Human Resources Specialist

Pepperdine University; Malibu (CA); On-site; USD 34,000 - 37,000; Full time

Job summary

Pepperdine University seeks a Human Resources Specialist to serve as a junior business partner for designated schools and departments, delivering full-cycle HR support across recruitment, onboarding, and employee lifecycle processes.

The role focuses on frontline service, strong relationship-building with supervisors and staff, and ensuring consistent policy application. Regular, nonexempt, 40-hour work week with competitive benefits.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and Google Workspace.
• Strong administrative and organizational skills for multiple priorities.
• Ability to handle confidential information with discretion.
• Proactive problem-solving and sense of ownership.
• Good judgment, independent work style, and adaptability.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills across all levels.
• Thrive in a fast-paced environment with attention to detail.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide full-cycle HR support for recruitment, onboarding, and employee lifecycle transactions.
• Draft job postings, coordinate advertisements, and manage applicant communications.
• Assist with onboarding, new hire paperwork, background checks, and Form I-9s.
• Support data entry, retroactive payments, and audits during peak periods.
• Coordinate exit interviews and lifecycle transactions (extensions, transfers, promotions, pay changes).
• Track introductory and annual assessments for assigned employees.
• Maintain knowledge of university policies, laws, and HR best practices.
• Perform other duties as assigned and promote a welcoming service environment.

Skills

Bachelor’s degree

MS Office (Excel, Word)

Google Workspace

Administrative skills

Discretion & confidentiality

Initiative & ownership

Communication

Organizational skills

Detail-oriented

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent

Tools

PageUp

PeopleSoft

Etrieve

Job description

The Human Resources Specialist serves as a junior business partner for designated schools and departments, providing full-cycle HR support throughout the employee experience. This role delivers high-quality, mission-aligned service in the areas of recruitment, onboarding, employee lifecycle transactions, and compliance.
As a frontline representative of the Human Resources team, the specialist builds strong relationships, supports supervisors and employees with day-to-day HR needs, and ensures the consistent application of University policies and best practices. The Human Resources Specialist plays a key role in promoting a welcoming, informed, and service-driven environment across the University.

Duties

• Recruitment Support
  • Provide superior customer service to hiring managers throughout the recruitment process by drafting position descriptions, preparing job postings, coordinating advertisements, managing applicant communication, scheduling interviews, pre-screening applicants, and processing offer requests.
  • Represent Pepperdine University at job fairs, send recruiting materials, engage with student organizations, and conduct informational interviews to support recruitment efforts.
  • Provide excellent customer service to applicants, respond to inquiries through the employment inbox, and create goodwill for the University throughout the process.
• Onboarding, Employee Lifecycle Support & Offboarding
  • Manage the faculty and staff onboarding process by sending offer letters, overseeing completion of new hire paperwork, background checks, and Form I-9s, and meeting with employees on their first day to provide a welcoming experience.
  • Assist with employment-related processes, including processing manual timesheets, reviewing retroactive payment forms, and serving as backup for data entry and auditing during peak periods.
  • Conduct exit interviews for separating employees in assigned areas and coordinate separation logistics with HR operations.
  • Assist supervisors with employee lifecycle transactions such as extensions, transfers, promotions, pay adjustments, and separations, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and compliance.
  • Track introductory and annual assessments and ensure completion for assigned employees.
• Other
  • Maintain knowledge of University policies, applicable laws, and HR best practices; ensure these are applied consistently and accurately within assigned areas.
  • Perform other duties as assigned.
• Uphold University mission through work performed.

The above information has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees assigned to this job.

Skills and Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and professional experience.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Excel, Word) and Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Drive, Gmail).
• Strong administrative and organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities effectively.
• Demonstrated ability to handle confidential and highly sensitive information with discretion and professionalism.
• Proven ability to take initiative, anticipate needs, and proactively resolve issues with a strong sense of ownership.
• Sound judgment and decision-making skills, with the ability to work independently and navigate ambiguity.
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build relationships and communicate effectively across all levels of the organization.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment while remaining resourceful, efficient, and detail-oriented.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Preferred

• 2+ years of experience in human resources or a related field.
• Familiarity with Pepperdine University.
• Experience with PageUp, PeopleSoft, and Etrieve.

This is a Regular, Nonexempt, 40 hour per week position.

Expected Pay Range: $25.00 - $26.92 per hour

The above pay range reflects what Pepperdine University reasonably expects to pay for this position at time of posting. Actual compensation may vary based on relevant factors such as work experience, market conditions, education/training, and skill level. In addition to base pay, Pepperdine offers a robust and highly competitive benefits package.

Pepperdine is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of any status or condition protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. Pepperdine is committed to providing a work environment free from all forms of unlawful discrimination and harassment. Engaging in unlawful discrimination or harassment will result in appropriate disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal from the University.

Pepperdine is religiously affiliated with the Churches of Christ. It is the purpose of Pepperdine to pursue the very highest employment and academic standards within a context that celebrates and extends the spiritual and ethical ideals of the Christian faith. While students, faculty, and staff represent many religious backgrounds, Pepperdine is permitted under applicable law and reserves the right to seek, hire, and promote persons who support the goals and mission of the institution, including the right to prefer co-religionists who support Pepperdine's Christian mission.

Qualified individuals should be able to show respect for workplace differences, and have the ability to work effectively with individuals from different backgrounds.

Offers of employment are contingent upon successful completion of a criminal, education, and employment screening. The University conducts such screenings in compliance with applicable laws and with the objectives of evaluating risk and supporting a safe environment for students, faculty, staff, and guests; safeguarding key University assets including people, property, information, and the University’s reputation; and providing comprehensive job-related information to University leaders to enable them to make prudent hiring decisions. Individuals will be required to disclose any criminal convictions on a designated form after receiving a conditional offer of employment; failure to disclose accurate information may result in withdrawal of the offer or termination of employment. Qualified individuals with criminal histories will be considered for employment in compliance with applicable laws, including the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance.