HR Specialist

YWCA Charleston; Charleston (WV); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Paid time off

Retirement options

Job summary

YWCA Charleston seeks an HR Specialist to own onboarding systems and ensure compliant, smooth hiring experiences. You will lead full-cycle recruitment, coordinate background checks, and design welcoming onboarding processes that align with federal, state, and program requirements.

Ideal candidates bring 1+ years in HR with recruitment/compliance focus, plus proficiency in HRIS and MS Office/Google Workspace.

Qualifications

• 1+ years HR experience with recruitment/onboarding/compliance in nonprofit or social services a plus.
• Familiarity with employment laws (FMLA, ADA, FLSA) and HR best practices.
• Proficient with HRIS, background-check systems, MS Office/Google Workspace.
• Education aligned to HR or business; work experience may substitute for formal degree.

Responsibilities

• Own systems for onboarding new team members and set them up for success.
• Lead full-cycle hiring, coordinate background checks, references, and onboarding paperwork.
• Maintain personnel files, I-9s, training records, and status changes; ensure compliance.
• Collaborate with program directors to forecast needs and reduce admin friction.

Skills

Recruitment

Onboarding

Compliance

Cross-team collaboration

Education

Bachelor/Associate in HR or related

High school diploma

Tools

HRIS

Background checks

MS Office/Google Workspace

Job description

Join Our Mission. Bring the Structure.

At YWCA Charleston, our heart is social justice, our fuel is compassion, and our backbone is people like you. We’re looking for an HR Specialist who believes that behind every policy, file, and form is a person with a story. And that strong systems make it possible to serve them well.

If you thrive on checklists, compliance calendars, and creating smooth hiring experiences without cutting corners (all while being part of a team that changes lives daily) you may be exactly what we need.

What You’ll Do

You’ll own the systems that bring new team members into our mission and set them up for success.

• Recruitment & Onboarding: Lead full-cycle hiring for mission-critical roles, from job postings to offer letters. Coordinate background checks, references, and new hire paperwork. Design and run an onboarding experience that is warm, welcoming, as well as compliant.
• Compliance & Recordkeeping: Maintain personnel files, I-9s, training records, and status changes. Ensure HR practices align with federal, state, and YWCA policies (including EEOC, WV labor laws, and grant-specific requirements).
• Structure & Process Improvement: Create or refine checklists, workflows, and templates so nothing falls through the cracks. Help move our HR function from reactive to proactive through consistent systems.
• Cross-Team Support: Partner with program directors to anticipate hiring needs, explain compliance requirements in plain language, and reduce administrative friction so they can focus on client services.

Who You Are

• Left-brained in the best way: You love organization, logic, and follow-through. A missing signature or antiquated job description bothers you until it’s fixed. Attention to detail is your calling.
• Compliance-minded: You know that good intentions don’t pass audits. You take pride in getting the details right—every time.
• Service-oriented in HR: You see recruitment and onboarding as the first act of caring for an employee, not just a transaction.
• Calm under pressure: You can manage multiple hires, deadlines, and last-minute requests without losing clarity or kindness.

Qualifications

• 1+ years of HR experience, with specific responsibility for recruitment, onboarding, and/or compliance (nonprofit or social service setting a plus). Working knowledge of employment laws (FMLA, ADA, FLSA, etc.) and HR best practices.
• Proficiency with HRIS platforms, background check systems, and Microsoft Office/Google Workspace.
• High school diploma required, associate or bachelor's degree in HR, business, or related field preferred. (We know talent comes from many paths. Relevant work experience can be substituted for formal education requirements.)

Why Join YWCA Charleston?

• Mission you can feel: Every system you build supports shelter, advocacy, childcare, and workforce development within the Charleston community.
• Supportive culture: We balance urgency for social change with genuine care for our staff.
• Benefits: Health, dental, vision, paid time off, and retirement options.
• Growth: You’ll have room to shape HR processes from the ground up.

To Apply

Please upload your resume and a brief cover letter telling us how your experience could be a fit for our role.