Senior Human Resources Generalist, Talent Acquisition

Job Title: Talent Acquisition, Senior HR Generalist

Classification: Administrative

Department: Office of Human Resources

Reports: Associate Vice President of Labor & Employee Relations and Operations

FLSA Status: Exempt; Salaried

Job Type: Full Time/Regular/Benefits Eligible

Join Lincoln University’s Office of Human Resources and be part of a collaborative team that is transforming talent acquisition, strengthening the employee experience, and advancing HR practices that help our people and University thrive.

Position Summary

The Talent Acquisition, Senior HR Generalist plays a key role in Lincoln University’s recruitment and human resources operations, with a strong focus on delivering a positive, professional, and responsive applicant and employee experience. The position serves as a trusted resource to candidates, employees, hiring managers, and the campus community and is frequently the first point of contact for individuals seeking information about Lincoln’s employment opportunities.

This position provides end-to-end recruitment support for bargaining unit and professional administrative positions; advises hiring managers throughout the search and selection process; supports employee lifecycle activities, benefits administration, HR systems, and related operational processes; and contributes to training, employee development, outreach, and continuous improvement initiatives.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

Talent Acquisition & Recruitment Strategy

• Manage and administer the full recruitment and classification processes for bargaining unit and professional administrative positions.
• Consult with hiring managers to understand departmental needs, position requirements, organizational priorities, and the desired candidate profile.
• Partner with hiring managers to develop targeted search strategies and screening approaches that identify, assess, and attract qualified candidates aligned with the requirements of the position and the needs of the department.
• Collaborate with hiring managers to review and evaluate qualified applicants, provide professional recommendations regarding candidates to advance to the interview stage, and develop interview pools that support a fair, consistent, and effective selection process.
• Translate hiring needs into effective strategies to attract active and passive qualified candidates through career websites, LinkedIn, social media, professional networks, and other sources.
• Build relationships with hard-to-find and highly skilled candidates and maintain their interest in Lincoln University opportunities.
• Develop posting and advertising strategies and assist departments with ad placement to reach desired audiences.
• Represent Lincoln University at job fairs and community outreach programs; close job postings as requested.

Hiring Manager Partnership & Candidate Experience

• Serve as a talent advisor throughout sourcing, qualifying, screening, assessing, offering, and hiring.
• Maintain regular communication with hiring managers and interview teams throughout each search.
• Train managers and supervisors on recruitment practices and ensure compliance with established processes.
• Manage candidate communications, including status updates and rejection notifications.
• Manage applications and offers, including verbal offers, offer letters, paperwork, and compensation negotiations.
• Coordinate reference checks, background checks, drug screenings, and new-hire orientations.

Classification, Compensation & Compliance

• Advise on staff classification and compensation, including equity and EEO considerations.
• Collaborate with Senior HR Generalist colleague(s) to review job descriptions and determine classification and FLSA status.
• Support faculty hiring and ensure positions comply with posting requirements and processes.
• Interpret and apply HR requirements, employment laws, rules, regulations, and policies.
• Protect confidential and sensitive information and maintain record integrity.

Recruitment Operations, Systems & Analytics

• Assess, streamline, and continuously improve recruitment processes and workflows.
• Use Lincoln University recruiting technology and applicant tracking tools and remain current with talent acquisition technology and industry trends.
• Develop regular and ad hoc reports and metrics to support decision-making and process improvement.
• Audit new-hire information against HRIS data and verify that new hires and promotions in Paycor have associated search information.
• Network with colleagues and external contacts and participate in or facilitate special projects.

Employee Lifecycle, HR Services & Onboarding

• Assist employees through onboarding, life events, status changes, and offboarding.
• Provide consistently high-quality customer service to employees, vendors, visitors, and external agents and respond promptly and professionally.
• Gather and analyze employee data and interface with vendors to support efficient HR systems, practices, and workflows.
• Provide benefits overview sessions and employment verifications.

Benefits, Employee Programs & HR Administration

• Serve as a primary employee communicator for benefits, open enrollment, plan education, and claim administration.
• Administer benefits enrollment, paid time off, vendor billing verification, reconciliation, and processing.
• Administer the annual benefits fair and wellness initiatives and collaborate with wellness champions.
• Administer Tuition Remission, Workers’ Compensation, and 403(b) programs.
• Manage group life term earnings codes, accruals, deductions, longevity increases, and degree increases.
• Maintain accurate employee records and ensure data are passed correctly to vendors, Payroll, and Accounts Payable.
• Collaborate with Finance/Payroll on problem solving and ad hoc reporting.
• Use advanced technical skills to improve billing, correspondence, and reporting efficiency.

HRIS, Data Integrity & Process Optimization

• Support the current HRIS, and HR-related interfaces.
• Ensure HR technology is leveraged for accurate, efficient processes.
• Monitor employee and recruitment data across HR systems and vendor interfaces.
• Identify opportunities to improve workflows, data integrity, and HR service delivery.

Training, Development & Campus Partnerships

• Assist with assessing training and development needs through surveys, interviews, focus groups, and manager communication.
• Contribute to planning, organizing, creating, and presenting employee skills-training programs.
• Assist with developing training programs that address workforce needs and improve job skills.
• Present training using group discussion, lecture, video, and other formats.
• Build relationships with faculty, staff, departments, internal partners, and external vendors.
• Communicate and educate employees regarding new programs, services, and resources.
• Participate in professional development activities.

Additional duties may include, but are not limited to

• Perform other duties as assigned.

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources Management, Business Administration, Marketing, or a related field is required; master’s degree preferred.
• Specialized HR training or professional certification such as PHR, SPHR, SHRM-CP, or SHRM-SCP is preferred.
• Minimum of three to five years of related professional experience in recruiting, an administrative role, or an operations role.
• Experience using employee data management systems and the ability to learn new software programs is required.
• Previous experience assisting with onboarding processes is required.
• Experience using behavioral interviewing techniques is required.
• Experience working in a fast-paced college or university setting or a complex nonprofit organization is preferred.
• Experience assisting with and implementing talent development initiatives is desired.
• Equivalent education/experience will substitute for all minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a license/certification/registration.

Qualifications

• Solid understanding of HR requirements and employment compliance.
• Quality experience in human resource employment practices, compensation, and confidentiality with a high level of discretion.
• Ability to interpret and apply employment laws, rules, regulations, and policies.
• Customer-focused, organized, timely, and adept at balancing competing priorities while exercising good judgment and strong attention to detail.
• Collaborative attitude with the ability to build and maintain strong partnerships with diverse candidates and employees at all levels.
• Excellent written and oral communication, negotiation, technical documentation, and interpersonal skills.
• Strong administrative and organizational abilities.
• Firm understanding and implementation of recruiting metrics to drive decision-making is strongly preferred.
• Exceptional ability to meet deadlines and follow through on assignments in a timely manner.
• Demonstrated ability to protect confidential and sensitive information and maintain integrity in record maintenance.
• Team player who contributes meaningful ideas, solves problems, improves processes, and works effectively both independently and collaboratively.
• Proficiency in applicant tracking systems and Microsoft Office, including Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.
• Strong work ethic, positive attitude, professional image, and commitment to high-quality HR service.
• Commitment to professional development and career advancement.
• The selected candidate must successfully clear a background investigation.

Special Instructions

In addition to your application, please submit a resume, cover letter, and the contact information for at least three professional references.

Working Conditions

Work is primarily performed in a university campus environment and requires a flexible schedule, including evening and weekend work. Travel for administrative work is expected. The employee is subject to inside environmental conditions: protection from weather conditions but not necessarily from temperature changes.

Physical Demands

Moderate lifting up to 20 pounds as frequently as needed to move objects; dexterity to write and manipulate a computer keyboard and mouse; ability to hear and speak clearly; and physical ability to stoop, kneel, bend, and reach.

Disclaimer

Incumbent must perform the essential duties and responsibilities with or without reasonable accommodation.

The statements above describe the general nature and level of work for this classification and are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, or skills required.

This job description is not an employment agreement or an expressed or implied contract. Management has the right to alter this job description at any time without notice.

Lincoln University values diversity and seeks talented faculty, staff, and students from diverse backgrounds.

Lincoln University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, creed, national or ethnic origin, citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected class status in its employment practices, admissions, financial aid, educational or athletic programs, or other University-administered programs.