Human Resources Specialist

State of Louisiana; Baton Rouge (LA); On-site; USD 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

The Louisiana State Board of Nursing seeks an experienced HR professional to lead and execute staffing, classification, compensation, employee relations, benefits administration, and safety initiatives. You will partner with leadership, supervise HR staff, and represent the agency on high‑level projects, ensuring legal compliance and staff engagement.

This role combines strategic HR influence with hands‑on operational duties, offering visibility across the agency and opportunities to drive

Qualifications

• Six years of human resources experience; OR six years of full‑time experience in any field plus three years of human resources experience.
• Bachelor’s degree plus three years of human resources experience.
• Advanced degree in HR, business administration, public administration, industrial/organizational psychology, organizational behavior, or a Juris Doctorate plus two years of human resources experience.
• Designation as SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, or SPHR substitutes for up to one year of required HR experience.
• EXPERIENCE SUBSTITUTION: 30 semester hours equals one year of experience; max substitution 120 semester hours (four years).

Responsibilities

• Work with CAO to interpret State Civil Service rules, laws, and agency policies for assigned areas.
• Coordinate recruiting, selection, and placement activities for the agency.
• Ensure hiring processes comply with state and federal laws.
• Maintain departmental personnel files and reports per legal requirements.
• Assist with annual Civil Service reports and unemployment/workers compensation processes.
• Oversee Benefits coordination and annual open enrollment.
• Provide confidential admin and technical support to CAO and collaborate with HR staff and leaders.
• Participate in department goals, performance assessment, and process improvements.

Skills

Accepting Direction

Communicating Effectively

Ethics and Integrity

Time Management

Expertise

Critical Thinking

Accountability

Adaptability

Professionalism

Education

Bachelor's degree + HR experience

Advanced HR degree or JD

SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP/PHR/SPHR substitution

Job description

To safeguard the life and health of the citizens of Louisiana by assuring persons practicing as Registered Nurses and Advanced Practice Registered Nurses are competent and safe.

Overview

This position performs diverse and specialized tasks in the maintenance of comprehensive human resources functions, which include but are not limited to: Recruitment, Screening & Orientation; Performance Appraisal; Benefits Coordination; Classification and Pay; Time and Attendance; and Personnel Records Management for the Louisiana State Board of Nursing (LSBN). The incumbent must meet a wide variety of regulatory and agency deadlines and remain abreast of changes in laws and regulations governing employment. The incumbent must exercise considerable independent judgment and maintain adherence to the principles of confidentiality.

Key Competencies

• Accepting Direction: The ability to be open and willing to follow guidance or instructions.

• Communicating Effectively: The ability to convey information, ideas, and emotions using structured communication methods that promote understanding and engagement.

• Acting with Ethics and Integrity: The ability to make choices that reflect ethical standards, integrity, and honesty, regardless of circumstances or personal benefit.

• Managing Time: The ability to prioritize tasks, meet deadlines, and allocate time to ensure timely completion of work goals

• Displaying Expertise: The ability to demonstrate specialized knowledge, skills, and experience to apply subject‑matter expertise in diverse and evolving contexts.

• Thinking Critically: The ability to analyze information objectively, identify connections across sources, and form logical, well‑supported conclusions.

• Demonstrating Accountability: The ability to take ownership of actions, behaviors, performance, decisions, and outcomes.

• Adapting to Change: The ability to demonstrate flexibility in thoughts, behaviors, and actions in response to evolving circumstances or unexpected change.

• Displaying Professionalism: The ability to uphold workplace standards through consistent conduct, responsible communication, and consideration for others.

What Makes the Opportunity Exciting or Unique

This opportunity is exciting because it places you at the heart of shaping the employee experience for the Louisiana State Board of Nursing. In this role, you will serve as a trusted partner to leadership while also being hands‑on in key HR functions such as staffing, classification, compensation, employee relations, benefits administration, and employee safety. Unlike many HR positions, this role offers a unique blend of strategic influence and operational impact—allowing you to both design and implement initiatives that directly affect staff engagement, compliance, and agency performance.

You will have the opportunity to act as a subject matter expert in specialized HR areas, while also leading meaningful programs such as onboarding, professional development, safety, and benefits. This is not a siloed role—it is highly visible, collaborative, and integral to driving process improvements and ensuring compliance with state and federal regulations. Additionally, the role offers leadership responsibility by supervising and mentoring HR team members, while also serving as a representative of the agency in high-level projects and initiatives.

For the right candidate, this position is an opportunity to make a lasting impact by aligning HR strategy with organizational goals, strengthening employee relations, and supporting the mission of the Louisiana State Board of Nursing. It’s a rare chance to combine leadership, compliance expertise, and innovation in one dynamic role.

• Six years of human resources experience; OR
• Six years of full‑time experience in any field plus three years of human resources experience; OR
• A bachelor’s degree plus three years of human resources experience; OR
• An advanced degree in human resources, business administration, public administration, industrial and organizational psychology, organizational behavior, or a Juris Doctorate plus two years of human resources experience.
• EXPERIENCE SUBSTITUTION:
• Every 30 semester hours earned from an accredited college or university will be credited as one year of experience towards the six years of full‑time work experience in any field. The maximum substitution allowed is 120 semester hours which substitutes for a maximum of four years of experience in any field.
• Designation as a Society for Human Resource Management Certified Professional (SHRM‑CP) or Senior Certified Professional (SHRM‑SCP), Professional in Human Resources (PHR), or a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) will substitute for a maximum of one year of the required experience.

The official job specifications for this role, as defined by the State Civil Service, can be found here.

Job Duties:

• Works with the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) in interpreting State Civil Service (SCS) rules, Federal and State laws, and agency policies and procedures in assigned areas; serves as a subject matter expert in one or more HR area(s), such as: employee relations, staffing, classification, and or compensation; obtains and maintains up‑to‑date technical and procedural knowledge of all applicable SCS Rules, handbooks, job aids and resources, forms, memorandums, and circulars that reside inside SCS chapters, as well as independently outside each chapter, for assigned area(s); works with the CAO to endure that each HR policy and the business decision complies with state and federal rules and audit criteria.

• Coordinates recruiting, selection, and placement activities for the agency; analyzes and reviews a full range of personnel and payroll actions forms in accordance with SCS rules and LSBN policies; resolves problem personnel actions with Civil Service

• Analyzes and assures hiring processes are in compliance with state and federal laws and regulations.

• Ensures that departmental personnel files, records, and reports are maintained in compliance with applicable legal requirements and departmental policies

• Works with the CAO to complete and submit annual reports to Civil Service such as OPA, Affluent ActionEEO, reviews and monitors unemployment and worker compensation processes and reports.

• Manages the Workman’s Compensation Program for the agency; participates in investigating accidents and injuries and reviews documentation to make educated decisions on claims

• Benefits Function Serves as the Benefits Coordinator for the agency, including the vendor selection and approval process; acts as a liaison with the various insurance carriers and fosters effective relationships with client representatives; coordinates annual open enrollment and/or benefits fair.

• Provides confidential administrative and technical assistance to the Chief Administrative Officer, with duties that require a high degree of independence and judgement; works collaboratively with the HR staff, agency leaders, and employees to ensure that the goals of the HR department are met

• Services coordinator special projects, HR initiatives or other research; represents the department with the Board, related agencies, and the public as assigned; participates in developing department goals, objectives, and systems; participates in assessing the departmental performance, effectiveness, and implements process improvement activities.

• Selects and recommends for appointment, in accordance with federal and state statutes and regulations; orients, instructs, and trains employees about job responsibilities; monitors and documents performance.

Position‑Specific Details:

Appointment Type:Probational

Career Progression:This position does not participate in a Career Progression Group.

Compensation:The salary offered will be determined based on qualifications and experience.

Louisiana is a State As a Model Employer (SAME) that supports the recruitment, hiring, and retention of individuals with disabilities.

For further information about this vacancy, contact:

Kristin Major

Louisiana State Board of Nursing

225-755-7556

[e-mail]