Pomona College
Senior Human Resources Generalist
Pomona College, Claremont, California, United States, 91711
Senior Human Resources Generalist
Located near Los Angeles, California, Pomona College is widely regarded as one of the nation's premier liberal arts colleges. Established in 1887, Pomona College is known for small classes, a challenging curriculum, close relationships between students and faculty, and a range of student research and leadership opportunities. Pomona is a member of The Claremont Colleges. The Senior Human Resources Generalist supports Business Partners in various areas, including investigations and employee relations (ER) matters. Responsibilities include recruiting, conducting training sessions, reviewing and updating job descriptions, maintaining Workday reports, managing leave of absence (LOA) administration, overseeing worker's compensation, and facilitating the interactive process. The Senior Human Resources Generalist will be responsible for partnering with the HR operations coordinators to ensure that daily business processes are executed efficiently and accurately. This position also involves analyzing HR metrics to inform decision making and workforce planning. Additionally, the Senior HR Generalist provides support for other HR services through the Office of Human Resources and serves as a liaison for activities with campus departments, the other Claremont Colleges, and The Claremont Colleges Services (TCCS), a shared service organization for The Claremont Colleges. The Senior Human Resources Generalist reports to the Assistant Vice President for Human Resources and works closely with both the AVP and the HR Business Partners. This position includes the following primary duties and responsibilities: Leave of Absence Administration Leverage leave of absence data to identify patterns and trends, such as peak leave periods, department-level impacts, and recurring types of leave to support leadership in making informed, cost-effective staffing and resource allocation decisions. Remain up-to-date and current on state and federal changes to leave of absence regulations and to ensure the College's compliance. Monitor leave frequency and duration by department or role to identify potential burnout risks, workload imbalances, or policy gaps that may require proactive intervention or wellness initiatives. Correlate leave trends with operational outcomessuch as productivity, overtime costs, or temporary staffing needs to inform more efficient workforce planning and budget forecasting. Support equitable policy enforcement and ADA/FEHA compliance by using LOA data to ensure consistent application of leave policies and to identify areas where additional manager training or employee support may be needed. HR Operations Assist with daily HR operations including onboarding, offboarding, employee records management, updating job descriptions, and compliance with organizational policies and labor regulations. Administer and maintain HRIS platforms to ensure accurate data entry, system integrity, and timely updates to employee information. Generate and analyze HR reports from the HRIS to support workforce planning, compliance audits, and strategic decision-making. Collaborate with IT and vendors to troubleshoot system issues, implement upgrades, and optimize HRIS functionality for evolving business needs. Train HR staff and end-users on system use, data entry standards, and reporting tools to ensure consistent and effective utilization of HRIS resources. New Hire Orientation, Onboarding and Offboarding Serve as a backup when conducting new hire orientations for staff and faculty, in groups or individually. Coordinate with the HR Coordinator to ensure new hires receive welcome and orientation packets and other onboarding communications. In collaboration with HR Business Partners, provide support as necessary throughout the recruitment process for both staff and faculty. Oversee all aspects of the termination process for faculty and staff, including effective communication, timely follow-up, processing of final paychecks, management of accrual balances, and coordination of all related changes with the HR Operations team. Coordinate special projects/tasks and provide assistance as assigned. Employee Relations Co-lead with business partners in facilitating effective communication between management, employees, and union representatives to address concerns, resolve conflicts, and foster positive working relationships. Assist business partners as needed with conducting thorough investigations into employee relations issues, ensuring accurate documentation at all stages of the process, and collaborate with departments to address concerns while maintaining legal and policy compliance. Provide guidance and support to managers and staff on employee relations matters, including performance management, disciplinary actions, and conflict resolution, while aiding in maintaining strong communication channels across departments. Training and Development Design and deliver targeted training programs that align with organizational goals, address skill gaps, and support employee growth across departments in partnership with the HR Business Partners. Evaluate training effectiveness through feedback, assessments, and performance metrics to continuously improve learning outcomes and return on investment. Collaborate with HR Business Partners to identify departmental development needs and implement learning strategies that strengthen team capabilities and facilitate succession planning. Qualifications: Education:
Bachelor's degree in human resources or a related field, or equivalent professional experience is required. Experience:
A minimum of 5 years of proven experience with increasing responsibility in the areas of Human Resources Management with a successful consultative style relating to HRIS, recruitment, and experience in leaves of absence administration and applicable state and federal laws is required. At least 1 year of experience at an academic institution is preferred. A PHR (Professional in Human Resources) designation is desired but not required. Bi-lingual Spanish speaking, reading, and writing is highly desired, but not required. Advanced knowledge and use of Workday is preferred. Required Knowledge and Critical Skills:
The Sr. Human Resources Generalist must possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities to be able to successfully perform the essential functions of the position or be able to explain or demonstrate how the essential functions will be performed, with or without reasonable accommodation, using some other combination of skills and abilities. Expert knowledge of laws and regulations which pertain to human resources and payroll; must be capable of interpreting them for purposes of implementation and determining impact on the College and current policies. Strategically identifies and resolves problems in a timely manner; gathers and analyzes information skillfully. Maintains confidentiality, remains open to others' ideas, exhibits a willingness to try new things, and demonstrates maturity and composure in dealing with difficult situations. Uses highly effective and sound judgment and can deal successfully with difficult situations, including defusing tension or conflict. Communicates clearly and persuasively in positive or negative situations; demonstrates group presentation skills and conducts efficient meetings. Prioritizes and plans work activities, uses time efficiently and develops realistic action plans. Adapts to changes in the work environment, manages competing demands and is adaptable to frequent change, interruptions, delays, or unexpected events. Is consistently at work and on time, follows instructions, responds to management direction, and solicits feedback to improve performance. Works well with a team and can assist others as needed. Actively promotes and personally observes safety and security procedures and uses equipment and materials properly. To successfully perform the essential functions of the position or be able to demonstrate how the essential functions will be performed, with or without reasonable accommodation, using other skills and abilities not listed below: Knowledge of employment law, Federal Labor Standards Act, CAL-OSHA, ERISA, Wage and Hour Act, and current labor legislation is highly desirable. Demonstrated effectiveness and clarity of verbal and written communication with excellent interpersonal communication and phone manners. Must handle all activities and highly confidential information with patience, discretion, tact, and a keen eye for detail while working with people from a wide variety of backgrounds. Able to operate computers with basic Microsoft Office software (such as Word, Excel, Outlook) and associated professional software (such as HRIS, query reporting, Internet research, menu-driven databases). Demonstrated understanding of the use of technology to achieve annual goals and maintain confidentiality. Able to handle multiple tasks, meet deadlines, and work both independently and as a collaborative member of the College in support of the College's strategic vision and the division's annual goals with a high standard of integrity and ethics. Must have exceptional organizational and time management skills to complete work with accuracy and attention to detail. Demonstrated ability to manage, develop, and train team members, as well as effectively provide leadership. The regular hours for this full-time position are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday
Friday.
Located near Los Angeles, California, Pomona College is widely regarded as one of the nation's premier liberal arts colleges. Established in 1887, Pomona College is known for small classes, a challenging curriculum, close relationships between students and faculty, and a range of student research and leadership opportunities. Pomona is a member of The Claremont Colleges. The Senior Human Resources Generalist supports Business Partners in various areas, including investigations and employee relations (ER) matters. Responsibilities include recruiting, conducting training sessions, reviewing and updating job descriptions, maintaining Workday reports, managing leave of absence (LOA) administration, overseeing worker's compensation, and facilitating the interactive process. The Senior Human Resources Generalist will be responsible for partnering with the HR operations coordinators to ensure that daily business processes are executed efficiently and accurately. This position also involves analyzing HR metrics to inform decision making and workforce planning. Additionally, the Senior HR Generalist provides support for other HR services through the Office of Human Resources and serves as a liaison for activities with campus departments, the other Claremont Colleges, and The Claremont Colleges Services (TCCS), a shared service organization for The Claremont Colleges. The Senior Human Resources Generalist reports to the Assistant Vice President for Human Resources and works closely with both the AVP and the HR Business Partners. This position includes the following primary duties and responsibilities: Leave of Absence Administration Leverage leave of absence data to identify patterns and trends, such as peak leave periods, department-level impacts, and recurring types of leave to support leadership in making informed, cost-effective staffing and resource allocation decisions. Remain up-to-date and current on state and federal changes to leave of absence regulations and to ensure the College's compliance. Monitor leave frequency and duration by department or role to identify potential burnout risks, workload imbalances, or policy gaps that may require proactive intervention or wellness initiatives. Correlate leave trends with operational outcomessuch as productivity, overtime costs, or temporary staffing needs to inform more efficient workforce planning and budget forecasting. Support equitable policy enforcement and ADA/FEHA compliance by using LOA data to ensure consistent application of leave policies and to identify areas where additional manager training or employee support may be needed. HR Operations Assist with daily HR operations including onboarding, offboarding, employee records management, updating job descriptions, and compliance with organizational policies and labor regulations. Administer and maintain HRIS platforms to ensure accurate data entry, system integrity, and timely updates to employee information. Generate and analyze HR reports from the HRIS to support workforce planning, compliance audits, and strategic decision-making. Collaborate with IT and vendors to troubleshoot system issues, implement upgrades, and optimize HRIS functionality for evolving business needs. Train HR staff and end-users on system use, data entry standards, and reporting tools to ensure consistent and effective utilization of HRIS resources. New Hire Orientation, Onboarding and Offboarding Serve as a backup when conducting new hire orientations for staff and faculty, in groups or individually. Coordinate with the HR Coordinator to ensure new hires receive welcome and orientation packets and other onboarding communications. In collaboration with HR Business Partners, provide support as necessary throughout the recruitment process for both staff and faculty. Oversee all aspects of the termination process for faculty and staff, including effective communication, timely follow-up, processing of final paychecks, management of accrual balances, and coordination of all related changes with the HR Operations team. Coordinate special projects/tasks and provide assistance as assigned. Employee Relations Co-lead with business partners in facilitating effective communication between management, employees, and union representatives to address concerns, resolve conflicts, and foster positive working relationships. Assist business partners as needed with conducting thorough investigations into employee relations issues, ensuring accurate documentation at all stages of the process, and collaborate with departments to address concerns while maintaining legal and policy compliance. Provide guidance and support to managers and staff on employee relations matters, including performance management, disciplinary actions, and conflict resolution, while aiding in maintaining strong communication channels across departments. Training and Development Design and deliver targeted training programs that align with organizational goals, address skill gaps, and support employee growth across departments in partnership with the HR Business Partners. Evaluate training effectiveness through feedback, assessments, and performance metrics to continuously improve learning outcomes and return on investment. Collaborate with HR Business Partners to identify departmental development needs and implement learning strategies that strengthen team capabilities and facilitate succession planning. Qualifications: Education:
Bachelor's degree in human resources or a related field, or equivalent professional experience is required. Experience:
A minimum of 5 years of proven experience with increasing responsibility in the areas of Human Resources Management with a successful consultative style relating to HRIS, recruitment, and experience in leaves of absence administration and applicable state and federal laws is required. At least 1 year of experience at an academic institution is preferred. A PHR (Professional in Human Resources) designation is desired but not required. Bi-lingual Spanish speaking, reading, and writing is highly desired, but not required. Advanced knowledge and use of Workday is preferred. Required Knowledge and Critical Skills:
The Sr. Human Resources Generalist must possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities to be able to successfully perform the essential functions of the position or be able to explain or demonstrate how the essential functions will be performed, with or without reasonable accommodation, using some other combination of skills and abilities. Expert knowledge of laws and regulations which pertain to human resources and payroll; must be capable of interpreting them for purposes of implementation and determining impact on the College and current policies. Strategically identifies and resolves problems in a timely manner; gathers and analyzes information skillfully. Maintains confidentiality, remains open to others' ideas, exhibits a willingness to try new things, and demonstrates maturity and composure in dealing with difficult situations. Uses highly effective and sound judgment and can deal successfully with difficult situations, including defusing tension or conflict. Communicates clearly and persuasively in positive or negative situations; demonstrates group presentation skills and conducts efficient meetings. Prioritizes and plans work activities, uses time efficiently and develops realistic action plans. Adapts to changes in the work environment, manages competing demands and is adaptable to frequent change, interruptions, delays, or unexpected events. Is consistently at work and on time, follows instructions, responds to management direction, and solicits feedback to improve performance. Works well with a team and can assist others as needed. Actively promotes and personally observes safety and security procedures and uses equipment and materials properly. To successfully perform the essential functions of the position or be able to demonstrate how the essential functions will be performed, with or without reasonable accommodation, using other skills and abilities not listed below: Knowledge of employment law, Federal Labor Standards Act, CAL-OSHA, ERISA, Wage and Hour Act, and current labor legislation is highly desirable. Demonstrated effectiveness and clarity of verbal and written communication with excellent interpersonal communication and phone manners. Must handle all activities and highly confidential information with patience, discretion, tact, and a keen eye for detail while working with people from a wide variety of backgrounds. Able to operate computers with basic Microsoft Office software (such as Word, Excel, Outlook) and associated professional software (such as HRIS, query reporting, Internet research, menu-driven databases). Demonstrated understanding of the use of technology to achieve annual goals and maintain confidentiality. Able to handle multiple tasks, meet deadlines, and work both independently and as a collaborative member of the College in support of the College's strategic vision and the division's annual goals with a high standard of integrity and ethics. Must have exceptional organizational and time management skills to complete work with accuracy and attention to detail. Demonstrated ability to manage, develop, and train team members, as well as effectively provide leadership. The regular hours for this full-time position are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday
Friday.