HR Generalist I

University of the Cumberlands; Williamsburg (VA); On-site; USD 52,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

University of the Cumberlands seeks a Human Resources Generalist I to support faculty and staff across the university in Williamsburg, VA. You will partner with managers on employee relations, recruitment, performance management, policy interpretation, and compliance to ensure legally compliant employment practices.

As the primary HR contact for day-to-day matters, you will support onboarding for new hires, including adjunct faculty and staff, and help strengthen HR service delivery in a busy

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in HR, business, or related field required.
• 0–2 years HR experience; higher education experience preferred.
• Strong knowledge of employment law and employee relations.

Responsibilities

• Serve as initial HR contact for supervisors and employees.
• Advise managers on performance management and documentation.
• Assist in policy development and updates.
• Oversee onboarding for new hires, including adjunct faculty and staff.
• Maintain accurate personnel records and ensure compliance.

Skills

Employee relations

Conflict resolution

Policy interpretation

Multi-tasking

Education

Bachelor’s degree in HR/Business

Tools

HRIS

Microsoft Excel

Job description

Get Set for Cumberlands!

Join our team of student-focused individuals working together in order to encourage intellectual and spiritual growth, leadership and service.

CURRENT STUDENT or EMPLOYEE? Please log into Workday and use the Career Tile to find and apply to jobs from our internal career sites.

The Human Resources Generalist I provides HR support to faculty and staff across the University. This role partners with managers on employee relations, recruitment, performance management, policy interpretation, and compliance. The Generalist I serves as the primary point of contact for day-to-day HR matters and supports a workforce of full-time employees, adjunct faculty, and student workers. This position plays a key role in strengthening HR service delivery and ensuring consistent, legally compliant employment practices.

Essential Responsibilities

Employee Relations & Manager Support

• Serve as the initial HR contact for supervisors and employees.
• Advise managers on performance management and documentation.
• Help with workplace investigations.
• Support conflict resolution.
• Ensure consistent application of policies and procedures.

Recruitment & Hiring

• Coordinate full-cycle recruitment for staff positions.
• Partner with hiring managers to develop job postings.
• Oversee applicant tracking and candidate communications.
• Help to coordinate onboarding for new hires, including adjunct faculty and staff.
• Ensure compliance with employment laws and institutional hiring standards.

Performance & Employment Administration

• Support the annual performance review process.
• Aid with organizational changes and workforce planning.
• Perform exit processes, including documentation and offboarding.

Compliance & Policy

• Ensure compliance with FLSA, EEO, ADA, and other employment regulations.
• Maintain accurate personnel records.
• Assist in policy development and updates.
• Monitor trends and recommend process improvements.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field required.
• 0–2 years of HR experience required; higher education experience preferred.
• Strong knowledge of employment law and experience managing employee relations.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a high-volume environment.
• Proficiency in HRIS and Microsoft Excel; HR certification a plus.

Cumberlands is different by design. Our employees exemplify our motto in the pursuit of a

“life-more-abundant.”