People Generalist

CBRE Government & Defense Services; United States; Remote; USD 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

CBRE Government & Defense Services is seeking a People Generalist to provide day-to-day HR support across multiple accounts. You will drive onboarding, offboarding, records maintenance in UKG, and respond to payroll, benefits, and policy inquiries to ensure a positive employee experience.

You will collaborate with People Partners, cross-functional teams, and leadership to manage compliance, reporting, and employee relations while maintaining confidentiality and high service standards.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field preferred, with 2–5 years of relevant HR or People Operations experience.
• Working knowledge of HR operations, employee lifecycle processes, leave administration, employee relations, and compliance.
• Experience with HRIS platforms, preferably UKG, including data maintenance, transactions, reporting and audits.
• Familiarity with payroll, benefits, timekeeping, and pre-employment screening.
• Understanding of federal, state, and local employment laws, policies, and confidentiality requirements.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate onboarding, offboarding, and HR transactions across assigned accounts.
• Maintain and audit employee information in UKG and other systems.
• Respond to employee inquiries on policies, payroll, benefits, and records.
• Assist with leave administration processes and employee communications.
• Support compliance, audits, and employee relations activities.
• Prepare recurring HR reports and workforce analytics.
• Collaborate with People Partners, Talent Acquisition, Payroll, Benefits, and leadership.
• Ensure confidentiality and accurate, timely escalation of sensitive matters.

Skills

HR operations

employee lifecycle

compliance

HRIS (UKG)

payroll & benefits

Microsoft Excel

data analysis

communication

confidentiality

cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR or related field

Tools

UKG HRIS

Microsoft Office

Job description

The People Generalist provides day-to-day human resources support across multiple assigned accounts, ensuring consistent delivery of People operations, employee lifecycle processes, compliance activities, and employee services. This position partners with account leadership, People Business Partners, employees, and cross-functional teams to support onboarding, offboarding, employee relations, leave administration, HR transactions, payroll and benefits inquiries, workforce reporting, and People initiatives.

The role is responsible for maintaining accurate employee records, supporting HR policies and procedures, preparing operational reports, coordinating compliance activities, and assisting with employee-related matters while promoting a positive employee experience and alignment with company policies and applicable employment regulations.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Employee Lifecycle and HR Operations

• Coordinate and oversee HR transactions associated with employee onboarding, status changes, promotions, transfers, and terminations, ensuring accurate documentation and timely processing.
• Support onboarding and offboarding activities, including employee documentation, HR system updates, and coordination with Talent Acquisition, management, and other internal teams.
• Maintain and audit employee information within UKG and other HR systems, identifying discrepancies, coordinating corrections, and following up on outstanding actions.
• Respond to employee and management inquiries regarding HR policies, payroll, benefits, timesheets, employee records, and general People operations.
• Provide guidance on company policies, procedures, and employment-related requirements, escalating complex matters to the appropriate People teams.

Leave Administration, Benefits, and Employee Support

• Coordinate and support Leave of Absence (LOA) processes, including employee communications, status tracking, documentation, and follow-up with employees and Business Services.
• Conduct monthly check-ins with employees on leave to obtain updates, address questions, and communicate relevant information to appropriate stakeholders.
• Prepare and distribute leave-related correspondence, including notifications at designated leave milestones and follow-up letters for employees who have not responded to communications.
• Assist employees and managers with leave, benefits, accommodations, and return-to-work inquiries in coordination with the appropriate People teams.
• Support employee engagement activities, including monthly birthday and service anniversary reporting, employee communications, and account-level initiatives.

People Operations, Compliance, and Employee Relations

• Support compliance with company policies and applicable federal, state, and local employment laws, regulations, and reporting requirements.
• Coordinate audit preparation activities, including employee file reviews, HR data validation, documentation retrieval, and resolution of identified discrepancies.
• Support employee relations matters by gathering documentation, assisting with preliminary fact-finding, and coordinating with People Business Partners and account leadership.
• Assist with unemployment claims, pre-employment screening adjudication, background check inquiries, and other employment-related compliance processes.
• Retrieve and submit employee records and supporting documentation for investigations, audits, and internal reviews while maintaining confidentiality.
• Support accommodation requests and related employee processes in partnership with People Business Partners and designated stakeholders.

Workforce Reporting, HR Systems, and Talent Support

• Prepare, analyze, and validate recurring People reports, including headcount, workforce metrics, employee status changes, leave activity, and account-level reporting.
• Conduct monthly HR system audits, including UKG employee data reviews, and coordinate follow-up on outstanding corrections within established timelines.
• Prepare account-specific OSHA hours reporting and other required workforce or compliance reports, as applicable.
• Generate Learning and Development reports, identify overdue training requirements, notify managers, and conduct follow-up to support timely completion.
• Support employee engagement surveys, pulse surveys, performance goals reporting, and workforce data analysis to identify trends and provide actionable insights.
• Coordinate with Talent Acquisition and hiring managers on recruiting activities, candidate follow-up, pre-employment requirements, and hiring-related administration.
• Support employee data maintenance initiatives, including emergency contact updates, employee self-identification surveys, and HR records accuracy.

People Projects and Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Participate in People initiatives and special projects across assigned accounts, supporting process improvements, employee engagement, and operational efficiency.
• Partner with People Business Partners, Business Services, Talent Acquisition, Payroll, Benefits, and account leadership to resolve employee inquiries and operational issues.
• Assist with compensation-related data requests, workforce planning activities, and employee information analysis.
• Identify opportunities to improve HR workflows, reporting accuracy, documentation practices, and service delivery.
• Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

Knowledge, Experience, and Skill Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field preferred, with 2–5 years of relevant HR or People Operations experience. An equivalent combination of education and experience will be considered.
• Working knowledge of HR operations, employee lifecycle processes, leave administration, employee relations, and employment-related compliance requirements.
• Experience working with HRIS platforms, preferably UKG, including employee data maintenance, transactions, reporting, and audits.
• Familiarity with payroll processes, employee benefits, timekeeping systems, and pre-employment screening procedures.
• Understanding of applicable federal, state, and local employment laws, HR policies, and confidentiality requirements.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, particularly Excel, Word, Outlook, and PowerPoint.
• Strong analytical and mathematical skills, including the ability to interpret workforce data, calculate percentages, and prepare accurate reports.
• Excellent organizational, communication, problem-solving, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and meet established deadlines.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment, maintain confidentiality, and communicate complex HR information clearly to employees and management.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate across departments, work independently within established procedures, and deliver consistent employee support.
• Commitment to CBRE's RISE values and maintaining high standards of professionalism, accountability, and service delivery.
• Manage recurring monthly People operations activities, reporting, audits, employee communications, and leave-related follow-up.
• Respond to employee and account leadership requests while meeting established service expectations and compliance deadlines.
• Maintain accurate, confidential employee information and ensure timely escalation of complex or sensitive matters.
• Support multiple assigned accounts and adapt to changing operational priorities and business needs.

Travel Requirements

Minimal travel may be required for in-person meetings or events.

Disclaimer

This position may also be eligible for a wide range of competitive benefits that can include, but are not limited to, medical, well-being, financial planning, and short-term incentive benefits.

This description is not intended to be an all-inclusive list of the accountabilities of the job described. Rather, it describes the general nature of the job. In addition, some aspects of this job may change over time according to business needs, and these changes may not be recorded immediately. The requirements stated represent the minimum levels of knowledge, skills, and/or abilities required to qualify and satisfactorily perform this job.

This document should not be construed as creating a contract of employment between CBRE Government & Defense Services and any of its employees or otherwise altering an employee’s at-will employment relationship with CBRE Government & Defense Services.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.