Human Resources Generalist

The Human Resources Generalist supports the day-to-day operations of a two-person HR department at the Institute of American Indian & in Santa Fe, NM. In this onsite role, you help manage recruiting, onboarding, benefits, payroll, compliance, personnel records, and employee lifecycle processes while strengthening HR systems and documentation through consistent execution and continuous improvement.

Working closely with the HR Director and partners across the organization, you serve as a key administrator for core HR workflows and tools, including Paylocity module configuration and onboarding and handbook policy rollout.

What you’ll do

• Act as the primary hands-on administrator for Paylocity, handling configuration, testing, and rollout for assigned modules including recruiting, onboarding, performance, time and labor, and learning.
• Build, test, and document Paylocity workflows in partnership with the HR Director and Information Technology.
• Create, write, and maintain standard operating procedures for core HR processes, producing documentation where gaps exist and updating outdated processes.
• Identify manual or paper-based processes and recommend practical improvements or automation.
• Build and maintain HR forms, templates, checklists, and trackers.
• Support employee training and communication when new systems or processes go live.
• Coordinate the full recruiting cycle, including intake with hiring managers, position postings, applicant tracking, interview scheduling, and candidate communications.
• Post and advertise open positions in coordination with the Communications Office and within budget.
• Maintain relationships with recruiting sources, including tribal colleges, Native professional networks, higher education job boards, and local sources.
• Screen applications for minimum qualifications and route qualified candidates to hiring committees.
• Administer background checks and pre-employment documentation accurately and on schedule.
• Draft offer letters for HR Director review and extend approved offers.
• Process appointments and terminations for adjunct instructor contracts and work-study assignments.
• Prepare annual core faculty letters of intent and contracts for review and approval.
• Track and report recruiting metrics, including time to fill, source of hire, and open requisition status.
• Design, run, and continuously improve IAIA’s new employee orientation and onboarding experience.
• Prepare orientation materials, coordinate logistics, and ensure new hires complete required documentation.
• Manage Form I-9 completion and reverification in compliance with federal requirements.
• Coordinate with Information Technology, Facilities, and hiring departments so new employees have what they need on day one.
• Conduct thirty- and ninety-day check-ins with new hires and report themes to the HR Director.
• Process employee separations, including exit paperwork, systems access removal, and final documentation.
• Handle sensitive and highly confidential personnel matters with tact and diplomacy.
• Serve as the first point of contact for employee benefits questions and route complex issues to the HR Director.
• Administer open enrollment logistics, communications, and employee support.
• Process benefit enrollments, changes, and terminations accurately and within carrier deadlines.
• Be the initial contact with insurance carriers and coordinate routine service issues.
• Administer notification, tracking, and reporting of FMLA eligible requests.
• Monitor high vacation leave balances and notify managers and employees as needed.
• Schedule monthly retirement plan consultation meetings.
• Support IAIA compliance with the Federal Workers’ Compensation Program, including incident reporting and OSHA recordkeeping and posting requirements.
• Support compliance with employment regulations including COBRA, FLSA, ADA, and New Mexico unemployment insurance requirements, escalating interpretation questions to the HR Director.
• Create, organize, secure, and maintain personnel files in accordance with confidentiality standards and record retention requirements.
• Respond to employment verification requests using established release of information practices.
• Assist the HR Director with drafting, formatting, and distributing updates to the employee handbook and HR policies, including tracking acknowledgments and maintaining version control.
• Serve as IAIA’s primary timekeeper, ensuring biweekly time and attendance is accurate and submitted on schedule.
• Input, audit, and maintain employee master data in the HR information system.
• Maintain salary records and faculty contract data.
• Prepare recurring and ad hoc HR reports and data requests for the HR Director.
• Process HR-related invoices and billing for HR Director audit and approval.
• Prepare HR content and updates for the IAIA website and submit them to the Communications Office for publishing; maintain the annual holiday leave schedule.
• Serve as a welcoming and knowledgeable first point of contact for employees, faculty, student, and external inquiries.
• Perform other HR duties as assigned.

Minimum qualifications

• Associate’s degree and three years of progressively responsible HR experience, or a Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business, or related field and two years of HR experience.
• Hands-on experience in at least two areas: recruiting coordination, onboarding, benefits administration, leave administration, or HRIS data management.
• Working proficiency with an HRIS or payroll platform and with Microsoft Office, including intermediate Excel.
• Professional, courteous, tactful, and service-oriented demeanor.
• Initiative and follow through, working independently once given direction.
• Learning orientation and ability to quickly adopt new systems.
• Comfort with change in a department rebuilding its processes.
• Accuracy and attention to detail, particularly for payroll, benefits, and compliance.
• Absolute discretion when handling confidential employee information.
• Clear written and verbal communication to explain policies and benefits to a wide range of audiences.
• Organization and prioritization skills to manage ongoing operations and project work simultaneously.
• Sound judgment on what to decide independently versus what to escalate.
• Cultural awareness and respect for the perspectives, backgrounds, and practices of IAIA’s Native students, faculty, and staff.
• Professional, courteous, service-oriented conduct with all members of the IAIA community.

Skills and tools

• Technologies: Paylocity, Microsoft Office, Excel

Preferred qualifications

• Direct experience with Paylocity, including module configuration or implementation.
• Experience in higher education, tribal organizations, or nonprofit environments.
• Experience with the Federal Workers’ Compensation Program, or willingness to obtain Injury Compensation Specialist training within the first year.
• SHRM-CP, aPHR, or PHR certification, or active progress toward certification.

Position details

• Location: Santa Fe, NM (onsite)
• Salary: USD 45,000 to 55,000 per year
• Minimum experience: 2 years

Working conditions

• Typical office environment; primarily sedentary.
• Ability to sit and use a computer workstation for extended periods.
• Ability to lift or maneuver items weighing up to 30 pounds.
• Occasional evening or weekend work during peak recruiting, onboarding, or open enrollment periods.

Additional notes

• This job description is a general statement of major duties and responsibilities performed on a regular or continuous basis; other duties may be assigned.
• This job description is not a contract for employment.
• Management reserves the right to revise the job description at any time.