Senior HR Generalist, Newsela

• The ideal candidate has at least 5 years of experience as an HR Generalist, with proven expertise supporting teams within the SaaS industry
• 5+ years of HR Generalist experience, specifically in a SaaS or tech company
• Strong knowledge of HR laws, regulations, and best practices across the U.S. (multi-state experience preferred)
• Proven ability to manage sensitive and confidential matters with discretion and professionalism
• Expertise in Leaves of Absence
• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills
• Experience as a power user/admin within UKG
• Bias to act and drive toward completion
• Proficiency with the Google Suite

Desirable

• Newsela is seeking a Senior HR Generalist to join our People team
• This position reports to the VP of People and will play a critical role focusing on the operations side of the People Team supporting our workforce by delivering key HR functions including performance management, compliance, onboarding, and more, and will partner with Talent Acquisition, HR Business Partners, and Payroll & Benefits
• Oversee and enhance onboarding and offboarding processes to ensure a seamless employee experience
• Partner with the Director of People Operations to evaluate and implement scalable HR processes, tools, and workflows to support company growth across multiple geographies
• Collaborate on the development and maintenance of Employee Handbook and other policies and documentation
• Manage the international contractor workforce employee lifecycle
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date employee records within our HRIS (UKG)
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local labor laws and internal policies
• Lead the performance management process, including goal-setting, reviews, and development planning
• Manage the Leave of Absence process in partnership with the Benefits & Payroll Manager and external vendors (Sparrow)
• Help drive initiatives to improve employee engagement, recognition, and retention
• Collaborate with Recruitment and Talent Management to support workforce planning and organizational development
• Manage the DEIB Council to drive culture, support, and learning & development initiatives aligned with company values
• Partner with the Benefits & Payroll Manager to support accurate payroll and benefits processing; act as a backup for payroll coordination when needed
• Support change management initiatives during periods of organizational growth or HR system implementations, ensuring adoption across both U.S. and international teams
• Serve as a central point for HR-related communications, crafting and distributing company-wide updates, policy changes, and employee initiatives in a clear, consistent voice in partnership with the People Operations Specialist
• Coordinate and facilitate company-wide all-hands including content planning, building collateral (slides) and presenting
• Gather feedback and insights from employees post-communications or events to continuously improve messaging and format