Sr. Human Resources Generalist

HR Pals; Jacksonville (FL); Hybrid; USD 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

HR Pals seeks a Senior Human Resources Generalist to support a portfolio of clients across industries. You will be the primary contact for client management teams and own day-to-day HR matters, partnering with the HR Manager and Director on complex issues.

The role requires 4–6 years of HR experience, strong communication, and the ability to lead employee relations investigations. This is a full-time hybrid position with 1 day in the office in Jacksonville.

Qualifications

• Roughly 4–6 years of HR experience in multiple industries, with independent leadership of employee relations investigations
• Payroll experience preferred
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Demonstrated ability to establish relationships with client management teams
• Strong consultation skills in a client-facing, matrixed role
• Experience drafting employee relations documents and severance agreements
• Experience with salary benchmarking and HR system implementations
• Experience mentoring others; people management considered a plus
• Smart, quick learner, self-motivated and adaptable
• Able to work effectively from a remote home office

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary point of contact for client management teams and own day-to-day client HR matters
• Be flexible to handle a variety of assignments across client HR needs and escalate complex issues as needed
• Counsel management on employment laws, policies, and payroll matters
• Independently own leave-of-absence and accommodation processes
• Lead employee relations investigations and mediate disputes with proper documentation
• Review client handbooks and update policies to stay compliant
• Draft severance agreements and design layoff/reduction-in-force plans
• Conduct salary benchmarking and assist with compensation guidance
• Lead HR system implementations and support new-client kickoffs
• Provide hands-on HR support including compliance reporting and payroll for some clients
• Identify legal risks and recommend mitigations
• Mentor HR staff and build client relationships
• Support a strong client service culture across teams
• Other duties as assigned

Skills

HR leadership

Payroll experience

Written communication

Client-facing

Policy consultation

Employee relations investigations

Salary benchmarking

HR systems implementations

Mentoring

Self-motivated

Adaptability

Remote work capable

Job description

The Senior Human Resources Generalist supports a portfolio of our clients across multiple industries. In this role, you will serve as the primary point of contact for our clients' management teams (not just their employees) and take fuller day-to-day ownership of client HR matters than an HR Generalist. You will partner with our HR Manager and HR Director on strategic and highly complex issues, and you may manage and mentor HR Coordinators, HR Specialists and HR Generalists.

The successful candidate will have roughly 4-6 years of HR experience, preferably in a client-facing environment, with demonstrated experience independently leading employee relations investigations. Payroll experience is preferred. The ability to multi-task, strong attention to detail, and top-notch communication skills (both written and verbal) are essential.

This is a full-time hybrid position. 1 day a week in office.

Although there is inherent schedule flexibility built into the role, it is expected that the Senior Human Resources Generalist be on call and available to clients as needed. Although this typically involves working during business hours, on occasion the person in this role may be asked to support client needs early in the morning or evenings. It is imperative that clients feel supported and that they can contact the Senior Human Resources Generalist at any time and get a very quick response (ideally immediately, but no greater than 4 hours). Customer focus and responsiveness is a must in this position.

Essential Job Functions (As a Senior HR Generalist Consultant to our Clients):

• Serve as the primary point of contact for client management teams, taking full day-to-day ownership of client HR matters across the client. Maintain full proficiency in, and perform as needed, HR Coordinator, HR Specialist and HR Generalist-level work
• Be flexible and willing to take on a variety of assignments depending on each client's specific HR needs. Our clients expect us to be a full-service HR department that handles all aspects of HR for them, so a "can-do" attitude is a must. Escalate complex or strategic issues to the HR Manager or HR Director when needed
• Make well researched decisions and counsel management and team members consistently and appropriately to maintain a productive and positive work environment and achieve optimal performance. Where appropriate, provide options to clients for alternative courses of action
• Educate and advise management and team members on employment laws, HR policies and procedures, and state and federal laws, and coach client managers on HR and payroll matters and documentation
• Independently own the leave-of-absence and reasonable-accommodation process from start to finish
• Independently lead basic-to-moderate employee relations investigations (including allegations of harassment, discrimination, wrongful termination and improper conduct), mediate employee disputes, and ensure proper documentation and corrective actions are in place. Partner with the HR Manager or Human Resources Director on more complex matters
• Identify gaps in client policies and review client employee handbooks, recommending updates to keep them compliant and aligned with business needs
• Map out layoff and reduction-in-force scenarios and draft severance agreements. Investigations and severance agreements are expected to be roughly 90% complete on first submission, requiring little to no revision from a senior reviewer
• Conduct salary benchmarking and grade design, and partner with the HR Manager or Human Resources Director on compensation and benefits guidance, including incentive plan design and management of the health benefits broker
• Lead HR system implementations and partner on new-client kickoffs
• Handle hands-on, tactical needs across HR functional areas, including compliance reporting and payroll for some clients
• Ensure compliance with federal and state labor laws. Identify potential legal risk to the client and make recommendations on next steps to minimize risk
• Manage and mentor HR Coordinators and/or HR Specialists, and potentially HR Generalists, providing day-to-day guidance and review of their work
• Build and maintain healthy relationships with all team members and clients
• Other duties as assigned

Required Education, Experience, Skills and Abilities:

• Roughly 4-6 years of successful HR experience in multiple industries, with demonstrated independent leadership of employee relations investigations. A college degree is not required
• Payroll experience preferred
• Strong written and verbal communication
• Demonstrated track record of establishing relationships and earning credibility and respect with client management teams
• Strong consultation skills and proven track record in a client-facing, matrixed role, including the ability to influence leaders to align people processes and practices with business objectives
• Experience drafting employee relations and separation documents, such as investigation reports and severance agreements, and reviewing employee handbooks
• Experience with salary benchmarking and leading HR system/technology implementations
• Experience coaching or mentoring others; people management experience is a plus
• Smart and a quick learner
• Self-motivated
• Adaptable
• Able to be productive working from a remote home office