Human Resources Generalist

Be the one who makes a difference! \bBe the one who makes a difference!\b At Vertex Education we are a team of high achievers, courageous leaders, and passionate believers in changing lives through education. As a purpose‑led education services provider, our mission is destined to benefit many and yet it starts with just one person inspired to work together with us to make a memorable and meaningful difference for our clients, schools, students, and communities. Be the one who makes a difference—with us. Overview At Vertex Central Services, the HR Generalist serves as the foundational anchor for our internal corporate operations, advancing our mission of changing lives through education by ensuring our team is exceptionally supported and expertly guided. In this critical role, you will balance high‑touch, immediate employee assistance with systemic rigor, managing everything from complex multi‑state leave compliance and Workday data integrity to empathetic conflict mediation. By establishing consistent progressive discipline protocols and coaching managers toward independence, you will protect the organization from compliance vulnerabilities while fostering a highly fair and trusting workplace. Whether you are rapidly resolving a Zendesk inquiry, navigating nuanced accommodations, or piloting novel sentiment analysis tools to extract insights during offboarding, you will act as a stabilizing force who transforms reactive HR challenges into a resilient, capable corporate backbone. Essential Functions Employee Relations & Manager Coaching Investigate and mediate employee relations issues using CaseIQ to establish fair, consistent, and well‑documented resolutions for Vertex Central Services employees. Coach managers through conflict resolution and performance interventions, building their independent capability to handle team dynamics effectively. Enforce progressive discipline protocols rigorously by guiding leaders to issue documented warnings and follow established steps rather than accommodating requests for immediate terminations. Identify underlying policy misunderstandings during standard conflict mediation and recommend targeted training or communication updates to prevent recurring issues. Employee Support Operations Manage the Zendesk HR ticketing queue by triaging and responding to a high volume of varied inquiries daily. Provide immediate, high‑touch support to internal employees facing urgent issues, pausing administrative routines when necessary to ensure team members are assisted. Categorize and resolve employee support tickets using established policy guidelines to maintain rapid response times and build trust across the corporate team. Review daily support requests to identify common themes and use those insights to refine internal HR documentation, FAQs, and self‑service resources. Compliance & Leave Administration Navigate complex, multi‑state leave requirements and accommodations by collaborating closely with the Director of HR or outside counsel to find compliant, empathetic workarounds. Track and document all leave of absence requests, ensuring precise adherence to varying state regulations and internal organizational policies. Maintain detailed compliance records and generate standardized reports to support internal audits, regulatory checks, and risk mitigation. Serve as the definitive resource for Central Services employees regarding state, federal, and organizational HR compliance inquiries. Benefits Administration Administer employee benefit programs, including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, disability, FSA/HSA, and retirement plans. Support benefit enrollments, qualifying life event changes, and annual open enrollment activities. Serve as a point of contact for employee benefit inquiries and issue resolution. Maintain benefits records and ensure compliance with applicable federal and state regulations, including ACA, COBRA, HIPAA, and ERISA requirements. Assist with benefits communications, employee education, and wellness initiatives. Audit benefit eligibility and enrollment data to ensure accuracy within HRIS and payroll systems. Offboarding & Cultural Insights Execute the full offboarding process for departing Central Services employees, handling asset recovery, system deactivation coordination, and transition logistics. Consolidate and review exit interview feedback regularly to identify actionable trends regarding corporate employee retention and satisfaction. Collaborate with IT and other teams to ensure proper system access deactivation and exit processes are completed. HR Data Guardianship Conduct data audits within Workday to identify and correct entry errors, verifying accuracy for organizational planning. Maintain the integrity of core HR records by enforcing standardized data entry procedures, and proposing efficiencies to strengthen procedures. Update and verify employee lifecycle changes directly in Workday, including title updates, compensation adjustments, and reporting line shifts. Balance the continuous monitoring of HR data accuracy with the demands of urgent, employee‑facing support interventions. Required Qualifications 5+ years of dedicated Human Resources experience, with a strong emphasis on employee relations, progressive discipline, and consistent policy enforcement. Demonstrated capability in coaching managers through conflict mediation and performance interventions to elevate leadership independence. Applied knowledge of multi‑state employment laws, leave administration (FMLA, ADA), and compliance tracking to mitigate organizational risk. Proven ability to balance immediate, empathetic employee support with rigorous manual data auditing required for high‑integrity HR operations. Hands‑on experience navigating enterprise HRIS platforms and maintaining uncompromising data accuracy for reporting and organizational planning. Experience efficiently managing and resolving employee inquiries through a centralized HR helpdesk or ticketing system. Must be able to obtain and maintain a valid IVP Level One Fingerprint Clearance Card. Preferred Qualifications Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business, or related field, alongside an active PHR or SHRM‑CP certification. Direct, hands‑on experience utilizing Workday for core HR data, CaseIQ for employee relations, and Zendesk for employee support ticketing. Experience navigating complex, gray‑area accommodation requests across multiple state jurisdictions alongside legal counsel. Background Check Requirements The incumbent in this position will be required to pass a criminal history background check. Must be able to obtain and hold a valid IVP Level One Fingerprint Clearance Card at all times. Physical Requirements This position requires the need to lift objects (up to 25 pounds) on occasion. This position may require sitting for long periods at times, talking on the phone, standing, kneeling, stooping and long periods of concentration. Local and in‑state travel required. Be excited to be a part of our team and grow your career with us! Be yourself surrounded by wonderful people who care about you, value your unique skills, and lift you up. Be supported in your work by caring leaders and team members who want you to succeed. Be empowered to make a difference and climb higher and reach farther to change lives through education. Be well in all aspects of your life from your physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing to your finances. Enjoy industry‑leading pay, rewards, referral bonuses, with unlimited flexible paid time‑off for performance. Be able to care for your health and your family with comprehensive medical, dental and vision benefits and invest in your future with 401(k) plans with a 6% employer match on your contributions. Enhance your growth and development with mentoring and money to take training classes. Thrive in a welcoming, supportive, and inclusive environment where we treat others with fairness and respect, celebrate diversity, and elevate equality and inclusion as an equal opportunity employer. Be the one who makes a difference! With an innovative mind, a hungry heart, and engaging spirit you can change lives through education. Be a part of Vertex Education and let’s make a difference together. #J-18808-Ljbffr