Human Resources Specialist

Aerospace-Industries-Association; Arlington (VA); On-site; USD 72,000 - 77,000; Full time

Job summary

Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) is seeking a Human Resources Specialist to support day-to-day HR operations, talent acquisition, and internship program management. The role serves as a backstop for payroll and benefits, working closely with the VP of Human Resources & People Operations to ensure timely, accurate HR service.

The ideal candidate will be organized, discreet, and customer-focused, with strong communication skills and attention to detail to maintain compliant records and

Qualifications

• Minimum 3 years of human resources experience.
• Solid understanding of labor legislation, payroll processes, and HRIS systems.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities with minimal supervision.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate talent acquisition processes including posting vacancies and interview scheduling.
• Manage annual internship program and onboarding/offboarding activities for interns.
• Maintain HR dashboards and HR metrics for leadership reviews.
• Provide payroll backup support and assist benefits administration as needed.
• Prepare and distribute monthly HR communications and newsletters.

Skills

Communication

Multitasking

Customer service

Discretion

Organization

Education

Associates degree in HR or related

Bachelor's degree (desirable)

Tools

Paylocity

Microsoft Office

ATS platforms

Job description

Description

Position Summary:
The Human Resources Specialist supports the day-to-day execution of AIA’s human resources and people operations functions, ensuring effective execution of HR programs, processes, and initiatives. In this role, you will manage the talent acquisition process, manage the annual internship program and handle various administrative tasks within the human resources department. The Human Resources Specialist brings a customer service focus to creating a positive experience for all employees.

The ideal candidate is an organized, discreet, collegial, and solutions-oriented HR professional who demonstrates sound judgment and a strong commitment to service. The incumbent will work closely with the Vice President, Human Resources & People Operations to support departmental priorities and initiatives. Exceptional attention to detail and excellent written and verbal communication skills are essential for success in this role. The Human Resources Specialist must be able to effectively manage multiple priorities, shift between immediate and longer-term assignments, maintain accurate and well-organized records, and consistently meet changing deadlines. The Specialist also serves as a backup resource for designated payroll and benefits administration activities, ensuring continuity of these functions as needed.

This position reports to the Vice President, Human Resources & People Operations.

The salary range for this position is $72,000 - $77,000.

Key Responsibilities:

Talent Acquisition (50%):

• Perform routine tasks related to crafting vacancy announcements, managing job postings, organizing interview schedules.
• Coordinate AIA’s in-house applicant tracking process, including collecting and reviewing resumes, conducting candidate pre-screens, triaging applicants, maintaining accurate candidate records, and tracking candidates through each stage of the recruitment process.
• Works collaboratively to onboard/offboard voluntary departing employees. Communicate requests for IT and accounting access, provide office tours for new hires.
• Coordinate all aspects of the annual internship program including recruitment, maintaining communication with interns and host organizations, arrange external field trips, organize welcome and farewell activities.
• Maintain accurate and current job descriptions, coordinating updates as needed to support organizational and regulatory requirements.

Coordinate Administrative Functions of the Human Resources Department (50%):

• Support the ongoing review and maintenance of the Employee Handbook to ensure policies and procedures remain current and aligned with applicable federal, state, and local requirements.
• Coordinate the administration of annual employee engagement and pulse surveys, employee referral and recognition programs, including the purchase, tracking, and distribution of gift cards.
• Research workplace trends and benchmark data related to workforce practices and summarize findings for HR leadership.
• Maintain HR dashboards and recurring workforce reports, compile HR metrics, validate data accuracy, and prepare information for review by HR leadership.
• Provide ongoing administrative support for AIA’s internal AI-powered HR resource, including maintaining approved HR content and identifying information requiring updates.
• Provide operational support to the payroll department by serving as a backup for the bi-weekly payroll process.
• Maintain the HR training calendar and coordinate meetings and training sessions, including agenda preparation, logistics management, and follow-up on HR action items.
• Prepare and distribute the monthly HR newsletter highlighting key AIA updates, upcoming events, milestones, achievements, or upcoming initiatives.
• Participate in special projects, focus groups, and other assignments as needed.

Requirements

Minimum Requirements:

• Minimum of 3 years of human resource experience.
• Solid understanding of labor legislation, payroll processes, and HRIS systems like Paylocity.
• Ability to identify routine technical or operational issues, resolve matters within established procedures, and escalation or recommend solutions when appropriate.
• Organized, quick learner, attentive to details, ability to independently prioritize, multi-task projects and duties with minimal supervision while ensuring work is completed timely.
• Strong oral and written communication skills (concise, timely, positive nature).
• Gather and process information independently. Organize useful documentation that is self-reviewed and well-thought out.
• Native understanding and extensive work within the Microsoft Office environment (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Project, SharePoint) is required.
• Ability to work under time pressure to meet deadlines and capability to quickly flex to changes in priorities. In addition, be flexible where extra hours are needed without always being asked.
• Strong interpersonal skills with ability to maintain effective working relationships with staff and external parties (vendors, consultants, etc.). Customer centricity is a must.
• Creative self-starter with strong initiative and natural desire to take ownership to contribute to the broader team.
• Experience working on cross-functional teams.
• Motivated, “can-do” attitude.
• Ability to handle confidential information with professionalism, maturity, and trust is required.

Desired Skills/Experience:

• Associates degree, in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field a plus
• Proficient writing skills, including the ability to develop background and talking points quickly and in a concise manner is sought after.
• Proficient in modern HR and productivity tech stacks, including tools such as Microsoft Copilot, Smartsheet, and ATS platforms.
• Demonstrates curiosity about emerging HR trends, with a growth mindset and a willingness to innovate, experiment, and continuously learn.

The physical demands and work environment characteristics described are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Equal Opportunity Employer

AIA is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace, committed to non-discrimination regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity/expression, veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable law.

This job description is not intended to be a complete statement of all duties, which may be assigned by the supervisor according to varying business needs.