Senior Human Resources Generalist

About the Company

About APEX International Education Partners APEX was established in 2011 to recruit, manage and place F-1 international students from China into local American middle and high schools. Headquartered in Derby, Connecticut USA, APEX serves over 150 partner middle and high schools and over 350 F-1 international students residing in APEX host families and dormitories located throughout the United States.

About The Role

We're looking for a Senior HR Generalist who's comfortable being a one-person HR department - someone who can manage the full spectrum of HR responsibilities independently and with confidence. This is a very hands-on role where you'll handle everything from full-cycle recruitment and onboarding to payroll and benefits to employee relations and compliance. You'll be the go-to resource for all things HR, supporting employees and leadership alike. If you're organized, resourceful, tech-savvy, and thrive in an environment where you wear many hats, this role could be a great fit - especially if you have a proven track record and passion for finding and hiring great talent in a dynamic and growing company.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary HR contact for employees and leadership, providing day-to-day support and handling all HR operations with a hands-on approach.
• Lead full-cycle recruitment and talent acquisition efforts - source, screen, interview, and hire top-tier candidates quickly to meet the needs of a growing team.
• Collaborate with hiring managers to understand staffing needs and develop creative sourcing strategies.
• Utilize tools like LinkedIn Recruiter, Indeed Smart Sourcing, and other recruitment platforms to proactively reach out and attract high-quality candidates, and build a strong candidate pipeline.
• Attend college and community career fairs to promote the organization, build brand awareness and expand the talent pool.
• Handle all onboarding and offboarding activities-offer letters, background checks, orientations, benefit enrollments, and exit interviews, ensuring a seamless and positive onboarding and offboarding experience.
• Own the biweekly payroll process, ensuring accurate and timely processing including earnings, time-tracking, adjustments and reporting.
• Administer employee benefits, including medical, dental, vision, and life insurance and serve as the primary liaison with benefits providers and brokers, including yearly benefit renewals. Handle all employee enrollments and terminations. Host Annual Benefits Open Enrollment sessions. Ensure timely IRS filings of forms and regulatory distribution of documents to benefit participants.
• Coordinate Leave of Absences including FMLA, Paid Leave, track PTO usage.
• Manage all aspects of the Company's 401(k) Plan administration, including employee enrollments, contribution changes, compliance communications, testing and required IRS filings/reporting. Serve as the main point of contact with plan providers and TPAs.
• Complete Worker Compensation annual renewals and be the main contact for Worker Compensation premium audits. Investigate and handle any Workers Compensation claims.
• Collaborate with managers on employee annual performance reviews. Oversee the entire performance management process, ensuring timely reviews and prompt follow up and counsel on any performance or disciplinary concerns.
• Handle employee relations issues with professionalism and discretion, documenting concerns and facilitating resolutions that are in alignment with Company policies.
• Help facilitate and coordinate employee development training sessions, employee communications, and engagement activities.
• Maintain and update personnel records, HRIS, and ensure compliance with all federal, state, and local labor laws.
• Maintain and update HR policies, procedures, and the employee handbook as needed.
• Prepare HR reports and metrics to support leadership in operational decisions.
• Stay current on HR trends, best practices and legislative changes.

We're Looking For

• Bachelor's degree in HR, Business Administration or related field required. Master's degree preferred.
• HR Certification (PHR/SPHR or SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP) strongly desired.
• 8 years of broad generalist HR experience at a senior level, with extensive focus and proven success in the recruitment and onboarding of highly-qualified talent in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
• Prior work experience in education or boarding- school recruitment, international staffing (ie. Visa, OPT) or work in a small to mid-sized non-profit a plus.
• Skilled at leveraging social media, job boards, and proactive outreach to build talent pipelines and fill roles efficiently with the best talent.
• Proficiency with HRIS and ATS platforms, MS Office Suite, and tech-savvy - comfortable using various technologies to streamline processes.
• Proven ability to manage all aspects of HR and payroll independently.
• Working knowledge of payroll systems (ie ADP, Isolved, Paychex, etc.) and time-keeping platforms.
• Solid understanding of employment law, benefits administration and payroll compliance.
• Exceptional interpersonal, communication and conflict resolution skills with the ability to work across all levels of the organization.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced and ever-evolving environment.
• Exceptional judgement, problem-solving skills and strong sense of accountability.
• Excellent organizational and time-management skills.
• Detail-oriented with a high degree of accuracy and discretion.
• Strong desire to take complete ownership of tasks until fulfilled.

Why Work With Us

Compensation & Benefits

• Competitive base salary based on experience.
• Full-time, onsite (4 days) & remote (1 day) per week (hybrid work-environment).
• Comprehensive benefits including health, dental, vision, life insurance, and paid time off.
• 401(k) with employer match after one year.
• Free meals during onsite working hours.
• A small, collaborative work environment with a U.S. and International staff.
• Full ownership of the HR function with support from leadership.
• Opportunity to shape HR processes in a rapidly growing company.

Development & Promotional Opportunities This position provides significant development and promotional opportunities for the individual who excels in this role.

How to Apply To apply, please submit a resume and a cover letter outlining your experience and qualifications relevant to this position at: https://aiepusa.isolvedhire.com/jobs/

APEX is an Equal Opportunity Employer.