Human Resources Specialist

Human Resources Specialist

Position Overview: The University of Hawaii at Hilo (UH Hilo) is a public liberal arts and sciences university on the Island of Hawaii, recognized for its integration of cultural immersion and place-based research that leverages the island's extraordinary geological, biological, and cultural diversity. A comprehensive, regional campus within the ten-campus University of Hawaii System, UH Hilo offers high-quality undergraduate and select postgraduate education, with distinctive strengths in areas such as marine science, geology, astronomy, and Hawaiian language revitalization, while advancing research, scholarship, and creative activity that support community needs, environmental stewardship, Indigenous knowledge systems, and workforce development for the State of Hawaii.

The UH Hilo Division of Administrative Affairs serves as the central administrative and operational backbone of the campus, providing executive leadership and non-academic affairs program management. This division is responsible for critical functions including budget formulation, fiscal management, human resources, facilities planning and construction, physical plant operations, information technology, campus security, and environmental safety and health. As a team and business partner, the UH Hilo Human Resources Office plays an integral role in fulfilling the mission of the University of Hawaii (UH) through productive collaborations with stakeholders in our campus community and the University of Hawaii System Office of Human Resources to recruit, develop, and retain a highly skilled, diverse, and sustainable workforce, in alignment with overall strategic priorities to ensure student success for the campus and UH System.

This Human Resources Specialist position complements a team of human resources professionals with shared responsibilities in all functional areas of human resources including, but not limited to, position management, classification and recruitment, pay and benefits administration, personnel and organizational development, employee engagement, and employee and labor relations. The incumbent will be primarily responsible for promoting continued growth throughout the employment cycle by planning, developing, and executing employee engagement and professional development initiatives to enhance the employee experience for our campus community.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Provides excellent customer service in the administration of all assigned human resources (HR) functions as a key team member of the Human Resources Office for the UH Hilo campus and its satellite locations.
• Independently performs complex assignments encompassing a wide range of professional HR management responsibilities to ensure compliance, consistency, and best practices, while reinforcing and advancing a productive employee relations environment.
• Serves as point-of-contact for assigned areas of responsibility. Provides guidance, resources, and training for HR-related matters to supervisors and employees.
• Develops the employee experience to encourage a positive workplace culture and sense of belonging, including coordinating new employee onboarding and orientation programming and sustainable employee engagement initiatives throughout the employee life cycle, in alignment with the UH Hilo strategic plan.
• Coordinates the planning and implementation of professional development and training programs to support employee retention and organizational growth.
• Administers surveys and develops metrics to assess the progress and effectiveness of employee development efforts and continued engagement. Gathers feedback on improvements and implements changes as needed to support successful outcomes.
• Advises supervisors and employees on the performance review and evaluation process. Identifies and addresses individual and departmental training needs.
• Manages the HR website to ensure content is up-to-date and valuable employment tools and resources are readily available to our campus community and prospective employees.
• Assists HR Director in monitoring and ensuring campus-wide compliance with regulatory training requirements (e.g. Conflict of Interest, State Ethics, Title IX, etc.). Advises supervisors and employees on requirements for timely follow-up and completion.
• Monitors, facilitates, and executes various position and personnel actions in accordance with State and Federal regulations, collective bargaining agreements, and UH policies and administrative procedures, utilizing a human resources information management system (e.g. PeopleSoft) and other personnel, payroll, and financial database systems and platforms.
• Maintains and audits official position and personnel files and all related employment records in compliance with State and Federal regulations, collective bargaining agreements, UH policies and administrative procedures, and the State of Hawaii General Records Schedule for the retention and disposition of personnel records.
• Participates in training and professional development to maintain currency in regulatory requirements, emerging trends, best practices, and professional standards related to HR management in higher education, the State of Hawaii, and University of Hawaii System.
• Keeps abreast of State and Federal regulations, UH policies and administrative procedures, and collective bargaining agreements. Assists HR Director with research, interpretation, and ensuring consistent implementation as issues may arise.
• Coordinates with campus stakeholders and external training resources to promote continuous improvement and workplace collaboration.
• Researches, responds to, and proactively resolves employee inquiries and concerns regarding benefits, compensation, terms of employment, and other employment matters. Advises HR Director or designee of difficult and unusual issues and provides recommendations.
• Assists HR Director with assessing employee and labor relations issues, and problem-solving to encourage resolutions at the lowest possible level. May be assigned to conduct or assist with fact-finding investigations.
• Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Possession of a baccalaureate degree in any field and 3 years of progressively responsible professional experience with responsibilities for one or more functional areas of human resources such as position classification; pay administration; recruitment and examination; personnel and organizational development; employee and labor relations; or any equivalent combination of education and/or professional work experience which provides the required education, knowledge, skills and abilities as indicated.
• Considerable working knowledge of principles, practices and techniques in the area of human resources administration and/or learning and development planning as demonstrated by the broad knowledge of the full range of pertinent standard and evolving concepts, principles and methodologies.
• Considerable working knowledge and understanding of applicable federal and state laws, rules, regulations and theories and systems associated with human resources administration and/or learning and development planning.
• Demonstrated ability to resolve wide ranging complex problems through the use of creative reasoning and logic to accurately determine the cause of the problems and the resolution of the problems in an effective, innovative and timely manner.
• Demonstrated ability to interpret and present information and ideas clearly and accurately in writing, verbally and by preparation of reports and other materials.
• Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with internal and external organizations, groups, team leaders and members, and individuals.
• Demonstrated ability to operate a personal computer, apply word processing software (e.g. Microsoft Word, Google Docs, etc.), and other relevant software and applications to effectively perform work.
• If applicable, for supervisory work, demonstrated ability to lead subordinates, manage work priorities and projects, and manage employee relations.
• Strong organizational skills while managing and prioritizing multiple projects.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills; accountability to high standards of professional excellence.
• Demonstrated ability to exercise tact, diplomacy, maintain confidentiality, and apply sound judgment and discretion in a variety of situations.
• Demonstrated ability to embrace, learn, and apply new and existing technology to maximize effectiveness and efficiency.

Desirable Qualifications:

• Demonstrated experience in successfully coordinating employee engagement initiatives.
• Demonstrated experience in professional development programming, including curricula planning, coordinating and conducting training, creating resource materials through various media, and developing and compiling surveys and metrics.
• Professional work experience in human resources administration in a public employer jurisdiction within the State of Hawaii and/or post-secondary education setting.
• Working knowledge of UH policies, procedures, and organizational structure.
• Experience in employee and/or labor relations.
• Strong organizational and project management skills.
• Positive attitude and growth mindset.

To Apply: Click on the "Apply" button on the top right corner of the screen to complete an application and attach each required document. A complete application must include:

• Cover letter explaining how each minimum and desirable qualification is met
• Current resume
• The names and addresses, email addresses and telephone numbers of three [3] current professional references
• Transcript(s) showing degrees and course work appropriate to the position (copies are acceptable; however, original official transcripts will be required prior to employment. Please do not include any self-identifying photos. Please redact references to Social Security number and birth date on transcript copies. Copy of diplomas will NOT be accepted. Documents issued from an institution outside the United States of America require a course-by-course analysis with an equivalency statement from an agency having membership with the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services, Inc., verifying the degree equivalency to that of an accredited institution within the USA. Expense of the evaluation shall be borne by the applicant. All requested documents/information become the property of the University. All minimum qualifications must be met by the closing date. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Failure to submit all required documents and reference information shall deem an application to be incomplete. Note: If you have not applied for a position before using NeoGov