Why This Role Matters

The Human Resources Generalist plays a vital role in supporting Aurora University's faculty and staff across the full employee life cycle. As part of the Office of People and Culture (OPC), this role provides broad-based HR support while also serving as the primary HR contact for an assigned portfolio of academic and/or administrative departments.

In this role, the HR Generalist builds strong working relationships with department leaders and employees, providing day-to-day guidance on HR matters and ensuring consistent, accurate, and people-centered HR practices across the university. The HR Generalist partners closely with OPC colleagues while maintaining ownership for supporting their assigned departments.

This is an excellent opportunity for an HR professional who enjoys variety, problem-solving, and relationship-building, and who is comfortable managing responsibilities across multiple client areas within a higher education environment.

What You'll Do

As an HR Generalist, you'll support employees and managers throughout the employee life cycle while serving as the primary point of HR support for an assigned portfolio of departments and partnering closely with OPC colleagues to deliver high quality HR services.

Key responsibilities include:

• Serve as the designated HR Generalist for an assigned portfolio of departments, building ongoing partnerships with department leaders and staff.

• Act as the first point of contact for employees and managers within assigned departments, providing guidance on HR policies, procedures, and processes.

• Provide general HR support across onboarding, development, engagement, retention, and offboarding for assigned departments.

• Support employee relations by responding to workplace concerns within assigned departments, documenting issues appropriately, and escalating complex matters when needed.

• Assist with classification and compensation activities, including job evaluations, market benchmarking, and salary administration processes for assigned client groups.

• Provide support across benefits, leave, and related employee programs in alignment with established processes.

• Assist with the coordination and administration of performance management activities and related employee processes for assigned departments.

• Support employee onboarding and separation activities to ensure consistent and positive employee experience.

• Maintain HR records and data in university systems, ensuring accuracy, confidentiality, and compliance with requirements.

• Support compliance with employment laws, institutional policies, and required training programs.

• Assist with HR reporting, data review, and audit activities related to workforce metrics and compliance needs.

• Collaborate with Office of People and Culture colleagues on HR initiatives, operational improvements, and special projects.

What We're Looking For

You will be part of a collaborative Office of People and Culture team that values service, partnership, and continuous improvement. This role requires strong communication, professionalism, and a people-first mindset, with the ability to work independently while managing a department portfolio and contributing to shared OPC goals.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field.

• 2-4 years of experience in human resources (3-5 years preferred).

• Working knowledge of HR policies, employment laws, and HR operations.

• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities.

• Ability to apply judgment, maintain confidentiality, and handle sensitive information appropriately.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting employee relations or classification and compensation activities.

• Experience working with HRIS systems, benefits administration, or payroll-related processes.

• Higher education experience.

About Aurora University

Aurora University (AU) is committed to the transformative power of learning by creating a student-centered environment and an equity of experience and opportunity, to ensure that students, faculty, and staff of all backgrounds feel welcome and included. Our culture of collaboration, generosity, and belonging make it a special place for students, faculty, and staff. AU is grounded in the transformative opportunity it provides to a diverse student body. As a private university with a public mission and a commitment to making a difference in peoples’ lives, AU has a long history of resilience and of providing access to an education that values innovation, focuses on continuous improvement, and has a positive impact on the communities we serve. We are proud of our service to and economic impact on the state of Illinois, where over 80% of our students stay to live and work, where 90% of our students come from, and where we foster strong community partnerships to develop the workforce in areas such as nursing, education, business, technology, and social work. We are looking for passionate and purposeful individuals who represent the full diversity of Aurora and who demonstrate a se...nsitivity to and understanding of the diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, ability, identity, and ethnic backgrounds present in our community. When you join the team at AU, you can expect to be part of an inclusive, innovative, and equity-focused community that approaches higher education as a matter of social justice requiring broad collaboration among faculty, staff, students, and community partners.

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