Human Resources Generalist

Howard Hughes Medical Institute; San Diego (CA); Hybrid; USD 73,000 - 91,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive pay

Exceptional health benefits

Retirement plans

Time off

Recognition and wellness programs

Job summary

Howard Hughes Medical Institute in San Diego (La Jolla), CA is seeking a versatile HR Generalist to support the People & Culture team in a hybrid role. You will manage a broad employee lifecycle across labs in the US, balancing operational HR work with strategic initiatives.

You will own onboarding and offboarding, analyze exit data with the HRBP team, and help design better processes using AI and other tools.

Qualifications

• Broad HR generalist experience across onboarding, offboarding, benefits, compensation, and leave.
• Ability to handle confidential matters with sound judgment.
• Three to five years in HR, with at least two years in a generalist role.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.

Responsibilities

• Own onboarding end to end including preboarding and 30/90 day check-ins.
• Run offboarding from resignation through exit interviews.
• Analyze exit survey data and share themes with HRBP team.
• Support employee relations casework with HR Business Partners.
• Improve HR processes and workflows using AI and other tools.
• Contribute to cross-functional P&C projects.
• Handle restructurings, position eliminations, and lab closures.
• Coordinate recruitment activities in Workday and the performance review cycle.
• Serve as point for new job profiles with Compensation and P&C leadership.
• Coordinate benefits and leave questions with Benefits team and HHMI leave administrator, plus retirement enrollment.

Skills

HR generalist

Onboarding

Offboarding

Benefits

Compensation

Leave management

Employee relations

Confidentiality

Prioritization

Process improvement

AI tools

Workday familiarity

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

Workday

E-Verify

AI tools

Job description

Support the full employee lifecycle across labs in the US as part of the People & Culture team in a hybrid role based in San Diego.

Key Responsibilities

• Own onboarding end to end, including preboarding, orientation, and 30- and 90-day check-ins
• Run offboarding from resignation through exit interviews
• Analyze exit survey data and identify themes to share with the HRBP team
• Support employee relations casework with HR Business Partners, including intakes, development plans, memos, and Performance Improvement Plans
• Improve HR processes and workflows, then help design and implement better ways of working
• Use AI and other technology to reduce manual steps, improve documentation, and create better tools and experiences for employees and managers
• Contribute to cross-functional P&C projects with both subject-matter input and hands‑on implementation support
• Handle details related to restructurings, position eliminations, and lab closures, including supervisor talking points, severance paperwork, and clear communications
• Serve as the point person for new job profiles, partnering with Compensation and P&C leadership from first conversation through approval
• Coordinate benefits and leave questions with the Benefits team and HHMI leave administrator, plus retirement enrollment
• Support recruitment activities in Workday and the performance review cycle, including building checklists and SOPs

Requirements

• Broad HR generalist experience across onboarding, offboarding, benefits, compensation, leave, and employee relations (not limited to a single specialty)
• Judgment with confidential matters: know when to elevate, maintain confidentiality, and document sensitive topics clearly
• Ability to manage competing priorities while maintaining attention to detail and follow-through
• Process improvement mindset with strong technology fluency, including comfortable use of AI and other tools with sound judgment around accuracy, confidentiality, and risk
• Comfort balancing projects with operational HR work: move work from idea to implementation while keeping up with day‑to‑day HR execution
• Experience level: three to five years of progressive HR experience, including at least two years in a generalist-type role
• Education: bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience

Technologies

• AI
• Workday
• E-Verify

Benefits

• Competitive pay
• Exceptional health benefits
• Retirement plans
• Time off
• Recognition and wellness programs

Nice to Have

• Workday experience specifically (not just general HRIS exposure)
• Exposure to compensation, job architecture, and benefits and leave administration

Practical Details

• Location: La Jolla, CA (hybrid)
• Reports to: an HR Business Partner
• Pay range: USD 72,577 - 90,721 per year (annual)
• Work description notes: this role supports operational HR work and includes judgment-based transactional responsibilities; it is not a purely administrative forms-processing role, not a strategic HRBP-only role, and not limited to a narrow HR specialty

Physical Requirements

• Remain in a normal seated or standing position for extended periods
• Reach and grasp by extending hand(s) or arm(s)Dexterity to manipulate objects with fingers (for example, using a keyboard)Communication skills using spoken wordAbility to see and hear within normal parametersAbility to move about the workspaceMobility to move materials weighing up to several pounds (for example, a laptop computer or tablet)

  This job description outlines principal duties, responsibilities, and requirements and should not be treated as exhaustive. HHMI uses E-Verify to confirm identity and employment eligibility for new hires. HHMI is an equal opportunity employer.