HR Generalist and Employee Relations Specialist - Utah State University

Overview:

At Utah State University we believe in fostering an environment where employees can thrive. We are looking to add two positions to our Human Resources Team:

1. A dedicated HR Generalist with a passion for athletics. This role is crucial in supporting our growing organization by providing HR expertise specifically tailored to the unique needs of athletics employees.
2. A skilled Employee Relations Specialist. This role is customer experience oriented and are empowered to engage employees so they can contribute their strongest personal talents to achieving the mission of the University.

Summary:
We value diversity and have high expectations of performance and values. We believe in maintaining an open-minded approach to problem-solving, conflict management, and decision-making. Our staff members are team players who excel at building trusting relationships with customers and co-workers. We strive for a reputation of integrity. If you desire to work in such an environment and meet the qualifications, we welcome your application!
Exempt positions are eligible for excellent benefits including: 13 paid holidays, earn 22 days of paid leave and 12 days of sick leave per year, 50% tuition reduction for eligible employee, spouse, and children, competitive health benefits packages and a generous contribution into your retirement.

1. HR Generalist - This position will primarily serve as a liaison between the HR department and the Athletics division, supporting the unique HR needs of athletic coaches, administrative staff, and other personnel. May provide human resources services and support to one or more other departments, colleges, and administrators, helping align HR initiatives and business objectives. Focuses on fostering strong relationships with colleges, divisions, departments, and teams to drive performance, enhance employee engagement, and support a culture of continuous improvement. Provides expert advice on people strategies, including talent acquisition and management, change management, and employee relations. Liaises with other HR functional areas to provide support in functions such as HRIS, benefits, compensation, and training/development.
2. Employee Relations Specialist - This position must maintain strict confidentiality with case information. Responsibilities include the intake of employee relations cases, participating in university investigations, drafting reports and advising on outcomes. Conducts and documents moderately complex assignments where analysis of situations and data requires the review and interpretation of a variety of factors.
   Employee Relations works collaboratively with other functional areas in Human Resources and the Office of Equity to promote and integrate the principles of equal opportunity, affirmative action, nondiscrimination, and inclusiveness at USU. The position documents these collaborative efforts and provides support during university risk assessments, case analysis and referrals. Incumbents serve as a resource to employees throughout the University by interpreting policies and procedures, advising and recommending solutions, and providing guidance to ensure compliance with human resource policies and procedures. They collect and analyze data to determine program effectiveness and recommend changes and improvements in policies, procedures, and practices.

Responsibilities:

HR Partnership with Leadership:

• Partner with administrators to understand department goals and develop HR strategies to support them.
• Act as a trusted advisor to leadership on people-related matters.
• Provide guidance on the design and execution of organizational changes and restructures.

Talent Acquisition and Management:

• Support leaders in the talent acquisition process.
• Promote employee development, and retention.
• Support leaders in developing and executing talent management strategies, including leadership development, succession planning, and career pathing.

Employee Relations:

• Serve as the first point of contact for employee relations issues within the Athletics department.
• Provide high-level support in handling complex employee relations issues, including investigations, conflict resolution, and recommendations for disciplinary actions.
• Promote a positive organizational culture by advising supervisors on employee engagement, recognition programs, and team-building activities.
• Ensure compliance with USU policies and federal & state employment laws.

Performance Management:

• Advise leaders on performance management processes, ensuring alignment with business objectives.
• Work with supervisors to develop and implement performance improvement plans for underperforming employees.
• Help build a culture of accountability and continuous feedback.

Change Management:

• Lead change management initiatives related to organizational transformation, restructuring, and growth.
• Support the area through change by developing communication strategies, managing employee transitions, and aligning HR support with evolving department needs.

HR Analytics:

• Leverage data and HR metrics to provide insights and drive decision-making.
• Track and analyze trends in turnover, employee satisfaction, and other key HR metrics.

Learning and Development:

• Work with leaders to identify learning needs and create development opportunities for employees.
• Promote leadership and employee development through training programs, mentorship, and career progression initiatives.
• Support leaders in fostering a learning culture within their teams.

Policy and Compliance:

• Ensure the college, division, or department complies with local, state, and federal employment laws.
• Update and maintain HR policies and procedures to support compliance requirements.
• Support the development and implementation of department employee procedures and guidelines.

Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications:

• HR Generalist
  • Eight years of experience in human resources; or a bachelor’s degree plus four years of experience in human resources is required.
• Employee Relations Specialist
  • Six years of experience in human resources; or a bachelor’s degree plus two years of experience in human resources is required.
• For both positions:
  • Experience partnering effectively with all organization levels.
  • Must be able to travel occasionally to other USU statewide locations.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with NCAA regulations or athletics preferred for the Generalist position.
• Experience reviewing and working with highly confidential data.
• A professional human resources certification.
• Intermediate knowledge of workplace compliance.
• Experience in responding to and maintaining compliance with external regulatory requirements.
• Experience in working with Case Management systems (Service Now Case Management, Maxient, or Navex Ethicspoint is a plus), complaint handling, and preventive trainings.
• Experience supporting investigative or legal processes.
• In-depth understanding of policies overseen by the Office of Human Resources with policies, laws, and regulations.
• Working knowledge and experience interpreting and analyzing employer policies and implementing processes, protocols and procedures.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Strong knowledge of employment laws, regulations, and best practices.
• Excellent interpersonal and relationship-building skills.
• Strong written skills.
• Interviewing and investigation skills.
• Experience with change management, and performance management.
• Familiarity with HRIS systems and data analysis.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality required in handling employee related issues.

Operational Decision Making and Impact:

Supports the strategic and operational plans of the overall functional area. Work is performed independently except for new projects or concepts. Work is reviewed to ensure objectives were met. Good knowledge of all HR related job functions and the broad industry best practices, techniques, and standards.

Required Documents:

Along with the online application, please attach:

1. Resume to be uploaded at the beginning of your application in the Candidate Profile under “Resume/CV”

**Document size may not exceed 10 MB.**

Advertised Salary:Minimum $50,000. Commensurate with experience, plus excellent benefitsADA:

Employees work indoors and are protected from weather and/or contaminants, but not, necessarily, occasional temperature changes. The employee is regularly required to sit and often uses repetitive hand motions.

University Highlights:

Founded in 1888, Utah State University is Utah’s premier land-grant, public service university, with a strong commitment to excellence, access, and inclusion, empowering people to lead successful lives of involvement, innovation, and impact. Utah State provides high-quality education to 27,500-plus students locations throughout the state, including at three residential campuses, eight statewide campuses, and 23 education centers. USU Online educates students from all 50 states and 55 countries. For over 25 years, USU Extension has served and engaged Utahns in all of Utah’s counties. As an R1 research institution, Utah State is dedicated to advancing knowledge through research and scholarly activities, providing a high-quality undergraduate and graduate education at an affordable price.

 

Utah State is committed to cultivating a community of inclusive excellence where all perspectives, values, cultures, and identities are acknowledged, welcomed, and valued. We seek to recruit, hire, and retain people from all walks of life who will champion excellence in education, research, discovery, outreach, and service. We believe that promoting a strong sense of community and belonging empowers and engages all members of USU to thrive and be successful. Forbes recognized our commitment to employees when they named Utah State the best employer in Utah in 2023. Learn more about USU. 

 

The university provides a Dual Career Assistance Program to support careers for partners who are also seeking employment. Additionally, USU is committed to providing access and reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities. To request a reasonable accommodation for a disability, contact the university’s ADA Coordinator in the Office of Human Resources at (435) 797-0122 or hr@usu.edu. 

 

About the Region

U.S. News and World Report ranked Utah first for its strong economy, fiscal stability, education, and health care. Outstanding outdoor recreational opportunities abound throughout the state, including five national parks, 43 state parks and recreation areas, and 15 alpine ski resorts. The home of USU’s main campus, Logan, is a city of 54,000-plus people in a picturesque mountain valley 80 miles north of Salt Lake City. The Logan metro area claimed the top spot in the Milken Institute’s 2022 ranking for best-performing small cities in the nation. 

 

*updated 04/2024

Notice of Non-discrimination:

In its programs and activities, including in admissions and employment, Utah State University does not discriminate or tolerate discrimination, including harassment, based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other status protected by University policy, Title IX, or any other federal, state, or local law.

The following individuals have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the application of Title IX and its implementing regulations and/or USU’s non-discrimination policies:

 

Executive Director of the Office of Equity Matthew Pinner, discrimination@usu.edu, Distance Education Rm. 401, 435-797-1266

Title IX Coordinator Cody Carmichael, titleix@usu.edu, Distance Education Rm. 404, 435-797-1266

Mailing address: 5100 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322

For further information regarding non-discrimination, please visit https://equity.usu.edu/, or contact:

U.S. Department of Education, Office of Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 800-421-3481, OCR@ed.gov

*updated 09/2023