Temporary Human Resource Office Assistant

Pacific University; Forest Grove (OR); On-site; USD 25,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

Pacific University is seeking an HR Office Assistant to provide a range of administrative support to the HR team. This on-site role involves front-line customer service, data entry in multiple databases, and handling correspondence via face-to-face, phone, and email channels.

Responsibilities include greeting customers, answering inquiries, maintaining confidentiality of payroll/HR matters, processing employment verifications, posting jobs, onboarding staff, and filing HR documents.

Qualifications

• High school education or equivalent required.
• Preferred: experience in higher education and HR.
• HRIS Paycom experience is preferred.
• Fluent in Spanish (reading, writing, speaking).

Responsibilities

• Greet customers and handle inquiries via phone, email, and walk-ins.
• Maintain confidentiality of payroll and HR information.
• Conduct employment verifications for staff, faculty, and students.
• Coordinate job postings and track requisitions in the HRIS.
• Assist with onboarding, including background checks and I-9s/EADs.
• Prepare, route, and file HR documents and work orders.

Skills

Customer service

Communication

Organization

Attention to detail

Spanish

Microsoft Office

Confidentiality

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Experience in higher education

Experience in Human Resources

Tools

Paycom

Job description

Job Details

• Job Location: Forest Grove Campus - Forest Grove, OR 97116
• Salary Range: $18.00 - $21.63
• Job Category: Faculty and Staff

Pacific University achieves excellence and distinction by investing in exceptional people to think, care, create, and pursue justice in our world. We embrace discovery in a close and nurturing environment that leads to genuine transformation. Our community is diverse, sustainable, and dedicated to discovery and excellence in teaching, scholarship, and practice.

At Pacific University, we thrive in an extraordinary environment, surrounded by the beauty of the great Pacific Northwest, with campus locations in Forest Grove and Hillsboro. We humbly acknowledge and thank the original caretakers of the lands on which we live, work, teach, and acquire and share knowledge.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF POSITION

Provides a range of administrative support functions for the HR Team. This is a front-line, front-facing position that performs various functions related to operations and customer service needs within Human Resources. Responsibilities include greeting customers; answering phones and emails, entering data into a variety of databases; providing communications and related correspondence internally and externally via face-to-face, phone, and electronic methods, event planning, and performing other duties as assigned.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS/MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES

• Customer Service & Triaging: Serves as the initial point of contact for students, employees, and the public via telephone, e-mail, and walk-ins to assist in answering questions, explaining University policies and procedures, assisting, directing, coordinating, and offering guidance as it relates to Human Resources, ensuring quality customer service.
• Information Security: Maintains strict confidentiality regarding payroll, financial details, and related HR matters.
• Employment Verifications: Conducts all employment verifications for staff, faculty, and students according to established policies and procedures. Handles externally generated unemployment requests.
• Job Postings: Coordinates, monitors, and maintains job requisitions, postings, and track the status of candidates in the HRIS.
• Onboarding: Conducts background checks and employee eligibility verifications including I-9s and EADs. Provides and handles onboarding processes in the HRIS system for faculty, staff and student workers.
• Document Processing & Clerical Support: Drafts correspondence and memoranda, and performs clerical duties as needed. Prepares, maintains, and routes Position Descriptions, Position Requisitions, Personnel Action Forms, Project documents, and Work Orders. Assists with the review and filing of Remote Work Agreements for staff.

SECONDARY FUNCTIONS

Performs other related duties, projects, and initiatives as assigned.

JOB SCOPE

The HR Office Assistant is responsible for the comprehensive management and smooth operation of the HR office and serves as the primary point of contact for all HR-related inquiries. This role requires exceptional organizational skills, a strong commitment to confidentiality, and the ability to coordinate a variety of HR functions and projects effectively.

SUPERVISOR RESPONSIBILITY

This position has no direct supervisory responsibilities.

QUALIFICATIONS

EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE

Required Minimums: High school education or equivalent.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience in higher education.
• Experience in Human Resources.
• HRIS software experience, specifically Paycom.
• Fluent in Spanish (reading, writing, and speaking).

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES & BEHAVIORS

Core Competencies & Skills

• Organization & Agility: Exceptional attention to detail with the ability to multitask, organize, and prioritize workload with a high level of accuracy. Customer service and results-oriented.
• Communication & Interpersonal Skills: Excellent written, verbal, and presentation communication skills. Uses effective communication skills, taking into consideration body language, filters, listening, paraphrasing, and asking questions, with customers from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Communicates appropriately with students, faculty, staff, and the public for the age of the individual served.
• Technical & Analytical Proficiency: Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, Google Suite, Adobe Acrobat Pro, and HRIS (Paycom preferred). Demonstrated budgetary knowledge, analytical skills, and proficiency in report generation.
• Regulatory Compliance: Knowledge of federal, state, and local labor and employment laws and regulations, plus HIPAA regulations and compliance requirements.
• Problem Solving: Demonstrates critical thinking skills in problem-solving and decision-making. Builds on basic learning and carries it from one situation to another, asking questions, seeking assistance, and taking responsibility to eliminate the source of problems.
• Teamwork & Relationships: Ability to contribute within a team setting with strong collaboration skills.
• Ability to develop and maintain respectful and effective working relationships with all university colleagues.

Expected Behaviors

• Respects and exemplifies the mission and values of Pacific University in all interactions while supporting and amplifying the university's mission.
• Adheres to all prescribed university and departmental policies and procedures.
• Follows complex oral and written communications.
• Handles confidential material and associated issues with maximum discretion, maintaining total confidentiality regarding information pertaining to all students, faculty, and staff.
• Maintains proper appearance and personal conduct for the employee's particular job.

WORKING CONDITIONS

Environment: On-site office environment located at the Forest Grove campus.

Schedule & Mobility: Project timelines and deliverables require flexible scheduling and frequent communication. Requires walking throughout campus areas.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS & REQUIREMENTS

Physical Activities

• Required: Stooping, Kneeling, Crouching, Reaching, Standing, Walking, Pushing, Pulling, Lifting, Grasping, Talking, Hearing, and Repetitive Motion.

Physical Requirements

• Required: Sedentary Work, Visual Acuity.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Only qualified applicants will be contacted for an interview. During the selection process, we will strive to provide timely notifications. The selection process may vary from recruitment to recruitment but typically includes multiple interviews and may take several weeks depending on the position. All qualified applicants will be notified once the selection process has closed.

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of hire and continue to work without employer visa sponsorship, now or in the future.

Pacific University Employment Statements

At Pacific University, we are dedicated to offering experiences that are authentic, holistic, equity-minded, and responsive. Our communal success rests on the recognition that complex problems and effective solutions are best approached by teams with a variety of diverse perspectives and life experiences. As we continue to develop our equity practices, we actively promote access to opportunities and equitable pay for all employees.

Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply for jobs where they are unsure if they can perform every function in the job description. We are most interested in finding the best candidate for the job and that candidate may come from a variety of backgrounds and lived experiences. If you are interested in applying, we encourage you to think broadly about how your background and skill set may qualify you for the role.

We, who make up Pacific University, aspire to become a community of purpose where everyone is enabled to be wholly and comfortably who they are; accountable for inclusive behaviors and practices; built on trust, civility, care, openness, and honest conversations often around critical subjects. We know that these values are critical to prepare for a global world with complex problems, through an asset-based mindset so that everyone is afforded an opportunity to succeed. We believe in fostering a workplace where every employee is respected, their contributions are valued, and they are provided opportunities to succeed.

ACCOMMODATIONS & INCLUSION

We welcome and encourage applications from neurodivergent individuals and people with disabilities. If you need any accommodations or support at any stage of the application or interview process such as receiving interview questions in advance, alternative assessment formats, or extra time please let us know by emailing Catheryn Coupland [e-mail] We are committed to providing an accessible process that allows you to demonstrate your strengths.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYMENT

Pacific University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to complying with all applicable laws, including those concerning employment and workplace policies. We are committed to fostering a non-discriminatory and inclusive work environment. We are proud to encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds, including those from historically underrepresented groups.

NOTICE OF NONDISCRIMINATION POLICY

Pacific University makes all employment decisions without regard to race, color, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, age, religion or religious creed, disability, sex, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, military or veteran status, or any other characteristics protected by applicable law. Applicable laws include, but are not limited to, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination Act, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Questions or complaints may be directed to the Vice President for Academic Affairs at 2043 College Way, Forest Grove, OR 97116 or via email at [e-mail].