HR Associate

Special Instructions to Applicants: All interested applicants must attach a cover letter and a resume in the Supporting Documents section of the application in a PDF format. Please note that the applicant tracking system does not convert attachments in Word format successfully. 

About Rice:

Boasting a 300-acre tree-lined campus in Houston, Texas, Rice University is ranked among the nation’s top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has a 6-to-1 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio, and a residential college system, which supports students intellectually, emotionally and culturally through social events, intramural sports, student plays, lectures series, courses and student government. Developing close-knit, diverse college communities is a strong campus tradition, which is why Rice is highly ranked for best quality of life and best value among private universities.

 Rice is also a wonderful place to work. Rice faculty, staff and students share values that are essential to our success as a healthy community. Those values guide our decisions and behaviors and shape Rice’s culture. They come through in the way we treat each other and the welcome we extend to our visitors. These values can be recalled simply by our name — RICE — Responsibility, Integrity, Community and Excellence.

Position Summary:

Are you interested in a career in human resources? The Rice University Human Resources team offers an excellent opportunity to gain experience as a human resources associate. 

As a human resources associate, you will be part of a high-energy, “can-do” HR Service Center team that provides first-level support to the community in HR-related matters such as onboarding, benefits, recruitment, and compensation. Typical duties include welcoming all visitors to the HR office, assisting new employees with onboarding activities, responding to general HR inquiries, resolving issues, and shepherding all employee personnel changes (salaries, title, promotions, etc.). 

The ideal candidate will be interested in gaining valuable experience in human resources, have experience providing excellent customer service in a fast-paced environment, and be a proactive, team-oriented problem solver. 

Workplace Requirements

This position is exclusively on-site, so all duties are to be performed in person at the Cambridge Office Building]. Per Rice policy 440, work arrangements may be subject to change.

Hourly Hiring Range: $19.00 to $20.00.  Non-exempt (hourly) positions under FLSA are eligible for overtime.

Minimum Requirements: 

• HS Diploma or equivalent 
• Two (2) years of related experience (customer service, human resources coordinator, etc.)
  • In lieu of the experience requirement, additional related education, above and beyond what is required, on an equivalent year for year basis may be substituted
     
• Skills 
  • Excellent customer service skills
  • Demonstrated ability to maintain confidentiality and effectively handle highly sensitive and personal information with sound judgment, tact, and discretion
  • Ability to quickly and effectively learn the HR system, establish priorities, organize work, and meet deadlines
  • Ability to multi-task in a high-volume, fast-paced environment

Essential Functions

• Provides excellent customer service to the campus community, including students, staff, faculty, employee dependents and new / prospective employees
• Responds to general HR inquiries, resolves issues and provides guidance to on HR policies, procedures and process, referring more complex situations / issue to the appropriate team member
• Conducts new employee onboarding, including new hire paperwork, I-9s, and background checks
• Completes employment verifications
• Reviews and approves routine to complex HCM transactions for faculty, staff and/or student employees (searches, assignment changes, pay changes, terminations, employee status changes)
• Maintains employee records, working collaboratively with other departments (Benefits, Compensation, Payroll, Talent Acquisition, HRIS) to ensure employee records and transactions are complete and accurate
• Pulls reports, conducts audits, identifies issues, and participates in data cleanup efforts
• Creates and updates work-related documentation and training materials
• May recommend and assist in the implementation of solutions
• Completes other duties as assigned

Preferences

• Demonstrated experience in a hi