HR Generalist: Talent, Onboarding & Culture

YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 55,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago is seeking an HR Generalist to support the full employee lifecycle, including recruitment, onboarding, employee relations, benefits administration, training and leadership development, and policy implementation.

The role partners with HR leaders to provide administrative support to the HR team, ensuring processes are completed efficiently within established timeframes while protecting confidentiality and balancing operational needs with employee experience.

Qualifications

• Associate’s Degree required.
• 1–3+ years of proven experience in an administrative HR role.
• Strong attention to detail and organizational skills.
• Knowledge of HR policies and practices.
• Proficient PC skills including Microsoft Office and HRIS.
• Excellent written and verbal communication.

Responsibilities

• Administer day-to-day HR operations across the full lifecycle including recruitment, employee relations, benefits, and training and leadership development.
• Prepare and maintain HR documents, such as employee records, benefits information, and training materials.
• Support talent acquisition: posting openings, screening resumes, offers, background checks, fingerprinting, and onboarding.
• Assist employee relations by responding to inquiries regarding HR policies and procedures.
• Support benefits program and leaves of absence in compliance with laws.
• Coordinate HR-related events and maintain HR databases and systems.
• Support annual budgeting and HR reporting activities, and monitor HR contracts and expirations.
• Support Travel and Training requests and budget/purchasing for the department.
• Conduct research and provide support on various HR projects; prepare leadership reports and metrics.
• Support employee engagement, retention, and culture initiatives.

Skills

Administrative support

HR policies

Microsoft Office

HRIS systems

Communication

Confidentiality

Team player

Education

Associate’s Degree

Tools

Microsoft Office

HRIS systems

Job description

YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago is seeking an HR Generalist to support the full employee lifecycle, including recruitment, onboarding, employee relations, benefits administration, training and leadership development, and policy implementation.

The role partners with HR leaders to provide administrative support to the HR team, ensuring processes are completed efficiently within established timeframes while protecting confidentiality and balancing operational needs with employee experience.