HR Generalist

The American Friends Service Committee is a Quaker religious organization that promotes lasting peace with justice, as a practical expression of faith in action. Drawing on continuing spiritual insights and working with people of many backgrounds, we nurture the seeds of change and respect for human life that transform social relations and systems.

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POSITION DESCRIPTION

TITLE: Human Resources Generalist

JOB CATEGORY: Exempt (Salary)

STATUS: Full-Time

TYPE OF EMPLOYMENT: Regular

DIRECT SUPERVISOR: Associate Director of Human Resources

REGION/UNIT: CENTRAL OFFICE

LOCATION: Philadelphia, PA

APPLICATION DEADLINE: November 15, 2026

For consideration, please attach your Cover Letter and Resume to the online application in addition to answering the Application Questions.

GENERAL SUMMARY OF POSITION

The Human Resources Generalist serves as an experienced HR practitioner and thought partner, providing comprehensive Human Resources support across multiple areas of the employee lifecycle. This role requires broad HR depth, strong professional judgment, and the ability to independently assess and manage complex HR matters through resolution. Working closely with managers, employees, and HR colleagues, the HR Generalist identifies underlying people and organizational needs, connects considerations across HR disciplines, assesses risk and implications, and develops thoughtful and sustainable HR recommendations.

The HR Generalist is a key member of the Employment Unit, which supports AFSC through recruitment and selection, onboarding, job and compensation analysis, performance management, employee relations, policy interpretation, and other employment practices that shape the employee and manager experience. As the Employment Unit continues to evolve, the HR Generalist will help strengthen how the unit serves AFSC by identifying patterns and gaps, improving processes, coaching managers, and helping design more effective and responsive HR practices that support both organizational needs and quality staff care.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS / RESPONSIBILITIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES

HR CONSULTATION AND GENERALIST SUPPORT

• Serve as a primary HR partner to assigned organizational units, providing timely and knowledgeable consultation to managers and employees across a broad range of employment matters.
• Independently assess HR requests and determine the appropriate course of action, including when HR intervention is necessary, when responsibility should remain with the manager, and when an issue requires escalation to senior HR leadership.
• Provide practical guidance to supervisors and managers regarding HR policies, employee performance, workplace concerns, job responsibilities, staffing decisions, organizational changes, and other people-management matters.
• Apply knowledge across multiple HR disciplines to identify the broader implications of employment decisions rather than addressing issues solely as individual transactions.
• Research and interpret applicable employment laws, organizational policies, collective bargaining agreement provisions, established practices, and other relevant guidance in developing HR recommendations.
• Identify recurring themes or organizational concerns through HR casework and recommend proactive solutions, resources, training, policy clarification, or process improvements.

EMPLOYEE RELATIONS AND PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT

• Provide consultation and support to managers on employee relations matters, including performance concerns, workplace expectations, attendance, communication, conflict, and other employment-related issues.
• Coach supervisors and managers in addressing performance concerns early, establishing clear expectations, providing meaningful feedback, documenting performance appropriately, and developing effective improvement strategies.
• Review performance documentation, corrective action materials, and related communications for completeness, clarity, consistency, appropriate supporting information, and alignment with organizational practice.
• Ability and willingness to take on new challenges, remain adaptable in a changing environment, and contribute beyond an assigned area when organizational needs require.
• Conduct or support workplace reviews, fact-finding, employee meetings, and other employee relations processes in collaboration with HR leadership, as appropriate.
• Support the administration and continuous improvement of AFSC’s performance management processes, including probationary, midpoint, annual, and other performance-related activities.
• Recognize matters presenting elevated employee relations, legal, labor relations, reputational, or organizational risk and engage HR leadership appropriately.

JOB ANALYSIS, POSITION EVALUATION, AND COMPENSATION SUPPORT

• Conduct thorough job analysis and review job descriptions to assess duties, scope, responsibilities, minimum qualifications, reporting relationships, and organizational alignment.
• Partner with managers to distinguish between requested changes and substantive changes in job scope, ensuring that job descriptions accurately reflect the work being performed and organizational needs.
• Provide substantive HR analysis and recommendations in support of Position Evaluation Committee (PEC) processes, including review of position changes, qualifications, relevant experience, internal comparators, and other employment considerations.
• Evaluate position and compensation requests holistically rather than relying solely on information presented by the requesting manager, identifying inconsistencies, missing information, equity considerations, or areas requiring additional analysis.
• Support internal compensation and equity reviews by gathering relevant organizational data, identifying appropriate comparators, and clearly documenting the basis for HR recommendations.

TALENT ACQUISITION AND WORKFORCE SUPPORT

• Provide strategic and operational recruitment support for positions across the organization, including consultation on position needs, recruitment strategy, sourcing, candidate assessment, interview processes, and selection.
• Advise hiring managers and search committees on effective and equitable recruitment and selection practices and help ensure adherence to Human Resources policies and established procedures.
• Review hiring and employment recommendations for alignment with job requirements, relevant experience, internal equity, applicable collective bargaining provisions, and organizational practices.
• Partner with managers to identify whether a staffing request reflects a recruitment need or may require broader consideration of job design, structure, responsibilities, development, or other workforce solutions.
• Support onboarding and employee transitions to promote a consistent and effective employee experience.

HR OPERATIONS, ACCURACY, AND PROCESS OWNERSHIP

• Independently manage assigned HR matters from intake through resolution, maintaining ownership of follow-up, documentation, communication, and closure.
• Review employment actions, job descriptions, personnel documentation, separation materials, HR system transactions, and other HR work for accuracy and completeness before finalization.
• Maintain a high standard of accuracy and attention to detail in work involving employee data, compensation, employment status, job requirements, benefits-related communications, and other information that may have significant employee or organizational impact.
• Use established HR templates, procedures, systems, and source documents consistently and verify information rather than relying on assumptions or prior versions.
• Work collaboratively with HRIS, payroll, benefits, learning and development, labor relations, and other HR colleagues to resolve issues that cross functional areas.
• Troubleshoot HR process and system issues, identify root causes where possible, and recommend improvements that strengthen efficiency, accuracy, accountability, and the employee and manager experience.
• Analyze HR data and prepare statistical or narrative reports to identify trends, support recommendations, and inform HR leadership.

SENIOR-LEVEL CONTRIBUTION AND TEAM DEVELOPMENT

• Serve as a knowledgeable resource to other HR team members, sharing HR expertise, institutional knowledge, tools, and effective practices.
• Provide peer coaching, technical guidance, and quality review support to other HR staff, as assigned, while reinforcing consistent HR standards and practices.
• Model sound professional judgment, accountability, responsiveness, curiosity, and continuous learning in the delivery of HR services.
• Assess existing Employment Unit practices and workflows, identify gaps and opportunities for improvement, and partner with HR leadership to develop and implement more effective approaches.
• Participate in the redesign and continuous improvement of core employment practices, including recruitment, selection, onboarding, performance management, position evaluation, and employee lifecycle processes.
• Bring curiosity and a continuous-improvement mindset to emerging organizational needs, including the ability to evaluate unfamiliar issues, research options, recommend solutions, and help translate ideas into sustainable HR practices.
• Participate in special projects, policy development, process improvement efforts, audits, organizational initiatives, and other Human Resources priorities.

SUPERVISORY / MANAGEMENT REQUIREMENTS

N/A

MINIMUM EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Organizational Development, Labor and Employment Relations, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and directly relevant professional experience.
• Minimum five years of progressively responsible Human Resources experience, including substantial experience performing broad HR Generalist responsibilities across multiple HR disciplines.
• Demonstrated depth across multiple HR disciplines, including the ability to understand how decisions in one area of HR may affect other aspects of the employee lifecycle and the broader organization.
• Demonstrated experience serving as an HR thought partner by asking effective questions, identifying underlying needs, considering alternatives, and helping managers develop practical, appropriate, and sustainable people solutions.
• Demonstrated experience independently assessing complex HR matters, identifying gaps, risks, and relevant considerations, conducting appropriate research and analysis, and developing well-supported recommendations based on policy, practice, data, organizational context, and applicable employment requirements.
• Strong working knowledge of employment law, HR policies and practices, and employee relations principles, with the ability to research and apply additional guidance when needed.
• Experience advising and coaching supervisors and managers on employee relations, performance management, staffing, workplace concerns, and other people-management matters.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain HR guidance, decisions, and recommendations clearly, confidently, respectfully, and with appropriate sensitivity.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively across HR specialties and organizational functions, while building productive relationships with employees and leaders at all levels of the organization.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in an evolving environment, navigate ambiguity, identify opportunities for improvement, and contribute to the development of stronger HR practices and processes.
• Experience working in a multi-site, nonprofit, mission-driven, unionized, or otherwise complex organizational environment is strongly preferred.
• Professional Human Resources certification, such as SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, or SPHR, is preferred.
• Experience using HRIS, applicant tracking, performance management, and other HR technology systems, with proficiency in Microsoft Office applications and the ability to learn new systems.
• Demonstrated discretion and sound judgment in handling confidential and sensitive employee and organizational information.
• Demonstrated ability to manage a high-volume workload with competing priorities and multiple deadlines while maintaining accuracy, responsiveness, follow-through, and quality.
• Ability to work evenings and/or weekends and travel, as required.
• Respect for Quaker values and testimonies. Knowledgeable and supportive of the principles and philosophy of the American Friends Service Committee, including nonviolence and the belief in the intrinsic worth of every individual.
• Respect for and sensitivity to cultural, ethnic, racial, gender, religious, and other forms of diversity and familiarity with nonviolent approaches to problem solving.
• Demonstrated dedication to principles of fairness, equity, and inclusion regarding race, class, nationality, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, disability, and other dimensions of identity and experience.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands and work environment characteristics described are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

COMPENSATION

The AFSC offers a competitive Total Rewards package. This position is Exempt. Salary Family: HR Generalist. Job Code: HR Generalist. Salary Range: $70,000 - $90,000. Comprehensive medical and hospitalization plan; term life, Short-Term Disability & Long Term Disability, defined benefit pension plan, 403b match, plus other benefits including vacation, Paid Time Off, sabbaticals, extended leaves, and holidays.

The American Friends Service Committee provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. The policy applies to all terms and conditions or employment including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.

AFSC’s Central Office and some of its offices in the U.S. are unionized workplaces. This position is not represented.

AFSC maintains a deep commitment to a mandate of care for our staff and communities. The American Friends Service Committee is a smoke-free workplace.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

This position is an at-will employment, meaning that the employment relationship can be terminated by either the employer or the employee at any time, for any reason, with or without notice. In addition position duties and expectations change over time. This job description is not intended to be an all-inclusive, exclusive or exhaustive list of the job functions that an employee in this position may be asked to perform from time to time. The employee may perform other related duties as assigned to meet the ongoing needs of the organization. If there is ever a time that you are unsure what is expected of you, you are expected to meet with your manager and ask questions. If you are unsure how to perform a certain task, ask your manager before performing.