What are the responsibilities and job description for the Education HR Specialist position at Bright Beginnings Inc?
Position Overview
The Education HR Specialist serves as a dedicated HR partner supporting the Education team. Created to manage the day-to-day HR administrative and support needs of our educational programs, this role focuses heavily on Employee Relations (ER) intakes and performance management tracking. The Specialist serves as the first point of contact for staff, providing advisory and preparatory support. They are responsible for gathering facts, drafting documents, and providing well-supported recommendations to guide HR actions and resolutions.
Key Responsibilities
Employee Relations Support & Fact-Gathering
- Serve as the initial point of intake for the Education team regarding HR policies, workplace concerns, and interpersonal conflicts.
- Gather facts and conduct preliminary interviews for workplace investigations, summarizing findings to support final determinations.
- Assist in mediating low-level staff conflicts to de-escalate situations, escalating complex or high-risk issues appropriately.
- Maintain highly accurate, confidential, and well-organized logs of all ER intakes, coaching notes, and investigation files.
- Monitor staff adherence to all BBI Policies and Procedures, including Professionalism and Appearance guidelines.
- Manage and enforce the time and attendance policy for the Education team, tracking absences, tardiness, and timesheet compliance, and addressing related infractions as needed.
- Follow all applicable BBI policies and procedures, including the Standards of Conduct, to safeguard children from abuse, neglect, or exploitation while in the care of the Center.
- Maintain confidentiality at all times.
Performance Management Administration
- Track the performance management cycle for the Education team, ensuring the timely completion of evaluations and goal-setting.
- Review and draft Performance Improvement Plans (PIPs) and formal written warnings in collaboration with the Education team.
- Monitor 30/60/90-day check-ins for new educational staff and report on completion metrics.
- Sit in on performance or disciplinary meetings as a neutral HR witness and note-taker.
Coaching & HR Triage
- Triage day-to-day HR inquiries from the Education team, answering basic policy questions and routing larger issues to the appropriate channels.
- Ensure all drafted documents and recommended actions align with local Washington, D.C. employment laws, licensing standards, and Head Start Program Performance Standards.
- Provide foundational guidance to the Education team on documenting performance conversations and delivering routine feedback.
- Participate in all professional learning opportunities.
- Other duties as assigned.
Qualifications & Requirements
- Experience: 3–5 years of Human Resources experience, with practical exposure to Employee Relations intakes and performance management processes.
- Education Context: Previous experience supporting a workforce in an educational, non-profit, or child development setting is highly preferred.
- Core Skills: Excellent organizational, time management, and communication skills. Strong active listening and objective fact-gathering abilities.
- Technical Skills: Strong computer skills with expertise in Windows-based programs, such as the Microsoft Office Suite.
- Culture Alignment: Mission and culture alignment. Must demonstrate flexibility in work settings, maturity of judgment, and ability to work collegially. Ability to work in a fast-paced environment.
- Certification: SHRM-CP or PHR certification is a plus.
Physical Demands
- Be able to lift 25-50 lbs.
- Be able to walk, squat/kneel, sit on the floor, see, hear, and speak.
- Be able to raise objects from a lower to a higher location or move objects horizontally from one location to another.
Employee Acknowledgment
The job description is intended to provide an overview of the position's requirements. As such, it is not necessarily all-inclusive, and the job may require other essential and/or non-essential functions, duties, or responsibilities not listed herein. Management, at its sole discretion, reserves the right to change, alter, and/or otherwise modify this job description at any time. Nothing in this job description is intended to create a contract of employment of any type or kind. Employment at Bright Beginnings is strictly on an at-will basis.