WAMU HR Assistant - Onboarding (Student)

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This position is available only to enrolled American University students.

WAMU 88.5 is a public media station owned and operated by American University. WAMU is the source for local, regional and NPR news and original programs in Washington DC. Since 1961, WAMU has been amplifying voices and sharing stories from the many neighborhoods and communities in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia.

The WAMU HR team is seeking an undergraduate student to support HR-led onboarding review and improvement efforts across WAMU.

This paid role will assist with gathering information about onboarding practices, organizing findings and helping develop onboarding resources and tools. Work will be completed under the guidance and direction of the HR Generalist and in collaboration with the WAMU HR Team.

Essential Functions:

• Onboarding Discovery
• Support HR-led efforts to better understand how teams onboard new employees and what resources contribute to a successful onboarding experience.
• Inventory existing onboarding materials across teams.
• Interview a small set of managers to understand: 1.) What new hires need to know in the first 3060 days, 2.) How teams are currently onboarding new hires (formal and informal), 3.) Common gaps, challenges, or inconsistencies, 4.) Capture example inputs or materials from teams where available.
• Document & Organize Findings
• Assist with documenting and organizing onboarding practices, feedback, and materials into a structured format to support HR review and future onboarding resource development. In a clear, structured format, identify common themes across interviews, including: 1.) Core information new hires need, 2.) Repeated pain points or gaps, 3.) Differences across functions, 4.) Group insights into simple categories (e.g., functional overview, tools/processes, key relationships, FAQs).
• Develop & Propose Recommendations
• Assist in organizing findings into practical onboarding recommendations and draft resource concepts.
• Help identify opportunities for greater consistency across onboarding practices and materials.
• Draft sample onboarding tools or templates such as: 1.) onboarding checklists, 2.) welcome guides, 3.) first week schedules, 4.)resource directories, 5.) FAQs or team reference materials.
• Assist with organizing and formatting onboarding content for future HR team use.
• Present summarized findings, themes, and draft recommendations to HR leadership for review and feedback.

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work:

• Part-time.
• Up to 20 hours per week.
• Hybrid modality. Onsite, 4 hours a week is required on Mon, Tues, or Wed.
• Remote modality for the rest of the hours of the week.
• The ideal start date for this position is flexible, and it will end on 12/31/26.
• This position will report to the HR Generalist.

Salary Range:

• $18.40 - $20.00 per hour.

Required Education and Experience:

• High School diploma or equivalent.
• Students pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree in business, or other related fields.
• Interested in Human Resources.
• Strong written and communication skills.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Flexibility, initiative, and ability to multitask and work both independently and as part of a team.

Preferred Education and Experience:

• Previous internship, campus leadership, administrative or project experience preferred.

Additional Eligibility Qualifications:

• Experience with features of Zoom and or Teams meeting and Slack platforms.

Other Details

• This position is available only to enrolled American University students.
• American University is an E-Verify employer.
• Visit for additional information about American University employment and benefits.

Current American University Employees

American University current employees (including those employed in student positions) must apply through their employee Workday account. If you are a current employee at American University, please log into Workday and select the Find Jobs report which will take you to our internal career listings.

For more information or assistance with the American University careers site, email View email address on talent.com.

American University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action institution that operates in compliance with applicable laws and regulations. The university does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex (including pregnancy), age, sexual orientation, disability, marital status, personal appearance, gender identity and expression, family responsibilities, political affiliation, source of income, veteran status, an individual's genetic information or any other bases under federal or local laws (collectively "Protected Bases") in its programs and activities.