related field (or equivalent experience).
• 3–4 years HR experience across recruiting, onboarding, compliance, benefits, or employee relations.
• Strong problem-solving, proactive communication, and discretion.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office; HRIS/payroll experience (Paycom/ADP/BambooHR) a plus.

Responsibilities

• Own full-cycle recruiting, posting roles, sourcing and screening candidates, coordinating interviews.
• Lead onboarding and offboarding end to end, including new hire paperwork, I-9 verification, and orientation.
• Support employee benefits programs and serve as a resource for employee questions.
• Support payroll processing in partnership with Finance.
• Maintain accurate, compliant employee records and keep policies and handbook current.
• Serve as a trusted first point of contact for employee relations questions, escalating complex matters as needed.
• Help keep a pulse on employee recognition and engagement.
• Look for ways to simplify and improve processes. Flex into light finance/accounting support and special projects as needed.

Skills

Recruiting

Onboarding

Employee relations

Compliance

Benefits

Microsoft Office

HRIS/payroll

Paycom

ADP

BambooHR

Education

Bachelor’s degree in HR/related field

Tools

Paycom

ADP

BambooHR

Job description

PowerPollen is hiring an HR Generalist to own day-to-day HR, recruiting, onboarding, benefits, compliance, and employee relations, and make it better as they go. This is a hands-on role for someone who's good at the administrative side of HR but isn't looking to just maintain the status quo. You notice when a process is more manual than it needs to be, and you take the initiative to fix it.

You’ll work closely with our leadership team, with room to flex into other operational areas like finance or marketing as your interests and our needs evolve. As PowerPollen grows, there’s real potential for this role to grow with it.

What you’ll do:

Own full-cycle recruiting, posting roles, sourcing and screening candidates, coordinating interviews, and supporting hiring managers through offer and hire. Lead onboarding and offboarding end to end, including new hire paperwork, I-9 verification, and orientation. Support employee benefits programs and serve as a resource for employee questions. Support payroll processing in partnership with Finance. Maintain accurate, compliant employee records and keep our policies and handbook current. Serve as a trusted first point of contact for employee relations questions, escalating complex matters as needed. Help keep a pulse on employee recognition and engagement. Look for ways to simplify and improve our processes. Flex into light finance/accounting support and special projects as needed.

What you’ll bring:

Bachelor’s degree in HR, Business, Accounting, Agricultural Business, or a related field (or equivalent experience). 3-4 years of HR experience across recruiting, onboarding, compliance, benefits, or employee relations. A natural problem-solver who asks "how can we do this better?" Clear, proactive communication skills. Comfortable owning administrative work while motivated to streamline it. High degree of judgment, discretion, and confidentiality. Proficiency with Microsoft Office; HRIS/payroll experience (e.g. Paycom, ADP, BambooHR) a plus.

Compensation and benefits:

$65,000-$80,000 base, based on experience. Performance-based bonus opportunity. Comprehensive benefits package.

PowerPollen is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will receive consideration for employment regardless of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, or status with regard to public assistance. Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship for employment visa status (e.g., H-1B).