People Operations Specialist

HIAS Europe; Silver Spring (MD); On-site; USD 75,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

HIAS Europe is seeking a People Operations Specialist to provide support for HR services and compliance for its U.S. and HQ staff. Based at our headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland, this role includes responsibilities in talent acquisition, onboarding, employee relations, and performance management processes.

The ideal candidate will have at least 2 years of Human Resources experience and knowledge of benefits administration. The position offers a competitive salary range of $75,000–$90,000.

Qualifications

• Minimum 2 years of experience in Human Resources.
• Experience with 401k plans and open enrollment compliance.
• Preferred PHR, SPHR, SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP certification.

Responsibilities

• Support full-cycle recruitment and onboarding processes.
• Ensure compliance with federal and state employment laws.
• Assist with performance management processes for employees.

Skills

Human Resources experience

Project management skills

Communication skills

Analytical and problem-solving abilities

Customer-service skills

Education

Undergraduate degree in Human Resources or related field

Tools

HRIS systems (Paylocity, ADP)

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft PowerPoint

Job description

Position Summary

The People Operations Specialist is responsible for providing hands‑on support to the management of people operations for U.S. and international HQ staff. This role supports the delivery of HR services, compliance with employment laws, and alignment with organizational values and goals. The People Operations Specialist partners with the Associate Director, US and HQ People Operations to support talent acquisition, performance management process, and ad‑hoc projects, while fostering a positive and inclusive workplace culture that reflects HIAS and its values.

Note: this position is based at our headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland. The salary range for this position is $75,000–$90,000.

Essential Functions

• Talent Acquisition and Onboarding: Support in the full-cycle recruitment and consultant acquisition process ensuring equitable hiring practices for US/HQ employees.
• Assist in job postings, job description reviews, candidate communications, interview scheduling, phone screening, and background and reference checks.
• Support onboarding processes, including offer documentation, orientation logistics, and system access requests.
• Ensure a smooth and compliant onboarding experience for new hires.
• Collaborate with the Associate Director, US and HQ People Operations to support in defining job requirements and assessing appropriate job levels and salary ranges.
• Participate in delivery of training to employees and managers on HIAS recruitment policies and procedures.
• Support in ensuring all recruitment practices comply with donor requirements and labor laws, and that job descriptions align with HIAS grade and salary scale structure.
• Ensure that all onboarding processes stay up-to-date collaborating with People and Culture and other department colleagues as needed.

• Employee Relations and Compliance: Identify and keep People Operations leadership abreast of any employee relations issues.
• Support in the development of trainings of HIAS policies and procedures.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws and HIAS policies and procedures.

• Performance Management Processes: In coordination with the Associate Director US People Operations support on the implementation and roll out of the performance review process for US and international HQ employees.
• Promote a culture of continuous learning and employee engagement.
• Support the People and Culture team to implement staff wellbeing initiatives.

• Support HR audits, reporting, and documentation requests.
• Support with ad‑hoc administrative tasks and projects as needed.
• Responsible for the maintenance of recruitment files and employee files.
• Responsible for the People operations ticketing system and accurately directing inquiries.
• Provide accurate and timely data for reporting purposes.
• Other duties as assigned by the supervisor.

Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree preferred in Human Resources, Business or a related field. Experience in lieu of degree acceptable.
• Must have at least 2 years of experience working in Human Resources; minimum of two years of benefits administration experience with 401k plans and open enrollment analysis, compliance and vendor management, strongly preferred.
• Experience working in nonprofit, humanitarian organization preferred.
• PHR, SPHR, SHRM‑CP or SHRM‑SCP preferred.
• Experience with HRIS systems such as Paylocity and or/ADP, Employee Navigator and other performance management systems.
• Advanced skills in Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
• Demonstrated project management skills; excellent attention to detail, interpersonal and organizational skills.
• Some knowledge of Judaism and/ or the Jewish community, culture and issues is a plus.
• Must possess excellent communication (written and oral) and active listening skills.
• Strong customer‑service skills; excellent analytical and problem‑solving abilities.
• Must be able to work independently and as a team player.
• Ability to multitask and handle multiple ongoing responsibilities and/or projects is required; ability to work in a fast‑paced environment.