The University Life (UL) division is currently seeking applications from qualified candidates for the Lead Human Resources Specialist position. George Mason University has a strong institutional commitment to the achievement of excellence and diversity among its faculty and staff, and strongly encourages candidates to apply who will enrich Mason's academic and culturally inclusive environment.
About the Department:
University Life Human Resources Services (UL HR) is a unit of the University Life Operations and Planning area, which oversees a variety of support organizations including Technology Services, Finance, Assessment, Project and Process Management, and Communications and Marketing. The Shared Service model of UL Ops and Planning is designed to bring divisional strategy and leadership to these core functions, while addressing the unique needs of our individual units, and providing more robust and coordinated services across UL. The UL HR Services unit serves over 35 offices of University Life in a variety of HR functions, including full life cycle recruitment and HR consultation, in conjunction with Mason's central Human Resources and Payroll office.
About the Position:
The Lead HR Specialist serves in a team lead capacity, providing support for the Human Resources and Payroll functions within the University Life Human Resources (UL HR) Services team, under the direction of the UL HR Divisional Manager. Primary responsibilities involve responding to employee and/or unit requests concerning HR policies, procedures, and processes; appropriately routing requests and working cross-functionally with the other members of the UL HR Services team, campus stakeholders, and other support functions to resolve open cases in a timely fashion; supporting the hiring, onboarding, and offboarding of divisional staff; and serving as a Subject Matter Expert on divisional and institutional practices, processes, and policies. This position is also the direct backup and support to the UL HR Divisional Manager.
Responsibilities:
UL HR Services Team Duties Serve as a senior level team member for the UL HR Services team, providing HR consultation and performing transactional functions to the division's 35+ units.
Serves as a Subject Matter Expert on institutional and state HR policies and procedures; actively support and comply with all University policies, divisional standards, and departmental vision and goals.
Professionally, efficiently, and accurately assist units via various communication platforms in our division.
Provides day-to-day oversight and management of the UL HR Services generic email account which includes:
Appropriately responding to requests for assistance or rerouting/escalating issues of concern to higher level leadership.
Problem-solve by researching, partnering, and following-up on issues while fostering customer/unit relationships, utilizing de- escalation tactics, and maintaining a high level of confidentiality.
Processes required paperwork for employee transfers, changes in job classification, salary increases, and other related employment matters.
Review and process cyclical applications for monetary bonuses related to certifications, degree completion, and other achievements.
Provide support to unit leaders and employees on Benefits related questions.
Liaison with the Benefits team on employee injury reports, worker's comp claims, and employee leave.
Serve as a team lead for the UL HR team, providing front-line leadership and support for the team members in their daily functions.
Assist other members of the UL HR team as necessary, including being cross trained/cross functional for essential HR processes to provide additional support/back-up as needed.
Serve as the direct back up and support to the UL HR Divisional Manager, including covering during times of absence and appropriately assessing current workload and delegating tasks to other team members as needed.
Recruitment and Onboarding In collaboration with unit hiring authorities, reviews and preps Job Descriptions for job postings within the Position Management System ensuring they are accurate, detailed, and within divisional and institutional guidelines.
Manage hiring proposal and offer letter signature approvals, and prepare onboarding documents as needed, such as for HRL live-on staff.
Provide support to the UL HR recruitment and hiring process for all UL units in varying levels of involvement, working closely with the HR Recruitment Coordinator.
Oversees the student staff and non-student hourly staff hiring and offboarding in coordination with the HR Specialist Liaisons with Mason HR and Payroll to coordinate student and wage employee status changes.
Guide and monitor International Students through the hiring process.
Supports the annual hiring of 350+ student staff for Housing and Residence Life and other units as needed.
Coordinate the employee offboarding process, providing guidance, processing forms, and direction for employees to work to UL HR Divisional Manager and/or HR Central for exit interviews.
Departmental Duties Serve as a thought partner with the UL HR Divisional Manager to improve customer/unit experience, deliver quality interactions, and increase efficiencies on a day-to-day basis.
Support the coordination and implementation of services, policies, and programs for our fast paced work.
Assists in the creation and evaluation of reports, processes, and department metrics in relation to established goals.
Make recommendations for new approaches, policies, and procedures for effective, continual improvements in efficiency of department and services performed.
Maintaining HR data, analysis, and reporting.
Maintaining employee data and personnel records.
Conduct audits to ensure compliance.
Actively participate on various UL Shared Service strategic planning sessions, groups, and committees.
Assist with planning and implementation of staff trainings and employee engagement/recognition activities as needed.
Other duties as assigned.
Required Qualifications:
Demonstrated professional work experience (typically obtained in 3 years) in Human Resources, Payroll, Business/Accounting or closely related field;
Experience with industry standards of practice and methods in recruiting;
Strong understanding of human resource policies and processes; comprehension of basic HR and payroll functions;
Fluency with MS Office (Work, Excel, PowerPoint) suite of software; adept at spreadsheet compilation and use;
Strong customer service skills, including the ability to provide appropriate guidance to other professional and support staff;
Demonstrated ability to appropriately manage sensitive and confidential information;
Strong organizational, time management, administrative and interpersonal skills;
Demonstrated ability to work independently and proactively;
Ability to learn and succeed in a fast-paced, and dynamic interpersonal and business process environment; and
Effective problem solving and decision making skills.
Preferred Qualifications:
Bachelor's Degree in Human Resources Management, Business Administration, or a closely related field;
Professional HR Association certification preferred, such as SHRM or HRCI;
Ability to approach problems with a solution and growth oriented mindset;
Knowledge of the Virginia Commonwealth's HR policies and procedures;
Knowledge of the Virginia Commonwealth's Job Family structure;
Demonstrated proficiency with time reporting software, applicant tracking systems, and employee self-service software modules;
Demonstrated experience working in customer/guest service fields;
Experience with HRIS platforms; knowledge of Ellucian Banner system;
Experience with Diversity and Inclusion programs within HR processes;
Experience working in diverse, higher-education settings; and
Fluency in Spanish.
Please note: George Mason University is closed for Winter Break from 12/19-01/02, and applicant review will begin after Jan. 6th.
Salary: Commensurate with education and experience.
Location: Fairfax, VA
Mason Ad Statement:
Great Careers Begin at Mason!
George Mason University is an innovative, entrepreneurial institution with national distinction in both academics and research. Mason holds a top U.S. News and World Report
George Mason University is a public, comprehensive, research university established by the Commonwealth of Virginia located in Northern Virginia, outside of Washington, D.C. Mason was initially founded as a branch of the University of Virginia in 1949, and became an independent institution in 1972. George Mason University is an innovative and inclusive academic community committed to creating a more just, free, and prosperous world.
George Mason University has 37,000 students from all 50 states and 130 countries and a residential population of more than 6,000 students. Mason is a vibrant and dynamic community of scholars. 80% of our students are employed within six months of graduation. Nearly two-thirds of the 140,000 Mason alumni live and work in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area.
Mason is a young university that, in just a short time, has made impressive strides in size, stature and influence. Today, as Virginia’s largest public research university, we are setting the benchmark for a bold, progressive education that serves the needs of our students and communities. To that end, we have 10 schools and colleges devoted to a variety of study.
Mission.
We prepa...re Mason students for the demands of work, social responsibility, and life in an ever-changing global society. University Life's mission statement is core to our work. We support every student at Mason, from orientation through graduation.
George Mason: Patriotism Personified.
George Mason, for whom our university is named, was one of the greatest of the founding fathers of the United States. Mason drafted the Virginia Declaration of Rights, which became a model for the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution, known as the Bill of Rights.
We Are in Virginia. But We Serve the World.
Mason is committed to creating a more just, free and prosperous world. Located in one of the most important political, economic and intellectual hubs in the world, we accept our responsibility to serve others: to help our students succeed, enrich the life of our community, and contribute to solving some of the most complex global problems of our time.
Washington, D.C.: Land of Opportunity.
Mason’s main campus is in Fairfax, Virginia, just 15 miles outside of Washington, D.C. The nation’s capital is easily accessible by car or public transportation.
At Mason, you can enjoy the best of both worlds: a beautiful wooded residential campus and outstanding college experience, as well as numerous internship and recreational opportunities that only a world-class urban setting like D.C. can offer.
You can intern with National Geographic or the Justice Department, visit the numerous museums with your Art History classmates, take a selfie in front of Lincoln Memorial, catch a Nationals baseball game, kayak along the Potomac, or check out the many neighborhoods where you’ll discover lots of great shopping, places to eat, art galleries, music venues, and much more. You can attend events and hear nationally recognized speakers. You’ll run out of time before you run out of things to do.
There’s more to explore. Students participate in a field trip to the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., organized by the Office of International Programs and Services.
In just a short drive, you can be hiking in the Shenandoah Mountains or walking the boardwalk in either Ocean City, Maryland, or Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Our closest airports are Dulles International Airport and Ronald Reagan National Airport, and Mason is easily accessible by public transportation. Free shuttle buses help you get to the nearest Metro station in Vienna, Virginia, just a short distance from our Fairfax Campus. The Arlington Campus is within walking distance of the Virginia Square-GMU stop on the Orange Line.
Enriching Work Environment.
We will invest in recruiting, retaining, and developing talented and diverse faculty and academic and professional staff. We will create a vibrant campus life in which all members can grow and thrive.
Diversity.
Diversity is one of our core values; everyone is welcome here. Mason was recently named the most diverse university in Virginia by U.S. News & World Report.
We bring together a multitude of people and ideas in everything that we do. Our culture of inclusion, our multidisciplinary approach, and our global perspective makes us more effective educators and scholars.
While at Mason, you’ll be making your own decisions and forming your own view of the world. Engaging with diverse groups of individuals, including students, faculty, and staff, will enrich this experience. You will learn from them, and they will learn from you.
We have a variety of communities here, and you're sure to find a group of people who are like you. The great thing is you'll also be embraced by communities of people who are not like you. At Mason, you'll be in a place where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
Interacting with people from a variety of backgrounds will:
•Widen your outlook of the world,
•Show you how to work and collaborate with people of differing views,
•Expose you to new perspectives from people with disparate life experiences, and
•Give you the social skills to interact with all kinds of people.
Diversity also enhances learning and creative thinking by prompting the study of new material and the awareness of fresh viewpoints. The power of many perspectives will boost your capacity to explore original ideas and solutions. Seeing issues in a new way heightens your creativity and problem-solving abilities.
Another benefit: As our nation becomes more diverse, students who learn in a diverse environment will be more competitive in an increasingly global economy. You’ll enhance your critical thinking skills and improve your ability to develop nuanced solutions to real-world problems.
Campus-Wide Accessibility.
Accessibility @ mason provide information regarding the physical access of all campuses and online accessibility of programs and services. Information for disability related services and resources available to all employee, students, and visitors the entire university include physical access to buildings, parking policies, and emergency evacuation procedures.
Accessible.
We are an open and welcoming community. We partner with public and private organizations in our region and around the world. We proactively engage with our community. We define our success by how many talented students with potential we serve, not how many we leave out.
Social and Cultural Venues.
Our venues bring world-class performances to the community through vibrant concerts and events. Community members are invited to take part in many artistic and cultural offerings at Mason. Spaces are also available to rent for your next event.