People Operations Generalist

Website

https://19thnews.org/

City

Austin

State

Job Type

Remote

Job Level

Mid-Career

Function

Human Resources

Salary Range

$91K – $110K

Job Description

People Operations Generalist

The 19th

Location: Remote — U.S. Only
Salary: $85,000–$100,000
Department: People Operations
Reports To: People Operations Manager
Direct Reports: None
Travel: 1–2 times per year
Application Deadline: August 24, 2026 at 12 p.m. CT

The Opportunity

The 19th is hiring a full-time People Operations Generalist to join its small People Operations team supporting a 60-person organization. The organization partners with Justworks, a Professional Employer Organization (PEO), for payroll, benefits, tax compliance, paid time off administration, and other core HR infrastructure.

This role will strengthen employee support, improve HR operations, and help ensure people practices remain equitable, responsive, and compliant. It is a true HR generalist position requiring applied HR knowledge, sound judgment, and the ability to distinguish routine questions from matters requiring escalation.

The Generalist will support the full employee lifecycle, including hiring, onboarding, payroll and benefits administration, employee records, HR systems, compliance, performance management, learning and development, and employee engagement.

Responsibilities

Hiring, Onboarding & Offboarding

Provide administrative support for staff and fellowship hiring, including scheduling, candidate and panelist communications, interview materials, phone screens, reference checks, work authorization, and hiring trackers.
Support employee onboarding and offboarding in collaboration with Operations and hiring managers, including systems access, equipment, account setup, and workplace logistics.
Maintain and improve hiring, onboarding, and offboarding templates, checklists, and processes to promote consistency and equity.

HR Systems, Records & Reporting

Maintain accurate employee records across HR systems and process approved employment, role, manager, compensation, and status changes.
Maintain compliant personnel files, organizational charts, HR trackers, and standard reports.
Support audits and data alignment across systems.
Create and maintain databases, automations, calendars, templates, SOPs, and other tools that support efficient People Operations workflows.
Use and optimize HR and remote-work technologies, including databases, automations, collaboration platforms, and asynchronous workflows.
Maintain People Operations trackers, tables, templates, SOPs, and documentation so recurring workflows remain accurate and current.

Payroll, Compensation & Benefits

Prepare, enter, and track payroll and compensation changes, including timesheets, stipends, bonuses, and salary adjustments.
Partner with People Operations and Finance on payroll processes.
Review payroll documentation for accuracy and completeness and identify concerns before deadlines.
Support benefits administration, including employee questions, enrollment periods, qualifying life events, vendor coordination, communications, and recordkeeping.
Escalate complex benefits questions as appropriate.

Compliance, Policies & Contracts

Assess and respond to routine HR policy and compliance questions using approved guidance.
Exercise judgment in escalating complex, sensitive, or higher-risk matters.
Research employment practices and compliance requirements.
Support HR audits and help maintain policies, SOPs, and internal resources.
Draft, circulate, track, and file routine contracts using established templates and approval processes.
Follow up on signatures and incomplete documentation.

Employee Experience & Relations

Serve as a visible first point of contact for People Operations and respond to routine employee questions professionally and confidentially.
Escalate sensitive or complex employee matters through established protocols.
Support employee engagement, recognition, wellness, fellowship, and organizational change initiatives.
Assist with planning, communications, logistics, and follow-through that contribute to a positive employee experience.
Support fellows in partnership with the Fellowship team, including hiring, onboarding, performance, learning, employee support, and offboarding.
Track leave, workplace expectations, and employee relations documentation.
Support investigations and other sensitive employee relations processes under the direction of People Operations leadership.

Performance, Learning & General People Operations

Administer organization-wide performance review and learning programs.
Manage system setup, scheduling, communications, reminders, materials, completion tracking, and reporting.
Research learning resources, vendors, and professional development tools.
Support improvements following performance review and training cycles.
Identify recurring employee questions, workflow gaps, and opportunities to improve systems and documentation.
Support cross-functional projects and other People Operations responsibilities as assigned.

Additional Responsibilities

Participate in culture building and inclusive decision-making.
Contribute ideas that improve organizational practices, including hiring and onboarding.
Contribute to cross-team learning, leadership development, and organizational planning.
Participate in team, organizational, and individual relationship building and professional development.
Perform other responsibilities as needed.

Relevant Skills & Experience

At least 4–6 years of experience supporting core HR functions in a generalist, coordinator, or HR operations capacity.
Experience with hiring administration, onboarding, employee records, payroll support, benefits administration, performance cycles, compliance documentation, and HR systems.
Working knowledge of core HR practices, compliance expectations, documentation standards, and escalation principles.
Understanding of labor law and ability to recognize when additional guidance is required.
Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
Ability to manage recurring processes, deadlines, employee records, payroll data, compliance files, and confidential information.
Digital fluency and experience with HR systems, databases, and remote collaboration tools such as Justworks, Airtable, Small Improvements, Google Workspace, Slack, Slab, or similar platforms.
Familiarity with responsible use of AI tools in People Operations, including maintaining confidentiality, protecting employee information, and avoiding bias.
Strong written and verbal communication skills.
Ability to handle sensitive and confidential information with discretion, integrity, empathy, sound judgment, and emotional intelligence.
Comfort working in a remote and collaborative environment.
Ability to conduct research, synthesize information, and support documentation, policy, and process improvements.
Experience working with individuals from diverse backgrounds and perspectives.
Knowledge of equity and accessibility in workplace practices.
Strong interest in The 19th’s mission, values, and strategic initiatives.