Human Resources Principal - Blackwell HR

Blackwell HR; United States; Remote; USD 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Fully remote work environment

401(k) match

PTO and holidays

Culture-building events

Job summary

Blackwell HR is seeking an experienced HR Generalist to support a portfolio of clients with strategic and day-to-day HR needs. You’ll manage client relationships, set priorities, develop practical HR solutions, and coordinate with a team of HR professionals to deliver results.

You’ll handle employee relations, benefits, payroll, and compliance while leading complex HR initiatives and driving process improvements. A bachelor’s degree is preferred and a strong HRIS/payroll background is essential.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of progressive HR Generalist experience.
• Experience supporting a startup, small business, nonprofit, or lean company (<1,000 employees).
• Broad experience across HR functions: employee relations, benefits, leave, payroll, compliance, performance management.
• Ability to move between strategic and tactical HR work; strong judgment and initiative.
• Hands-on experience with HRIS and payroll systems (ADP, Paycom, Paylocity, Workday, Gusto, Rippling).

Responsibilities

• Lead client relationships as trusted HR advisor for a portfolio of clients.
• Set HR strategy, translate needs into practical HR solutions, and supervise execution.
• Coordinate resources across the Blackwell HR team to deliver services.
• Provide broad HR generalist support including employee relations, benefits, payroll, and compliance.
• Lead payroll and benefits support across multiple states when needed.
• Drive complex HR initiatives such as leadership development, succession planning, and process improvement.
• Identify opportunities to automate and simplify HR processes for clients.
• Communicate clearly, manage priorities, and deliver excellent client service.

Skills

HR Generalist

Communication

Time management

Client service mindset

Decision making

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR or related field

Tools

ADP

Paycom

Paylocity

Workday

Gusto

Rippling

Job description

Full-Time, W2 Position
Wilmington, DE or Remote
Preference given to candidates in DC, VA, MD, DE, PA, NJ or OH

Who We Are

Blackwell HR is a woman-founded human resources consulting business based in Wilmington, Delaware and serving clients throughout the US. With a focus on small to medium-sized businesses and nonprofits, our team of experienced HR professionals partner with clients across a variety of industries and business communities to develop and implement HR and solutions that allow business leaders to focus on achieving their mission and fully engage their teams.

We believe in operating with innovation, exercising compassion, being engaged with our clients, and delivering exceptional results. We live our values every day in the work we do with our clients, our community, and our team.

Why This Role

If you've enjoyed being the person who can handle just about anything HR throws at you, this role gives you the opportunity to keep doing that work without being on an island.

You’ll work with multiple organizations rather than being immersed in just one company. You’ll have the variety and problem-solving that comes with being a generalist, but you’ll also have a team of experienced HR professionals to collaborate with and support you.

You’ll get to know your clients deeply, help leaders solve real business and people challenges, and have a direct hand in building better HR functions. Some days you’ll be working through a strategic conversation with a CEO. Other days you’ll be helping a manager navigate an employee situation, or turning a manual process into a system that actually works.

If you’re an experienced generalist who likes figuring things out, making things better, and being someone clients can rely on, we’d love to hear from you.

What You’ll Do

As an HR Principal, you will serve as a strategic HR partner and day-to-day resource for a portfolio of Blackwell HR clients, including both small businesses and nonprofits. You will lead client relationships, set priorities, develop solutions, and make sure the right work gets done.

• Lead client relationships as a trusted HR advisor, building strong partnerships with executives, Directors, Managers, and employees.
• Set HR strategy by understanding each client’s business, people, and priorities and translating those needs into practical HR solutions.
• Lead client accounts by determining what needs to be done, setting priorities, and coordinating the right resources across the Blackwell HR team.
• Balance strategy with execution, moving comfortably between advising leaders on big-picture people decisions and rolling up your sleeves to solve day-to-day HR challenges.
• Provide broad HR generalist support across employee relations, benefits, leave, payroll, compliance, performance management, policies, and other HR needs.
• Lead payroll and benefits support when needed, including multi-state payroll processing, tax compliance, deductions, retirement contributions, benefits administration, and reporting.
• Lead complex HR initiatives such as organizational change, leadership development, succession planning, performance management, and process improvement.
• Build better systems and processes by identifying opportunities to automate, standardize, and simplify how HR work gets done.
• Solve problems independently by learning quickly, making sound decisions, and finding practical solutions when there isn’t an obvious answer.
• Deliver exceptional client service by communicating clearly, managing competing priorities, and working collaboratively with both clients and the Blackwell HR team.

Who Are You?

You’re an experienced HR generalist who has worked in a small or growing organization, perhaps as an HR department of one, and enjoys being a utility player. You know how to move from a strategic conversation with a CEO to solving a payroll issue, improving a process, answering an employee question, or figuring out how to make a system work better.

You bring broad HR experience, strong judgment, and the ability to quickly understand what needs to happen and make it happen. You’re comfortable working independently, but you also know when to collaborate, delegate, or bring in another team member.

• 5+ years of progressive HR Generalist experience.
• Experience supporting a startup, small business, nonprofit, or similarly lean company with fewer than 1,000 employees.
• Broad experience across multiple HR functions, including employee relations, benefits, leave, compliance, performance management, and payroll.
• The ability to move comfortably between strategic HR work and tactical execution.
• Hands‑on experience with HRIS and payroll systems. Experience with multiple platforms such as ADP, Paycom, Paylocity, Workday, Gusto, Rippling, or similar systems is a plus.
• Strong technology skills and an interest in automation and process improvement.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and the ability to communicate confidently with employees, managers, Directors, and C‑Suite leaders.
• Strong time management skills and the ability to manage multiple clients and priorities.
• Excellent client service instincts and a genuine desire to help clients find practical solutions.
• The ability to make decisions quickly and keep work moving.
• A resourceful, solutions‑oriented mindset. When you don’t know the answer, you know how to figure it out.
• A bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field is preferred.

What We Offer

• Full-time, W2 position with a base salary range of $80,000-$110,000
• Full benefits package + 401(k) match
• Four weeks PTO plus holidays
• Fully remote work environment with culture‑building events twice annually
• Collaborative, low‑ego team culture driven by our values: Determination, Integrity, Service Driven, Teamwork, and Innovation

Blackwell HR provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type 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 terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.