Sr. HR Generalist ER & Operations

At Bud Clary Auto Group, a family-owned dealership network in Washington State, our vibrant culture drives success. We maintain a high-performance workplace with exceptional customer service, fostering loyalty and growth since 1959.

The Senior HR Generalist - Employee Relations & Operations is a trusted partner within the Human Resources team, providing comprehensive HR support across employee relations, compliance, and HR operations for Bud Clary Auto Group. This role supports dealership leadership across the full employee lifecycle, delivering guidance on policy application, performance management, and day-to-day people matters.

With a strong emphasis on employee relations, the Senior HR Generalist coaches dealership management on complex workplace issues and leads internal investigations across all locations. The role also oversees workplace safety and core HR operations for an assigned group of dealerships, including onboarding, employee changes, terminations, and offboarding. In addition, the Senior HR Generalist leads HR initiatives, administers key HR systems, and provides backup support across the HR team to ensure continuity and operational effectiveness.

This role operates with a high level of autonomy and is expected to independently lead investigations, coach leaders, and drive consistent HR practices across locations.

BENEFITS

• Comprehensive Benefits Package: Health, dental, vision, and life insurance, plus an employee assistance program.
• Retirement Plans: 401(k).
• PTO & Paid Holidays - PTO accrual starting from day one of employment - 1 hour of PTO for every 40 hours worked for the first year, 1.63 hours of PTO for every 40 hours worked for years 2-9, and 2.39 hours of PTO for every 40 hours worked for 10 or more years of service.
• Employee discounts
• Referral bonus program

Pay Range : $33.00 - $43.00 per hour

In accordance with Washington State pay transparency requirements, the full pay range is listed above. New hires are typically brought in within the first half of the range, based on experience, qualifications, and internal equity.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities
Employee Relations

• Coach and advise dealership leaders across all locations on employee relations matters, including performance management, corrective action, conflict resolution, and consistent application of company policies.
• Provide direct coaching to dealership managers on performance management, corrective action, and handling complex employee situations, ensuring consistency and alignment with company standards.
• Lead and independently manage complex workplace investigations across all locations, including complaint intake, fact finding, interviews, documentation, findings, and corrective action recommendations.
• Support fair and compliant resolution of employee concerns.

Safety

• Partner with dealership leadership and third-party vendors to coordinate annual safety inspections, bi-annual workplace safety compliance inspections, and follow-up on corrective actions.
• Develop monthly safety topics for dealerships with support of the HR Director and third-party safety consultant.
• Coordinate required safety training and certifications at assigned locations.
• Manage workers' compensation claims in partnership with the company's workers' comp vendor and retro group, including Stay at Work reimbursements.
• Maintain compliance of required workplace postings at assigned locations.
• Lead safety initiatives and projects as needed.

HR Operations

• Manage end-to-end HR operations across assigned dealerships, including onboarding, employee changes, terminations, and offboarding.
• Oversee onboarding at assigned locations, including job postings in the ATS (Clear), offer letters, pre-employment requirements, I-9 and E-Verify completion, and new hire setup in Compli. Partner with Payroll to provide the information needed to set up new hires in UKG.
• Manage employee changes and offboarding, including exit documentation, final pay coordination with Payroll, and systems updates.
• Serve as primary contact for unemployment claims and verifications of employment for assigned locations.
• Provide day-to-day HR support to employees and managers at assigned locations, including answering questions and attending job fairs and recruitment events.
• Lead employee engagement initiatives across locations.
• Administer HR systems, including the ATS (Clear), Compli (HRIS), and HR SharePoint site.
• Lead compliance activities, including the annual I-9 audit and monthly compliance reporting.
• Own monthly overtime and headcount reporting; prepare additional HR reporting and metrics as needed.
• Interpret federal and Washington State employment laws and support policy and handbook maintenance.
• Document and update HR processes as needed.
• Co-deliver new manager onboarding training and provide ongoing manager coaching on HR processes and policies.
• Lead HR projects as assigned.

Departmental Support

• Collaborate with the HR team and provide cross-training and backup coverage across HR functions, including benefits and leave during PTO or extended absence.
• Support and guide other members of the HR team in shared areas of responsibility.
• Remain current on federal and Washington State employment laws.

Marginal Duties

• Maintain confidentiality and professionalism.
• Collaborate across departments.
• Demonstrate flexibility.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Authorized to work in the United States.
• Strong organizational and interpersonal skills.
• Experience coaching managers and leading investigations.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, SharePoint).
• HRIS and ATS experience required; experience with Compli, Clear, or UKG a plus.
• Familiarity with workplace safety, OSHA, and Washington Labor & Industries (L&I) requirements a plus.
• Ability to handle confidential and sensitive information with discretion.

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field strongly preferred.
• 5+ years of HR experience, including independently coaching managers and leading investigations.
• PHR or SHRM-CP certification preferred.
• Must have completed OSHA 10 training, or be willing to complete OSHA 10 training within 90 days of hire (company-paid).
• Automotive or multi-site HR experience preferred.
• Equivalent combination of education and experience will be considered.

Bud Clary Auto Group is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. We are dedicated to creating a workplace free from discrimination and harassment based on race, color, gender, national origin, age, religion, sex, disability, or any other protected status. This commitment extends to all aspects of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, and more. We uphold a harassment-free environment for everyone, including vendors, contractors, and other non-employees.

Bud Clary Auto Group uses E-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States.

Location: Kelso, WA (Corporate) - Hybrid

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