Human Resources Associate

Cayuga Milk Ingredients, LLC; City of Auburn (NY); On-site; USD 42,000 - 54,000; Full time

Job summary

Cayuga Milk Ingredients, LLC is seeking a Human Resources Associate to provide administrative support across recruiting, onboarding, employee communications, and records management. You will work with the HR team to coordinate day-to-day activities, handle routine inquiries, and help implement HR programs with confidentiality and professionalism.

This role offers exposure to various people-related processes and is ideal for someone building a foundation for growth in HR.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent required; an associate's degree in HR, Business Administration, or a related field preferred.
• Prior office, administrative, customer service, or HR internship experience preferred, but not required.
• Manufacturing experience preferred but not required.

Responsibilities

• Assists with recruitment activities: scheduling interviews, candidate communication, and hiring coordination.
• Coordinates pre-employment requirements: physicals, drug screens, background checks, and new hire paperwork.
• Supports onboarding and orientation to ensure a positive employee experience.
• Maintains employee records and HRIS data with accuracy and confidentiality.
• Assists employees with routine questions regarding policies, benefits, payroll, and HR procedures; refer complex matters to HR Director.
• Prepares and distributes employee communications for milestones and programs.
• Coordinates employee engagement activities and company events.
• Manages the company merchandise store and HR-related supplies.
• Assists with benefits enrollment and related administrative processes.
• Supports compliance by maintaining records and training documentation.

Skills

Verbal & written communication

Organizational skills

Time management

Analytical skills

Discretion & confidentiality

HR knowledge

MS Office proficiency

HRIS proficiency

Dependability

Adaptability

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Associates degree in HR/Business admin or related field preferred

HR internship or office admin experience preferred

Manufacturing experience preferred

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

HRIS systems

Talent management systems

Job description

Description

The Human Resources Associate provides administrative support to the HR team in the areas of recruiting, onboarding, employee communications, recordkeeping, and employee engagement activities. Reporting to the Human Resources Director, this position helps coordinate day-to-day department activities, serves as a resource for routine employee inquiries, and assists with the execution of departmental programs and initiatives while maintaining confidentiality and professionalism in all interactions.

Working closely with the HR team, the Human Resources Associate gains exposure to a variety of people-related processes and is well suited for someone interested in building a strong foundation for future growth in the field.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• The Human Resources Associate does not have any direct reports.
• May assist the Human Resources Director with administrative aspects of employee relations, performance management, and HR initiatives.

Job Responsibilities

• Assists with recruitment activities, including scheduling interviews, communicating with candidates, and coordinating the hiring process.
• Coordinates pre-employment requirements, including physicals, drug screens, background checks, and new hire paperwork.
• Supports new hire onboarding and orientation activities to ensure a positive employee experience.
• Maintains employee records, files, and HRIS data, ensuring accuracy and confidentiality of information.
• Assists employees with routine questions regarding company policies, benefits, payroll, and HR procedures, referring complex or sensitive matters to the Human Resources Director.
• Prepares and distributes employee communications related to milestones, recognition programs, announcements, and other HR initiatives.
• Coordinates employee engagement activities, including holiday meals, years of service celebrations, employee recognition programs, and other company-sponsored events.
• Manages the company merchandise store, including ordering, inventory tracking, distribution, and employee support.
• Orders and maintains HR office supplies and materials necessary to support department operations.
• Assists with benefits enrollment activities and related administrative processes.
• Supports compliance efforts by maintaining required records, training documentation, and other employment-related information.
• Maintains knowledge of company policies, HR procedures, and applicable employment practices.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Excellent time management skills with a proven ability to meet deadlines.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to prioritize tasks and to delegate them when appropriate.
• Ability to act with integrity, professionalism, and confidentiality.
• Familiarity of employment-related laws and regulations.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite or related software.
• Proficiency with or the ability to quickly learn the organization’s HRIS and talent management systems.
• Reliably able to commute to and from work for scheduled shift.
• Flexible hours at times to meet organizational needs.
• Some local travel is required to pick up food orders and supplies for employee events.

Education/Experience:

• High school diploma or equivalent required; an associate's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field preferred.
• Prior office, administrative, customer service, or HR internship experience preferred, but not required.
• Manufacturing experience preferred but not required.

Work Conditions:

• Work is performed in an office environment where there is no substantial exposure to adverse environmental conditions.
• Incumbents must be capable of sitting up to 80% of their scheduled shift.

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to navigate all areas of the facility, including office spaces, warehouse areas, and the exterior perimeter.
• Must wear required personal protective equipment (PPE) as necessary to safely perform job duties.
• Ability to stand, sit, and carry out tasks throughout a full shift, with appropriate meal breaks.
• Physically capable of standing, bending, stooping, kneeling, reaching, twisting, lifting, pushing, pulling, climbing, balancing, and crouching as needed.
• Able to lift and move items weighing up to 25 pounds independently and heavier objects with reasonable accommodations.
• Visual acuity sufficient to perform job duties accurately.

Work Schedule:

Monday to Friday, with some occasional weekend or evening work.

Compensation:

At Cayuga Milk Ingredients, we value a fair and comprehensive approach to compensation. Our wage range for this role is determined by various factors, including skill sets, experience, training, licensure, certifications, and organizational needs. It is not typical for an employee to start at or near the top of the range for the position. Compensation decisions are made based on individual job circumstances considering skill level, previous experience, and education requirements.

Equal Opportunity Employer:

Cayuga Milk Ingredients is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. This policy applies to all aspects of employment, including recruitment, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

Non-Discrimination Policy:

The contractor will not discriminate against employees or applicants for discussing or disclosing their own pay or the pay of others. However, employees with access to compensation information as part of their job duties are prohibited from disclosing this information to unauthorized individuals, except in specific circumstances outlined by applicable laws and regulations (41 CFR 60-1.35(c)).

General Statement:

All Cayuga employees recognize that the success and prosperity of the company is everyone’s responsibility. All employees are expected to treat each other in a positive, respectful, and professional manner, to be at work for their assigned shift and to work safely as a team. Employees must be self-starters who can relate to all levels of the organization.

Disclaimer

• All requirements are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities.
• This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee occupying this position. Employees will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related duties requested by their supervisor.
• The company reserves the right to add to or revise an employee's job duties at any time at its sole discretion.
• This document does not create an employment contract, implied or otherwise, other than an “at will” employment relationship.

Disclaimer: For Recruiter’s and Staffing Agencies

• At Cayuga Milk, our Human Resources Team leads most of our hiring efforts and takes pride in connecting directly with talented individuals who share our values and passion for what we do. Most of our roles are filled through applications submitted via our careers site or through direct outreach from our team.
• While we occasionally partner with external recruitment agencies, we do so only with those on our existing, pre-approved vendor list. Currently, we are not adding new agencies to that list.
• If an unsolicited resume or candidate submission is received from an agency or recruiter not authorized by our Human Resources Team, it will be treated as a direct application. Cayuga Milk will not be responsible for any placement or referral fees related to these submissions.