HR Specialist

Ken Garff Automotive Group; Ankeny (IA); On-site; USD 52,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Culture-driven team

Career development

Cross-site collaboration

Job summary

Dewey Auto Group is seeking a passionate HR Specialist to create exceptional employee experiences across our Des Moines metro dealerships, including Ankeny, Urbandale, and Des Moines. This full-time, on-site role involves traveling between sites to support teams and leaders.

You'll lead full-cycle HR initiatives, foster engagement, coordinate onboarding and benefits, coach managers on performance and retention, and help strengthen workplace culture from hire to retire. Equal Opportunity Employer.

Qualifications

• 2+ years of HR Generalist, HRBP, or HR consulting experience, preferably in a large company or retail environment supporting both hourly and salaried employees.
• Experience leading employee engagement and culture initiatives.
• Knowledge of employment laws, employee relations, and HR best practices.
• Exposure to compensation practices, pay plans, FLSA requirements, and employee benefit plans.
• Strong presentation, communication, and relationship-building skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead and support a variety of full-cycle Human Resources initiatives that drive positive employee and business outcomes.
• Foster engagement and champion culture-building programs and initiatives.
• Facilitate onboarding, new hire orientation, benefits enrollment, and training programs.
• Coach and support managers on employee relations, performance management, and retention strategies.
• Partner with leaders to strengthen workplace culture and team effectiveness.
• Manage leave of absence processes, including FMLA administration.
• Complete accident and injury reporting and coordinate documentation with corporate partners.
• Handle unemployment claims and support various HR programs and processes as needed.

Skills

HR Generalist experience

Employee engagement

Employment law knowledge

Compensation exposure

Presentation & communication

Change leadership

Job description

At the Dewey Auto Group, we're looking for a passionate, people-first HR Specialist who thrives on creating exceptional employee experiences and helping team members succeed every day! The HR Specialist works full-time on-site within our dealership environment. This role supports up to three dealership locations across the Des Moines metro area, including Ankeny, Urbandale, and Des Moines with regular travel between sites. Typical schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. If you're energized by building relationships, fostering a positive workplace culture, and partnering with leaders to make a real impact, we'd love to meet you!

Why You'll Love Working Here

When you join us, you're joining more than a company, you're joining a team that genuinely cares about its people.

• Work alongside an incredible team that's passionate about supporting employees and each other
• Make a meaningful impact on employee engagement, development, and workplace culture
• Be a culture champion, helping shape positive experiences from hire to retire
• Grow your career with a company that values learning, development, and internal advancement
• Partner with leaders across multiple dealerships to influence business success through people

What You'll Do

• Lead and support a variety of full-cycle Human Resources initiatives that drive positive employee and business outcomes
• Foster engagement and champion culture-building programs and initiatives
• Facilitate onboarding, new hire orientation, benefits enrollment, and training programs
• Coach and support managers on employee relations, performance management, and retention strategies
• Partner with leaders to strengthen workplace culture and team effectiveness
• Manage leave of absence processes, including FMLA administration
• Complete accident and injury reporting and coordinate documentation with corporate partners
• Handle unemployment claims and support various HR programs and processes as needed

What We're Looking For

• 2+ years of HR Generalist, HR Business Partner, or HR consulting experience, preferably in a large company or retail environment supporting both hourly and salaried employees
• Experience leading employee engagement and culture initiatives
• Knowledge of employment laws, employee relations, and HR best practices
• Exposure to compensation practices, pay plans, FLSA requirements, and employee benefit plans
• Strong presentation, communication, and relationship-building skills
• A passion for helping people succeed and the ability to lead through change

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer (( We Hear You ))

You're in for a great ride (excuse the car metaphor) We're not your standard dealership or group of dealerships and we're pretty darn proud of that. We're out to do things differently. We want to consistently change, grow, and progress. For that reason, our employees are proud of where they work. Our history is rich in the tradition of doing things differently. It began with Ken Garff himself. It continued through all of those who followed Ken and is alive and thriving today.