HR Generalist

HR Generalist The role, in brief: The HR Generalist serves as the internal owner of the employee experience at Vladimir Jones — responsible not only for HR operations and BambooHR administration, but for the proactive work that keeps our people engaged and with us: onboarding experience, stay interviews, engagement follow-through, and culture programming. This role partners closely with Vida HR, our fractional senior HR partner, for day-to-day mentorship, judgment calls, and escalation on complex or sensitive matters. Vida HR continues to own legal/compliance interpretation, employee relations investigations, and manager coaching at the senior level; the HR Generalist owns the full operational and experiential layer of HR, with retention as an explicit, named responsibility rather than an incidental outcome. HR Support Model Vladimir Jones partners with Vida HR to provide senior-level HR guidance, employee relations support, compliance oversight, and manager coaching. The HR Generalist reports to the President and works in a dotted-line relationship with Vida HR for daily mentorship, coaching, and judgment-based decision support. Employees may continue to contact Vida HR directly for confidential or complex HR matters; the HR Generalist is the primary day-to-day point of contact for HR programs, systems, and employee experience. Responsibilities Include: Retention & Employee Experience (Primary) Own retention as a named priority: design and run stay interviews, track early-tenure and long-tenure engagement signals, and translate findings into action. In partnership with leadership and Vida HR, handle engagement survey administration, results communication, and action-planning follow-through. Own the onboarding experience end-to-end from offer acceptance forward — not just logistics, but first-90-day engagement, check-ins, and early feedback loops. Own VladAdds peer recognition platform - Nectar - for engagement reporting, insight, and recommendations. Maintain the contract and relationship with Access Perks - our employee perks site - including annual analysis of its offering, employee engagement and alignment to agency experience. HR Operations & BambooHR Administration Serve as primary administrator and point of accountability for BambooHR, including employee records, org charts, compensation history, and job changes. Manage HR workflows in BambooHR: onboarding/offboarding, acknowledgements, performance cycles, and time-off workflows. Run standard HR reports and dashboards (headcount, turnover, retention, onboarding completion, PTO, compliance acknowledgements) for leadership and Vida HR. Own BambooHR data integrity through regular audits and consistency checks. Serve as the internal point of information for HR process and BambooHR questions, routing judgment-based or sensitive matters to Vida HR. Recruiting & Onboarding Coordination Serve as the single point of contact for candidates from offer acceptance forward, coordinating systems access, orientation scheduling, and first-week readiness. Partner with Vida HR on recruiting logistics and interview coordination for open roles sourced through Vida HR. Oversight of Agency LinkedIn subscription for proactive recruiting efforts, outside of Vida HR process. Ensure I-9 completion and E-Verify submission within required timelines; escalate exceptions to Vida HR. Administer pre-employment background checks (VerifiedFirst), including initiation and results tracking; elevate any adverse findings or interpretation questions to Vida HR. Coordinate offboarding logistics, including equipment return, access removal, and exit interview scheduling. Benefits Administration (Coordination Role) Coordinate routine benefits administration, enrollments, and life-event changes with our broker and Bennie platform. Maintain benefits documentation, deadlines, and enrollment materials; lead open enrollment logistics and completion tracking. Serve as the administrative point of contact for routine benefits requests; route interpretation, coverage, or eligibility questions to the broker and/or Vida HR. Communicate benefits and 401(k) changes to Finance for payroll processing; partner with Finance on 401(k) administration, including rollovers, distributions, and offboarding coordination. Important Boundary: This role does not provide benefits advice, plan recommendations, coverage interpretation, or eligibility determinations. Questions requiring judgment are routed to the broker. Leave Administration Coordinate leave-related paperwork and documentation (FMLA and other leave types), including tracking timelines and required communications. Maintain accurate leave records in BambooHR and ensure documentation is complete and on time. Partner with Vida HR for eligibility interpretation, compliance guidance, accommodations, and complex leave scenarios. Performance & Development Support Coordinate performance management logistics — goal-setting cycles, review scheduling, documentation, and completion tracking — while Vida HR provides manager coaching and performance-related guidance, particularly for first-time and developing managers. Coordinate manager and employee training logistics - while Vida HR provides compliance training tracking (e.g., harassment prevention, safety). Facilitate scheduling and logistics for leadership development and career-growth initiatives. Culture, Engagement & Employee Programming Own planning rhythm and execution for agency cultural initiatives, including One Agency Day, VJ Gathers, and VJ Masterclass. Oversee and support the Front Desk/Office Manager in scheduling, communications, vendor management, and on-site execution for employee events. Support internal communications that reinforce culture, recognition, and belonging. Compliance & Documentation Support Maintain accurate HR documentation and ensure audit readiness in BambooHR and internal files. Track compliance training completion and required documentation. Maintain and post required labor law notices, and support distribution of handbook updates and policy communications to employees. Handbook content, policy interpretation, and labor law compliance ownership remain with Vida HR. Agency Reputation Management Coordinate with the agency's Reputation Management Representative regarding Glassdoor presence and ratings. Track and report Glassdoor score trends and updates to the President and Vida HR. Support timely follow-through on reputation-related action items as directed by leadership or Vida HR. Payroll Partnership (Finance-Owned) Submit employee status, benefits, and time-off changes to Finance. Ensure timely and accurate payroll inputs; assist employees with payroll process questions. Escalate payroll discrepancies to Finance. This role does not run or reconcile payroll. Escalation & Decision Rights Escalate to Vida HR: employee relations concerns, policy interpretation, leave eligibility, accommodations, disciplinary actions, investigations, compliance matters, and background check interpretation or adverse action situations. Escalate to Finance: payroll discrepancies, deductions issues, and wage-related questions. Escalate to the President: high-risk employee relations matters, compensation exceptions, and termination decisions. What Success Looks Like (First 90 Days) Onboarding and offboarding completed smoothly with no missed steps. A working rhythm established with Vida HR for day-to-day mentorship and escalation. Stay interview and engagement follow-through process defined and underway. BambooHR records and workflows are accurate, clean, and consistently maintained. HR records and benefits changes are maintained accurately and on time. Employee inquiries acknowledged within one business day. Strong judgment demonstrated around when to handle vs. elevate. A consistent planning rhythm established for key cultural initiatives (e.g., One Agency Day, VJ Gathers). Those who succeed in this role have the following qualifications: Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field; equivalent experience considered. Minimum 3–4 years in an HR Generalist or similar role, ideally with exposure to employee engagement or retention initiatives. SHRM-CP/PHR certification preferred. Strong knowledge of employment laws and HR best practices, with the judgment to know when to elevate rather than resolve independently. Proficient with HRIS systems (BambooHR preferred) and Google Workspace. Demonstrated interest or experience in employee engagement, retention strategy, or culture programming. Excellent communication, interpersonal, and conflict-resolution skills. Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities independently. High level of professionalism, integrity, and confidentiality. Reliable transportation; ability to travel between Denver and Colorado Springs offices as needed. Comfort working within a dotted-line reporting structure alongside an external HR partner. Agency Values: GRIT. Fall seven times, get up eight. CURIOUS. Follow that hunch with unbridled passion. PROVOCATIVE. When it comes to moving a piano, never grab the sheet music. CONFIDENCE. Fake it ‘til you make it. Then fake it some more. (Psst, no one knows. It’s ok.) UNCOMPROMISING. What you do when no one is watching is really who you are. UNFORGETTABLE. What about you, your character, your personality — sticks? UNWAVERING. Projects and initiatives are rarely sprints. Pace yourself. And encourage others who need a pick-me-up along the way. MYTH-WORTHY. What stories about you will still loom large 20 years from now. Schedule and Location: Monday – Friday, 8:30am – 5:30pm. Remote work available Fridays. This role is based out of our Colorado Springs, CO office. We are dog friendly! Compensation: The annual salary range for this position is $62,000 – $69,000, commensurate with experience. Benefits: 401k + employer match Medical, Dental, Vision Life and short-term disability (100% employer paid) Voluntary long-term disability EAP 9 paid holidays PTO, Floating Holiday, Volunteering Day Education reimbursement Employee referral program Employee recognition program where points turn into money! Vladimir Jones is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, age, protected veteran status, or disability status. Vladimir Jones participates in E-Verify, which is a federal program used to confirm the employment eligibility of all new hires. #J-18808-Ljbffr