Human Resources Generalist Job at Howard County Health Department in Columbia

Overview

The main purpose of this position is to perform entry-level and/or advanced level of Personnel Associate for the Maryland Department of Health (MDH) – Howard County Health Department (HCHD). Under the supervision of the Deputy Director of Human Resources, the Personnel Associate serves as an HR generalist, supporting the human resources needs of the Howard County Health Department’s 270+ State merit and contractual employees. This position performs a wide range of HR functions including timekeeping and payroll, employment services, and health benefits administration. The Personnel Associate provides guidance to management, supervisors, and employees on policies and procedures related to employment issues, leave administration (including FMLA, parental leave, and workers’ compensation), and health benefits. Additionally, this role ensures compliance with HR policies and state regulations, maintains accurate records, and supports departmental initiatives such as the Maryland Charity Campaign. The incumbent maintains confidentiality for all HR related activities and discussions.

Base pay range

$45,595.00/yr - $52,524.00/yr

Direct message the job poster from Howard County Health Department

Primary duties and responsibilities

• Leave (FMLA, Parental Leave, Leave Bank etc.) - Coordinates all aspects of the medical and extended leave processes, including FMLA, leave bank, donated leave, parental, and accident leave; advises employees, processes and tracks requests, consults with State and MDH leave coordinators as needed, and maintains all required training and documentation.
• Timekeeping/Payroll - Oversees timekeeping and payroll operations by ensuring timesheet accuracy and compliance, processing corrections, resolving inquiries, completing payroll reports, maintaining related records, and assisting with repayment schedules and HealthStats reporting.
• Recordkeeping - Maintains accurate personnel, benefits, and training records in Workday and physical files; processes HR transactions, tracks licenses and certifications, coordinates offboarding and equipment return, runs reports, manages records for storage or destruction, and ensures retention and documentation compliance.
• Leave Audit - Conducts bi-weekly leave audits by reviewing documentation, following up on discrepancies, coordinating necessary timesheet changes, and notifying leadership of issues prior to finalization.
• Other Duties - Leads the annual Maryland Charity Campaign, completes employment verifications, assists recruiters, supports special projects, and participates in training, emergency response, and quality improvement initiatives to support HR and department-wide operations.
• Back-up Duties - Provides backup support for HR functions including processing transactions, maintaining termination files, conducting new employee orientations, and serving as the Agency Health Benefits Coordinator by guiding employees through enrollment, ensuring timely documentation, and staying current on benefit policies and procedures.
• This position is eligible for hybrid telework after probation period.

Minimum qualifications

Education: Graduation from an accredited high school or possession of a high school equivalency certificate.

Experience: Six months of general clerical or administrative support experience, with at least three months in paraprofessional personnel experience involving application of personnel procedures, policies, rules and regulations to specific employment actions. Responsibilities include preparing and maintaining employment records, calculating salaries, applying and interpreting rules and policies, preparing personnel-related reports, counseling employees regarding benefits and obligations, and responding to inquiries concerning employment actions. Note: Candidates may substitute U.S. Armed Forces military service experience as a non-commissioned officer in HR assistance classifications or HR management field codes on a year-for-year basis for the required experience.

Education: Graduation from an accredited high school or possession of a high school equivalency certificate.
Experience: One year of general clerical or administrative support experience, with at least six months in paraprofessional personnel experience involving the application of personnel procedures, policies, rules, and regulations to specific employment actions. Responsibilities include preparing and maintaining employment records, calculating salaries, applying and interpreting rules and policies, preparing personnel-related reports, counseling employees regarding benefits and obligations, and responding to inquiries concerning employment actions. Note: Candidates may substitute U.S. Armed Forces military service experience as a non-commissioned officer in HR classifications or HR management field codes on a year-for-year basis for the required experience.

Education: Graduation from an accredited high school or possession of a high school equivalency certificate.

Experience: One year and six months of general clerical or administrative support experience, with at least nine months of paraprofessional personnel experience involving the application of personnel procedures, policies, rules, and regulations to specific employment actions. Responsibilities include preparing and maintaining employment records, calculating salaries, applying and interpreting rules and policies, preparing personnel-related reports, counseling employees regarding benefits and obligations, and responding to inquiries concerning employment actions. Note: Candidates may substitute U.S. Armed Forces military service experience as a non-commissioned officer in HR classifications or HR management field codes on a year-for-year basis for the required experience.

Desired or preferred qualifications

The desired candidate should possess the following:

• Experience administering and tracking Family & Medical Leave Act (FMLA) requests, including reviewing documentation, determining eligibility, and communicating with employees
• Experience with electronic filing (data entry, organization, cross-referencing, scanning, copying and retrieval)
• Experience with other medical leave programs such as parental leave, workers’ compensation, accident leave, donated leave, or leave bank administration specifically
• Experience in an HR role
• Experience with Timekeeping and/or Payroll specifically in an HR role
• Experience managing time and resources to prioritize tasks, streamline processes, maximize productivity while maintaining quality standards
• Experience using Microsoft Office products (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)
• Experience compiling data from HR databases such as Workday

Seniority level

• Associate

Employment type

• Full-time

Job function

• Human Resources and Administrative
• Industries: Public Health, Health and Human Services, and Hospitals and Health Care

Note: This description may include additional job-related information and references to external postings. Referrals increase your chances of interviewing at Howard County Health Department by 2x.