Payroll & Onboarding HR Generalist

Nexus HR; Sacramento (CA); On-site; USD 97,424,000 - 114,616,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Dental

Vision

Medical

401k

Paid Leave

Job summary

Nexus HR in Sacramento, CA is seeking an experienced HR Generalist with a payroll focus to guide new employees from pre-employment through onboarding, orientation, and initial training. This role covers payroll processing, benefits, and compliance while ensuring a smooth transition for new hires.

You will manage onboarding workflows, handle background checks, and coordinate with IT/facilities to ensure first-day readiness, while maintaining accurate records and supporting training programs.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field.
• 2-4 years of HR experience focusing on onboarding or recruitment.
• Experience with 940 and 941 forms is required.
• Strong organizational skills with attention to detail.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Proficiency with HRIS and onboarding software.
• Proficiency with payroll management software (e.g., Paychex, QuickBooks, Prism, TimeCo).
• Ability to handle sensitive and confidential information with discretion.
• Able to work in Sacramento, CA.

Responsibilities

• Payroll Administration: process bi-weekly, semi-monthly, monthly, and off-cycle payrolls.
• Calculate and process compensation, deductions, bonuses, and expenses.
• Reconcile payroll data to general ledger; manage time tracking and attendance.
• Maintain payroll records and compliance with federal, state, local laws.
• Manage 401(k) deductions and funding; serve as payroll SME and train staff.
• Prepare and process 940 and 941 tax forms.
• Onboarding Process Management: coordinate full onboarding, offers, background checks, welcome materials, scheduling.
• Conduct new hire orientations and ensure policy understanding.
• Coordinate IT and facilities for first-day access and equipment.
• Pre-Employment Activities: complete background checks, drug tests, eligibility verification.
• Manage new hire paperwork and benefits enrollment.
• Training & Development: organize initial training and role-specific programs.
• Collaborate with department heads to develop training; monitor progress.
• Employee Engagement & Integration: implement onboarding engagement activities, be the main contact.
• Compliance & Documentation: ensure onboarding/legal compliance, maintain records, assist audits.
• Cross-Department Collaboration: work with HR and managers to ensure consistent onboarding; communicate progress.
• Respond to employee inquiries on HR policies, benefits, payroll.

Skills

Payroll processing

Onboarding

Interpersonal skills

Document compliance

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in HR or related field

Tools

HRIS

Onboarding software

Payroll software (Paychex, QuickBooks, Prism, TimeCo)

Job description

Nexus HR in Sacramento, CA is seeking an experienced HR Generalist with a payroll focus to guide new employees from pre-employment through onboarding, orientation, and initial training. This role covers payroll processing, benefits, and compliance while ensuring a smooth transition for new hires.

You will manage onboarding workflows, handle background checks, and coordinate with IT/facilities to ensure first-day readiness, while maintaining accurate records and supporting training programs.