Human Resource Generalist

United Way of the Bluegrass; Lexington (KY); On-site; USD 52,000 - 78,000; Full time

Job summary

United Way of the Bluegrass (UWBG) seeks an HR Generalist to lead day-to-day HR administration, including recruiting, onboarding, benefits, employee relations, compliance, records management, and offboarding. This hands-on role reports to the President & CEO in a mission-driven organization.

Responsibilities span full employee lifecycle, with Paylocity HRIS management, payroll coordination with Finance, and ensuring policy consistency while advancing UWBG's core competencies of service,

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in HR, Business, or related field or equivalent experience.
• 2–4 years of progressive HR generalist experience.
• PHR or SHRM credential preferred.

Responsibilities

• Serve as first point of contact for policy, benefits, and workplace concerns; escalate as needed.
• Manage full-cycle recruiting for open positions; coordinate onboarding and orientation.
• Administer annual open enrollment and liaise with benefits carriers; process COBRA notices as required.
• Serve as Paylocity administrator for HR modules; maintain accurate personnel records.
• Process employment status changes in HRIS within 24 hours of effective date.
• Partner with Finance to verify payroll accuracy for new hires, terminations, and leave status changes.
• Execute standardized offboarding checklist including HRIS termination processing and access revocation.

Skills

Employee relations

Recruiting

Onboarding

Benefits administration

HR policies

Payroll coordination

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR, Business, or related field

2–4 years HR generalist experience

Tools

Paylocity

Job description

Description

United Way of the Bluegrass (UWBG) works to create the opportunity for all members of our community to have a better life. We focus on the building blocks of a good life — a quality education, financial stability for individuals and families, and good health. The work of UWBG focuses on strategic initiatives, public education, advocacy, outcomes and evaluation, development, and strengthening of partnerships/collaborations, convening, resource mobilization and investment as well as backbone and engagement strategies and activities. We bring together the voices, the expertise, and the resources to define, articulate and implement a common agenda for change for our region. That is what it means to "Live United" in Central Kentucky.

POSITION

The HR Generalist serves as United Way of the Bluegrass's primary human resources professional, responsible for the full range of day-to-day HR administration — recruiting and onboarding, benefits administration, employee relations, compliance, records management, and offboarding. This is a hands on, generalist role reporting directly to the President & CEO, well suited to an HR professional who enjoys ownership across the full employee lifecycle in a mission-driven organization.

Essential Functions

Employee Relations & Compliance

• Serve as the first point of contact for employee questions regarding policy, benefits, and workplace concerns, escalating complaints or legal matters promptly.
• Maintain the organization's compliance calendar, including required filings, renewals, and trainings.
• Apply HR policy consistently across the organization and flag any gap or inconsistency in written policy.

Recruiting & Onboarding

• Manage full-cycle recruiting for open positions, including posting, applicant screening, and interview coordination.
• Prepare offer letters and coordinate new-hire onboarding, including required paperwork and orientation scheduling.

Benefits Administration

• Administer annual open enrollment and process qualifying life‑event changes.
• Serve as the organization's primary point of contact with benefits carriers.
• Process COBRA notices within required statutory timeframes for every qualifying event, without exception.

HRIS, Records & Payroll Support

• Serve as the Paylocity administrator for HR modules, maintaining accurate, current, and complete personnel records.
• Process employment status changes (hires, terminations, transfers) in the HRIS within 24 hours of the effective date.
• Partner with Finance to verify payroll accuracy, particularly around new hires, separations, and leave status changes.

Offboarding

• Execute a standardized offboarding checklist for every separation, covering HRIS termination processing, benefits termination, COBRA notice, equipment return, and access revocation.
• Confirm completion of each offboarding step in writing before a separation file is closed.

Supervisory Responsibilities

No

CORE UNITED WAY COMPETENCIES

• MISSION-FOCUSED - A top priority is to create real social change that leads to better lives and healthier communities. This competency drives performance and professional motivation.
• RELATIONSHIP ORIENTED - Understands that people come before process and is astute in cultivating and managing relationships toward a common goal.
• COLLABORATOR - Understands the roles and contributions of all sectors of the community and can mobilize resources (financial and human) through meaningful engagement.
• RESULTS-DRIVEN - Dedicated to shared and measurable goals for the common good, creating, resourcing, scaling, and leveraging strategies and innovations for broad investment and impact.
• BRAND STEWARD - A steward of the brand and understands his/her role in growing and protecting the reputation and results of the greater network.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• 2 to 4 years of progressive HR generalist experience.
• PHR or SH