Human Resources Generalist

HUMAN RESOURCES GENERALIST

Must be heavy hitter - that can take over when our Director is out of the office, they wont have to be a director but they will need to be able to take things over and do it the directors way.

Must have college degree

Department: Human Resources
Reports To: Director of Human Resources
Employment Type: Full-Time - 4 days in person at the Bethesda MD office and one day WFH

POSITION SUMMARY

The Human Resources Generalist is responsible for providing hands-on HR support across the employee lifecycle, including employee relations, onboarding and offboarding, benefits administration, performance management, compliance, HRIS administration, training, reporting, and general HR operations.

This position serves as a trusted resource to employees and managers, ensuring HR programs and policies are administered consistently, accurately, and in accordance with applicable employment laws and company practices.

The successful candidate will combine strong HR fundamentals with excellent judgment, attention to detail, follow-through, and a service-oriented approach. This role requires someone who is comfortable managing day-to-day HR matters independently while recognizing when issues should be escalated to HR leadership.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Employee Relations & Manager Support

• Serve as a primary HR resource for employees and managers regarding policies, procedures, workplace concerns, performance, and other employment-related matters.

• Coach and support managers in addressing employee performance, attendance, conduct, and workplace issues.

• Assist with employee relations matters, corrective actions, performance improvement plans, and investigations.

• Document employee relations matters accurately and maintain appropriate confidentiality.

• Identify higher-risk or sensitive employee matters and escalate them appropriately to HR leadership.

• Promote consistent and equitable application of company policies and practices.

Onboarding & Offboarding

• Coordinate and administer the employee onboarding process from accepted offer through successful integration into the organization.

• Conduct or coordinate new employee orientation and ensure required employment documentation is completed accurately and timely.

• Coordinate with recruiting, payroll, benefits, IT, security, managers, and other departments to ensure a smooth onboarding experience.

• Administer employee changes, transfers, promotions, and separations.

• Coordinate offboarding activities, including required documentation, benefits notifications, exit interviews, system updates, and internal notifications.

• Analyze onboarding and exit feedback and identify opportunities to improve the employee experience.

HR Operations & HRIS

• Maintain accurate and complete employee information within the HRIS and other HR systems.

• Process employee status changes and ensure supporting documentation is complete and properly maintained.

• Conduct routine audits of HR data, personnel files, employment documentation, and HR processes.

• Maintain confidential electronic and personnel records in accordance with company policies and applicable requirements.

• Prepare recurring and ad hoc HR reports, including headcount, turnover, onboarding, training, performance, and other workforce metrics.

• Partner with HR leadership to improve HR processes, workflows, documentation, and controls.

Benefits & Leave Administration

• Support administration of employee benefit programs and serve as a resource for employee benefit questions.

• Coordinate employee enrollments, qualifying life events, terminations, and other benefit changes.

• Support annual open enrollment activities.

• Coordinate employee leave administration and related documentation.

• Work with employees, managers, benefit providers, brokers, payroll, and other partners to resolve benefit and leave-related issues.

Performance Management

• Support the organization's performance management process.

• Track performance review completion and follow up with managers and employees as necessary.

• Provide managers with guidance regarding performance documentation and performance improvement.

• Support annual compensation, merit, bonus, and related HR processes as assigned.

Compliance

• Support compliance with applicable federal, state, and local employment requirements.

• Maintain required employment records and documentation.

• Support I-9 administration, E-Verify where applicable, background-check processes, and other pre-employment requirements.

• Monitor required employee training and compliance activities.

• Assist with internal and external HR audits and prepare requested documentation.

• Help maintain and update HR policies, procedures, employee handbooks, forms, and related documentation.

Training & Employee Development

• Coordinate and track required employee and manager training.

• Assist with development and delivery of HR-related training and employee communications.

• Develop process guides, FAQs, checklists, and other tools that improve consistency and enable cross-training within the HR function.

• Help identify recurring employee or manager issues that could be addressed through training, communication, or process improvement.

Recruiting Support

• Partner with Recruiting and hiring managers as needed throughout the hiring process.

• Support interview coordination, candidate communications, offer preparation, background checks, and pre-employment activities as assigned.

• Ensure an effective handoff from recruiting to onboarding.

Reporting & Continuous Improvement

• Produce accurate HR reports and assist HR leadership in identifying trends and potential areas of concern.

• Track HR metrics such as turnover, retention, headcount, onboarding, training completion, and employee relations activity.

• Identify opportunities to simplify, standardize, document, or automate HR processes.

• Maintain SOPs and process documentation for key HR activities.

• Cross-train on essential HR functions to ensure continuity of operations and appropriate backup coverage across the HR team.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field, or equivalent relevant professional experience.

• Approximately 3–5 years of progressive Human Resources experience with meaningful exposure to multiple HR disciplines.

• Practical experience with employee relations, HR operations, onboarding/offboarding, HRIS administration, compliance, and employee support.

• Working knowledge of applicable federal and state employment laws and HR practices.

• Experience maintaining confidential employee information and HR records.

• Strong Microsoft Office skills, particularly Excel, Word, Outlook, and PowerPoint.

• Experience working with an HRIS.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

• Excellent organizational skills, judgment, discretion, and attention to detail.

• Ability to prioritize multiple responsibilities and follow matters through to completion.

Preferred

• PHR or SHRM-CP certification.

• Experience in a government contracting, professional services, technology, consulting, or similarly regulated environment.

• Experience supporting a multi-state workforce.

• Experience with HR reporting, analytics, dashboards, and data audits.

• Experience creating HR procedures, SOPs, training materials, and process documentation.

• Experience with benefits administration and employee leave programs.

CORE COMPETENCIES

The successful candidate should demonstrate:

• Sound judgment and discretion
• Strong employee-relations instincts
• Attention to detail and accuracy
• Accountability and follow-through
• Analytical and problem-solving ability
• Clear and professional communication
• Customer-service orientation
• Ability to work effectively with employees at all organizational levels
• Comfort operating independently while knowing when to escalate
• Process improvement mindset
• Adaptability and willingness to learn
• Commitment to confidentiality

WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE

Within the first year, the HR Generalist should be able to independently manage the majority of routine HR operational matters, serve as a reliable resource for employees and managers, maintain accurate HR records and data, support employee relations and performance matters, administer core employee lifecycle processes, and provide effective backup coverage across the HR function.

The position should increase the overall capacity and resiliency of the HR team by ensuring that key HR processes are documented, cross-trained, and not dependent on a single individual.

CAREER DEVELOPMENT

This position is intended to provide broad exposure across the HR function and offers an opportunity to develop toward increased responsibility in areas such as:

HR Generalist → Senior HR Generalist → HR Business Partner / HR Manager

Additional opportunities for specialization may include employee relations, HR operations, HRIS/analytics, benefits, compliance, or talent management.

For more than 30 years, this employer has been a trusted partner to NASA and other federal agencies, delivering science, engineering, IT, cybersecurity, data management, and software solutions that advance critical missions and complex challenges.