What are the responsibilities and job description for the HR Generalist position at Drake University?
Unit/Department: Human Resources
FTE: Full-time
Salary: Commensurate with experience and qualifications of the selected candidate.
Department Summary:
Drake Human Resources is a collaborative, team-orientated unit dedicated to providing the highest level of customer service to the campus community. We offer a wide range of services and support, including talent acquisition and talent management; classification and compensation; employee benefits and wellness; employee and labor relations; staff recognition; and employee training and development.
Job Summary:
Drake University seeks a proactive, customer-focused professional to serve as an HR Generalist. This role is the front-line representative of the Human Resources team, providing exceptional service to employees, prospective hires, and campus partners. The HR Generalist supports a wide range of HR functions, including recruitment, onboarding, student employment, and HR operations. This position ensures timely and accurate handling of inquiries, assists with employee lifecycle processes, and serves as a key point of contact for job applicants and hiring managers. The HR Generalist plays a vital role in maintaining smooth HR workflows, upholding confidentiality, and supporting process consistency across the department. This is an excellent opportunity for someone who thrives in a dynamic environment and is passionate about delivering high-quality service in support of the university’s mission.
Minimum Qualifications:
- Education: A high school diploma is required.
- Attention to Detail: Strong organizational skills with a keen eye for accuracy and data integrity.
- Customer Service: Ability to provide genuine, professional, and supportive assistance to a diverse community of faculty, staff, students, retirees, and prospective employees.
- Adaptability & Growth Mindset: Willingness to learn new skills and embrace evolving HR processes and technologies.
Preferred Qualifications:
- A bachelor's degree or an associate degree is preferred.
- Experience in higher education or working with HRIS systems (such as Banner) is preferred.
- Prior experience in human resources is preferred.
Job Duties:
40% - Front-Line HR Support - Serve as the first point of contact for HR, supporting both prospective and current employees and managers. Greet and assist in-person visitors, answer the main HR phone line, and manage a high volume of emails. Respond promptly, professionally, and accurately to general HR questions. Route more complex inquiries to the appropriate HR expert or department partner. - (Essential)- 25% - Recruitment Support - Collaborate with hiring managers to post job openings, initiate background checks, and generate offer letters. Set up new employees in the HR system and respond to recruitment-related emails via the jobs@Drake inbox. Close job postings once positions are filled, notify applicants of their application status, and respond to hiring managers’ questions related to the PageUp system. Ensure new employees visit the HR office on or before their first day of work to complete required paperwork, including processing their I-9 forms. - (Essential)
- 20% - Student Employment Coordination - Work closely with the HR Data Entry and Process Improvement Specialist to manage student employment. Tasks include creating positions, assigning jobs and supervisors, responding to payroll questions, and processing employment paperwork via the student employment inbox. - (Essential)
- 10% - HR Operations and Backup Support - Provide backup support for HR team members in entering and reviewing sensitive employee data. This includes new hires, compensation changes, offboarding, leave changes, and retirement updates. Manage the ESF inbox, handle I-9s, W-4s, and other forms, and maintain personnel records. Ensure separation processes are completed promptly and benefits are terminated as needed. Serve as backup support for payroll functions. - (Essential)
- 5% - Documentation and HR Communications - Assist in developing and maintaining clear HR documentation, including FAQs and standard operating procedures. Offer insights to enhance internal HR communications and ensure policies are easy to understand. - (Essential)
Salary & Benefits:
The salary will be commensurate with experience and qualifications of the selected candidate. This is a full-time, 12-month, exempt (salaried) position.
At Drake, we take pride in offering a comprehensive benefits package for our employees, their spouses, and eligible dependents. In addition to a wide range of core benefits, perks, and discounts, our full-time employees enjoy generous paid time off, including one month of vacation, two personal days per fiscal year, several federal holidays, as well as Thanksgiving break and winter break.
Tuition Benefits.
Special Instructions to Applicants:
For consideration, you must apply online. Please include a resume and cover letter.
If you have questions about this job posting or the application process, please email us at jobs@drake.edu.
Review of Applications Begins: Review of applications will begin immediately. This position will remain posted until filled.
For faculty positions, selection will depend on the receipt of recommendation confirming the candidate's scholarly achievements and teaching abilities and/or on the candidate's satisfactory passing of a teaching demonstration if selected for an on-campus interview. For staff positions, selection will depend upon careful review of each applicant’s references, education, and, if applicable, experience.
About Drake:
Drake University is recognized as a top private university in the Midwest. Drake is a midsize university in Des Moines, Iowa, with an increasingly diverse student body. We are deeply committed to equity and inclusion and creating a sense of belonging for all members of the campus community—faculty, staff, and students alike. More than 900 faculty and staff are part of the Bulldog pack, a close-knit group of colleagues enthusiastic about preparing students to be global citizens and leaders, challenging assumptions. Drake University is not only an outstanding institution of higher learning, it is also a wonderful place to work. We are enthusiastically committed to welcoming new ideas and people into the fold, and to retaining and rewarding stellar employees.
All positions at Drake provide opportunities to contribute to Drake University’s core mission of creating an exceptional learning environment that prepares students of all backgrounds for meaningful lives and professional accomplishments.
Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion at Drake:
requested in our online application system.
Drake University is committed to providing access and reasonable accommodations in its services, programs, activities, education, and employment for individuals with disabilities. If you would benefit from an accommodation at any point in the recruitment process (including using our online application process), please contact Drake Human Resources (ph: 515.271.3133; e: jobs@drake.edu) and let us know how we can assist you.
At Drake University, we highly value a diverse, inclusive workforce. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We stand firmly against discrimination including on the basis of race, color, national origin, creed, religion, age, disability, sex, pregnancy, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, genetic information, veteran status, or any characteristic protected by law.
