Human Resources Generalist

Join Our Dynamic Campus Community

Location: Aliso Viejo, CA | Website:

St. Mary’s School is an independent day school serving 720 students from Early Preschool through Grade 8. As Orange County’s premier independent IB World School—and the only campus in the region integrating both the International Baccalaureate (IB) framework and Design Thinking in a values based environment.

We empower students to inquire, innovate, and lead with empathy.

Our educators, campus support staff, and leaders are essential partners in maintaining a dynamic, faith-filled environment where Early Education through Grade 8 learners thrive every day. We invite passionate, dependable professionals to bring their unique energy and expertise to our campus community.

Why Choose St. Mary’s School?

• Mission-Driven & Values-Based Culture: Work alongside dedicated colleagues to develop "World-Sized Hearts and World-Class Minds." We offer a supportive workplace where staff inspire students to think deeply, act courageously, and lead with compassion.
• Innovation & Modern Campus Growth: Teach and work in state-of-the-art facilities, including a newly opened Design Center, an expanded Early Education Center, and reimagined outdoor community learning spaces.

Comprehensive Total Rewards & Benefits

• Competitive Compensation: Market-aligned salary structure based on experience and credentials.
• Comprehensive Health & Wellness Package: Robust coverage across Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Disability, and EAP—featuring a 100% employer-covered medical insurance option.
• Retirement Match: 401(k) plan with an employer match up to 4%.
• Generous Time Off: Align your work calendar with traditional school breaks, enjoy dedicated paid vacation/sick time, and take advantage of Fridays off during the summer.
• Complimentary Gourmet On-Site Dining: Enjoy free daily chef-prepared lunch crafted by our Culinary Team.
• Professional Development & Tuition Assistance: Graduate and Ph.D. Tuition Assistance.

Ready to Make an Impact?

At St. Mary’s School, we believe that world-class education starts with extraordinary people. If you are seeking a supportive, innovative, and values-based workplace that values your personal well-being and career development, we welcome your application.

What You Will Do

• HR Generalist provides essential operational, administrative HR support, combining core coordination responsibilities with generalist functions across HRIS management, benefit reconciliations, recruitment, and system implementations.
• Operating in a support capacity, this role requires forward-thinking agility to adapt to a dynamic independent school environment while delivering efficient, high-touch customer service.
• HR Generalist serves as an approachable, trusted point of contact for employees, helping nurture and sustain St.
• Mary's warm family and community.
• ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

HR Operations & Employee

Support

• Serve as a welcoming and trusted advisor for faculty and staff across all HR Operations inquiries, providing responsive, supportive guidance on HR operational process, procedures, and employee resources.
• Oversee the lifecycle of HR documentation, ensuring accurate maintenance and seamless cross-departmental distribution of official forms, policies, and employee resources.
• Maintain and audit organizational structures, faculty/staff rosters, and contact directories to ensure real-time accuracy following personnel updates and transfers.
• Partner with the Director of Human Resources to deliver administrative and operational support across key HR initiatives and special projects.
• Audit and process approved tuition and education reimbursement requests in alignment with institutional policy guidelines.
• Partner with leadership to execute diverse ad-hoc projects and operational initiatives that drive and advance broader institutional goals.

HRIS & System Implementations

• Serve as super-user for HR platforms, including Paychex, Benefits Ease, and AdobeSign.
• Actively support and participate in HR system implementations, software transitions, workflow automations, and technology upgrades.
• Maintain data entry and ensure high standards of data integrity across payroll, benefits management systems, and Veracross.
• Prepare, run, and distribute standard and custom HR database reports, headcount rosters, and administrative analytics as requested by leadership and school departments.
• Possesses strong analytical skills to conduct analysis and develop recommendations, demonstrating organization and problem-solving skills.

Benefits & Financial Reconciliation

• Process and reconcile monthly benefit premium invoices from insurance carriers, auditing carrier charges against payroll deductions, verifying accuracy, resolving discrepancies, and ensuring carrier credits are applied.
• Notify eligible employees of health, welfare, and 401(k) retirement plan enrollment windows, ensuring completion of enrollment or declination forms on a timely basis.
• Assist employees with benefit modifications (enrollments, qualifying events, additions, and terminations) and ensure timely system processing.
• Verify and ensure correct employee benefit contribution rates and HSA contributions are properly applied to the payroll system.
• Calculate and track Summer Benefit Contribution Worksheets for 10-month hourly and salaried employees, collecting scheduled contributions and liaising with the Business Office.
• Process time-off requests, track vacation, personal, and sick day balances in the payroll system, and compile quarterly Vacation Accrual Reports for the Chief Financial Officer.
• Provide requested benefit, payroll, and personnel documentation during annual financial and compliance audits.
• Support benefits administration, enrollments, qualifying life events, employee questions, and vendor coordination.
• Partner with payroll, benefits, and other external providers to resolve issues quickly and accurately.

Recruitment, Onboarding & Clearances

• Coordinate recruitment logistics: log and track employment applications, route candidate files to hiring managers, schedule interviews, and issue applicant communications.
• Conduct candidate reference checks and assist with pre-employment vetting procedures.
• Ensure strict compliance with school and state regulations: verify that all new hires, coaches, enrichment instructors, vendors, and volunteers complete LiveScan fingerprint clearance and driver’s license uploads in CCLB roster profiles.
• Ensure all required SB848 misconduct inquiries for new hires are completed prior to working on campus.
• Coordinate new hire onboarding workflows, maintain digital onboarding modules in the payroll portal, conduct and update New Hire Orientation documents and presentations.

Recordkeeping & Compliance

• Create and maintain complete personnel, benefits, and time and attendance records for each new hire.
• Maintain required I-9 forms, time and attendance records, and active personnel/benefit files in accordance with legal requirements and School policies.
• Process terminated employee files, logging, tracking, and preparing records for secure on-site and off-site storage in compliance with retention guidelines.
• Maintain current Safe Schools, Live Scan, and Emergency Evacuation rosters/binders, as well as Key and Parking Pass logs.
• Manage AdobeSign document recordkeeping and Paychex onboarding document archives.
• Provide required records and documentation during financial and regulatory audits.

Performance Management

• Partner with divisional leaders across performance management cycles to align HR processes with strategic business targets.

Payroll Assistance & Business Office Liaison

• Prepare Personnel Action Notices (PANs), Payroll Change Forms, Time Off Request Reports, and supporting documentation for the Business Office prior to payroll processing.
• Enter HSA contributions on a timely basis and support payroll verification procedures.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS & REQUIREMENTS

Education & Background:

Bachelor's degree required.

• HR Experience: 5 years of progressive HR Coordinator, or Generalist-level experience. Experience in an independent school or educational environment is highly desirable.
• Technical Proficiency: Hands-on experience with HRIS platforms (e.g., Paychex, Veracross), digital signature systems (AdobeSign), and MS Office (intermediate Excel skills for financial reconciliations and reporting). Exposure to system implementations or workflow automation is a plus.
• Analytical & Financial Skills: Strong attention to detail and accuracy. Demonstrated capability in performing monthly benefit premium reconciliations, auditing complex data, and ensuring accurate payroll deductions.
• Customer Service & Culture Focus: Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills with a customer-centric focus that honors and continues St. Mary's family and community culture.
• Agility & Problem Solving: Forward-thinking mindset with strong adaptability, organizational agility, and the ability to prioritize multi-task workloads amidst constant campus activity.
• Ethics & Confidentiality: Highest commitment to ethical conduct, regulatory compliance, and maintaining strict employee confidentiality.
• The right person will bring strong HR operational skills, sound judgment, paired with a service and advisory mindset. We are looking for someone who sees HR as more than policies and compliance and understands the importance of relationships, responsiveness, collaboration, and helping leaders make good people decisions.

Pay: $31.25 - $36.06 per hour

Application Question(s):

• Are you authorized to work in the United States?
• Can you complete Live Scan screening?
• What is your hourly wage expectation?

Education:

• Bachelor's (Required)

Experience:

• HR : 5 years (Preferred)

Ability to Commute:

• Aliso Viejo, CA 92656 (Required)

Work Location: In person