HR & People Operations Coordinator

Museum of Contemporary Art Denver; Denver (CO); On-site; USD 34,000 - 41,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid sick leave

Paid family and medical leave

MCA Denver membership

Staff discounts

Application window stated

Job summary

MCA Denver is seeking an HR & People Operations Coordinator to handle onboarding, benefits administration, and employee records for a mixed team of about 20 full-time and 50 part-time staff. This onsite role is essential to keep day-to-day people operations running smoothly.

You will serve as the first point of contact for staff and managers, partner with the COO, manage HR processes end-to-end, and support other museum operations as needed.

Qualifications

• 1–3 years in HR, people operations, or office administration with HR duties.
• Experience with onboarding, I-9s, benefits administration, and employee records.
• Discretion handling confidential information with sound judgment.
• Strong organization and ability to manage many small tasks.
• Clear, warm communication with staff at all levels, including part-time teams.
• Familiarity with HRIS and payroll platforms; quick to learn new systems.

Responsibilities

• Run onboarding and offboarding end to end: paperwork, I-9, new hire packets, system access, orientation, exit checklists.
• Maintain confidential employee files and records with accuracy.
• Administer benefits enrollment and changes; liaison with benefits provider.
• Coordinate with payroll (Paychex) on hires, changes, and leave; support Toast setup for part-time staff.
• Track postings, trainings, and compliance deadlines; flag to the COO as needed.
• Serve as first point of contact for HR questions; respond within one day.
• Assist managers with postings, interviews, documentation, and policy questions.
• Support engagement efforts and help implement best practices for feedback.

Skills

HR coordination

Onboarding

Confidentiality

Organization

Communication

HRIS & payroll tools

Google Workspace / MS 365

Tools

HRIS

Paychex

Toast

Google Workspace

Microsoft 365

Job description

Status: Part-Time (approximately 25–30 hours per week), Hourly, Non-Exempt (FLSA)

Compensation: $25–$30 per hour

Position Summary

The HR & People Operations Coordinator keeps MCA Denver’s day-to-day people operations running smoothly for roughly 20 full-time and 50 part-time staff. This person is the first point of contact for staff and managers on HR questions. They handle onboarding, benefits administration, and employee records, and they are a consistent, visible presence onsite for both administrative and gallery teams.

The role partners closely with the Chief Operating Officer and with outside advisors (HR consultant, Employers Council, and payroll) and escalates complex or sensitive matters. It’s a strong fit for someone who wants to play an active and supportive role, is organized and discreet, and is energized by supporting people in a creative, mission-driven organization. The role is focused on HR, and we’re looking for someone who is also willing to help out in other parts of the organization when needed. This is a part-time role of approximately 25–30 hours per week, with onsite presence required per MCA policy.

Key Responsibilities

Priority 1: HR Administration (about 40%)

• Run onboarding and offboarding end to end: offer paperwork, I-9 verification, new hire packets, system access, orientation, and exit checklists.
• Maintain accurate, confidential employee files and records.
• Administer benefits enrollment, changes, and open enrollment; serve as the staff contact with the benefits provider.
• Coordinate with payroll (Paychex) on new hires, changes, and leave; support Toast setup for part-time and tipped staff; and coordinate When I Work access during onboarding.
• Track required postings, trainings, and compliance deadlines, and flag anything that needs attention.

Priority 2: Employee and Manager Support (about 25%)

• Serve as the first point of contact for HR questions from staff and managers, responding within one day.
• Help managers with routine needs: job postings, scheduling interviews, documentation, and policy questions.
• Build a consistent, approachable presence with part-time gallery and café staff, and act as a bridge between part-time and full-time teams.
• Take in employee concerns, document them, and elevate sensitive matters to the COO.
• Support the organization in implementing best practices for employee feedback and engagement.

Priority 3: Projects and Change Support (about 15%)

• Help facilitate HR processes such as performance review cycles and compensation updates by managing timelines, templates, and follow-up.
• Help assess current benefits offerings, and support change management if MCA moves to a new benefits provider, including staff communications, enrollment, and data migration.
• Support change management if MCA implements new HR tools or systems.
• Keep the staff handbook, onboarding materials, and HR templates current.

Priority 4: Organizational Support (as needed)

• Partner with Facilities on people-related space planning, such as how office space is used and seating chart updates.
• Pitch in across other areas of the organization where needed.

Additional Responsibilities

• Confidentiality: Confidentiality is central to every part of this role. The coordinator safeguards employee records, personnel matters, and concerns raised by staff with the highest level of discretion.

Qualifications

Required

• 1–3 years of experience in HR, people operations, or office administration with HR duties.
• Working knowledge of onboarding, I-9s, benefits administration, and employee recordkeeping.
• Sound judgment and discretion with confidential information.
• Strong organization and follow-through across many small, time-sensitive tasks.
• Clear, warm communication with staff at every level, including part-time and hourly teams.
• Comfort with HRIS and payroll platforms, Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, and learning new systems quickly.

Preferred

• Experience in a nonprofit, museum, arts, or hospitality setting.
• Familiarity with Colorado employment requirements (e.g., paid sick leave, pay transparency).
• Experience with Paychex, Toast, or a PEO.
• Coursework or progress toward an HR credential (aPHR, SHRM-CP, or PHR).
• Onsite Presence: Availability to be onsite in Denver about three (3) days per week.
• Schedule Availability: Some flexibility to accommodate gallery staff schedules.
• Pay: $25–$30 per hour
• Benefits: Part-time staff are eligible for the following:
• Paid sick leave: under Colorado’s Healthy Families and Workplaces Act (HFWA), accrued at one hour for every 30 hours worked, up to 48 hours per year.
• Paid family and medical leave: coverage under Colorado’s Family and Medical Leave Insurance (FAMLI) program, which provides eligible employees up to 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave (up to 16 weeks for pregnancy or childbirth complications). FAMLI is funded by a shared payroll premium, and the employee share is deducted from wages as required by law.
• MCA Denver membership: free admission for your guests, plus free admission for you and free or discounted admission for a guest to opening parties, lectures, concerts, and other events.
• Staff discounts: 25% in the MCA Café and 20% in the Gift Shop, plus one complimentary café beverage each week.
• Application Window: Applications are expected to close on November 30th.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by a staff member to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made upon request to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Ability to speak, understand, and communicate in English effectively, in person and in writing; and to hear adequately in person and by phone, in individual and group settings.
• Ability to work with, and process information from, a variety of individuals and media (e.g., computers, projected images, printed materials), sitting and/or standing up to 6 hours per day.
• Mobility to access various offices and a wide variety of meeting and museum settings, and to perform a variety of tasks involving standing, walking, sitting, stooping, kneeling, bending, and twisting; occasionally climbing stairs or using an elevator; and possibly reaching chest-high and overhead for materials.
• Ability to reach for, move, and/or lift up to 25 pounds, and to use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls.

MCA Denver is an equal opportunity employer. Management retains the right to add to or change the duties and responsibilities of this position at any time.