People and Culture Specialist

People and Culture Specialist

American Association of State Colleges and Universities

 

Headquarters - Washington, DC 20005.

 

Overview

Salary Range: $75,000.00 - $95,000.00 Salary/year

Position Type: Full Time

Education Level: 4 Year Degree

 

ABOUT AASCU

 

AASCU represents over 350 public colleges, universities, and systems united in the mission to expand student access and success, promote experiential learning, and advance economic and community development. Our member institutions are at the forefront of academic innovation, serving a diverse student population committed to excellence in public higher education.

 

ABOUT THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT (OOP)

 

The Office of the President shepherds AASCU’s Divisions in achieving the mission, strategic goals, and initiatives approved by the AASCU Board of Directors. The Office of the President also works closely with external stakeholders, such as philanthropic organizations, elected government officials, U.S. governmental agencies, and thought leaders committed to AASCU’s mission. The People and Culture team reports to the Chief Operations Officer in the Office of the President.

 

EXPECTATIONS FOR ALL EMPLOYEES

 

Supports the organization’s mission, vision, and values by exhibiting the following behaviors: commitment to diversity and equity, excellence and competence, collaboration, innovation, accountability, ownership, and adherence to policies and procedures.

 

SUMMARY OF POSITION

 

The American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) is actively seeking a knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and detail-oriented People & Culture Specialist to support the development and execution of initiatives that foster an engaged, inclusive, and high-performing workplace. Reporting to the Director of People & Culture, this role is instrumental in delivering people operations which include recruitment, onboarding, employee engagement, performance management, benefits administration and culture building programs. The Specialist should have a clear understanding of HR best practices, proficiency in transactional tasks, and hands-on experience with Human Resources Information Systems (HRIS). High attention to detail, organizational skills, tech-savvy, and effective communication skills are essential. If you enjoy being a continuous learner, have a positive, collaborative demeanor and are ready for a dynamic role that actively contributes to the People and Culture team and to AASCU’s Mission, we strongly encourage you to apply and join our esteemed team.

 

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Employee Engagement & Culture

 

• Support workplace culture initiatives designed to foster inclusion, recognition, productivity, and transparency.

• Assist with the gathering and analysis of employee feedback to recommend changes to workplace culture and employee experience.

• Service as a resource for employees and managers on policies, benefits, and workplace practices.

 

Talent Acquisition & Onboarding

 

• Partner with hiring managers to ensure fair, inclusive, and effective hiring practices.

• Use various methods to attract a diverse candidate pool for positions including job boards, social media, professional networks, and employee referrals.

• Conduct initial interviews and assess candidate qualifications and suitability for specific roles.

• Responsible for scheduling interviews and managing communication between candidates and hiring managers to ensure a smooth interview process.

• Responsible for coordinating the use of the Paycom Talent management system and supporting the organization’s recruiting effort.

• Coordinate and facilitate new employee onboarding and orientation programs.

• Ensure that new hires are properly onboarded and assure that new hire 90-day and six-month reviews are properly scheduled and documented in the HRIS.

 

People Operations & Support

 

• Ensure that the HRIS is kept up to date and that all changes to the system are coordinated with the accounting and finance team.

• Organize employee records on SharePoint, assist with configuration, updating, and maintaining HR documents.

• Organize and retain files based on the HR document retention plan.

• Offer administrative support in managing the AASCU HR calendar, ensuring compliance with local, state, and federal HR labor laws, and meticulously meeting all deadlines for administrative and legal compliance.

• Assist in administrative tasks related to all leaves of absence and accommodation-related requests.

• Assist in continuously supporting AASCU in staying up to date with employment regulations across all states, including local, state, and federal laws and mandates.

• Assist in conducting comprehensive research on HR best practices, workplace trends, and regulations.

• Responsible for configuring AASCU’s intranet and ensuring that updates are completed consistently and in a timely manner.

 

Benefits Administration

 

• Assist the Director of People and Culture in coordinating the annual open enrollment communication and election process.

• Manage benefit enrollments, changes, and terminations for all employees.

• Audit and process payments for monthly benefits invoices according to best practice.

• Understands AASCU benefits and provides employees with benefits information and support as needed.

 

Talent Management and Workforce Planning

 

• Provide vital administrative support to align staffing, recruiting, and retention strategies with organizational goals.

• Assist in updating position descriptions and contribute to the strategic and operational workforce planning (e.g., position description development, tracking promotions, succession planning, etc.).

• Support performance management processes, including goal-setting, check-ins, and performance reviews.

• Assist in redesigning and managing AASCU’s internship program and collaborating with divisions to enhance the internship experience.

 

Facilities Support

 

• Coordinate support for workspace planning and prepare common spaces for use (e.g., conference room configurations, reservations, etc.).

• Manage relationships with various office vendors to ensure AASCU’s office space is well maintained.

• Organize efforts to coordinate with property management on needed maintenance and services.

• Support office emergency preparedness activities and training.

 

Qualifications

 

REQUIRED SKILLS AND ABILITIES

 

• Knowledge of employment-related laws and regulations and the willingness to research and keep up to date with the everchanging legal landscape.

• Excellent organizational skills and mindfulness. Must be able to prioritize and manage multiple tasks at once and ensure all assigned tasks are completed promptly.

• Understanding of HR functions and how to support them.

• Ability to successfully apply federal, state, and local employment regulations.

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

• Ability to prepare information thoroughly and accurately as well as effectively edit documents.

• Excellent people skills and the ability to maintain confidentiality in a legally compliant manner.

• Strong ability to build trust and productive relationships.

• Ability to think critically and provide effective and timely customer service to internal and external stakeholders.

• Demonstrated ability to apply innovative and resourceful solutions to solve complex challenges.

• Ability to positively impact outcomes and optimize HR investments through continuous improvement.

• Ability to convey information in a confident, professional manner that is easy for others to understand.

• Consistently act in a way that demonstrates integrity and serves as a positive example.

• Ability to elevate voices of individuals not always heard in policy and strategy work.

 

QUALIFICATIONS

 

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Organizational Development, Psychology, or related field.

• 4 years of experience in Human Resources, People Operations, or related function.

• SHRM-CP or other HR certification preferred.

• Strong analytical and critical thinking skills to assemble, review and communicate data.

• Knowledge of Paycom or similar HRIS and ability to learn new technical systems.

• Proficiency in MS Office including Outlook, SharePoint, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, with ability to create tables and charts.

• Demonstrated ability to work well in a fast-paced, diverse, and inclusive team setting, remaining flexible, resourceful, and initiative-taking.

 

COMPENSATION, BENEFITS, AND LOCATION

 

The salary range for this exempt position is between $75,000 and $95,000 plus a generous benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision insurance; fifteen paid holidays plus additional annual leave; above market contribution to company sponsored 403(b) retirement plan; on-site fitness facility, 24/7 building security, secured bike storage and more. Additionally, available underground public parking is accessible for all employees at their own expense.

 

This is a full-time position located at AASCU’s headquarters in Washington, D.C. AASCU employees who live within commuting distance to our offices are expected to work on a hybrid in-person work schedule of three days in the office and two days optional remote. This schedule is subject to change based on work and organizational demands.