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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Human Resources Operations Coordinator

💰 $ - $

Human ResourcesHR OperationsHRISTalent OperationsAdministration

🎯 Role Definition

The Human Resources Operations Coordinator is an essential HR team member responsible for the day-to-day execution of HR operational programs and systems. This role supports onboarding and offboarding, maintains HRIS and employee records, assists with payroll and benefits administration, ensures compliance with employment laws, and delivers HR metrics and reporting to leaders. The coordinator serves as a primary point of contact for employees and internal stakeholders for routine HR inquiries, process escalations, and continuous improvements to HR operations and service delivery.

Key search/SEO terms: Human Resources Operations Coordinator, HR Operations, HRIS Administrator, onboarding coordinator, payroll liaison, benefits administration, HR compliance, employee records, talent operations.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • HR Assistant
  • Administrative Coordinator
  • Payroll/Benefits Clerk

Advancement To:

  • HR Operations Specialist
  • HRIS Analyst or HRIS Administrator
  • Senior HR Business Partner / HR Generalist (with broader experience)

Lateral Moves:

  • Talent Acquisition Coordinator
  • Learning & Development Coordinator
  • Benefits Analyst

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Manage end-to-end employee onboarding logistics, including new-hire paperwork, background check follow-ups, HRIS record creation, orientation scheduling, provisioning access requests, and ensuring a seamless first 30–90 day experience that drives retention and time-to-productivity.

  • Oversee the employee offboarding process by coordinating exit interviews, access revocation, final pay and benefits processing, equipment returns, and HRIS status updates to ensure compliance and data integrity.

  • Administer HR systems (HRIS/ATS/Payroll platforms) by performing user maintenance, data entry and corrections, role-based permissions, daily reconciliation tasks, and periodic audits to maintain accurate employee data and reporting readiness.

  • Act as HR liaison for payroll by collecting and validating timesheets, resolving pay discrepancies, responding to payroll inquiries, coordinating payroll change requests (tax withholding, direct deposit, pay rates), and partnering with payroll vendors or finance teams.

  • Support benefits administration through enrollment assistance, qualifying life event processing, benefits vendor coordination, claims troubleshooting, and distributing benefits communications to employees with clarity and confidentiality.

  • Maintain precise and up-to-date employee records and documentation (electronic and paper) in accordance with legal retention requirements and internal policies, ensuring confidentiality and audit readiness.

  • Produce routine and ad-hoc HR reports and dashboards (headcount, turnover, hiring velocity, time-to-fill, leave balances, new hire metrics) using HRIS tools, Excel/Sheets, or BI platforms to inform leaders and support strategic workforce planning.

  • Coordinate compliance activities including employment verification (I-9/Right to Work), labor law poster updates, mandatory training tracking, and support for internal and external audits to reduce regulatory risk.

  • Serve as a first-line HR advisor to employees and managers for routine inquiries regarding policies, leave-of-absence procedures, benefits, payroll, and HR systems, escalating complex or sensitive issues to HR Business Partners or legal as needed.

  • Facilitate and document changes to HR policies and standard operating procedures (SOPs) by soliciting stakeholder input, drafting updates, and communicating revisions to staff to ensure consistent policy application.

  • Drive continuous improvement initiatives for HR processes (onboarding, offboarding, HR ticketing workflows) by identifying bottlenecks, proposing automation or system enhancements, and helping implement change with measurable outcomes.

  • Manage HR operational projects such as HRIS migrations, benefits enrollment windows, open enrollment campaigns, or policy rollouts by coordinating cross-functional stakeholders, tracking milestones, and ensuring timely execution.

  • Administer time-off and leave programs (PTO, parental leave, disability leave) by tracking requests, documenting approvals, calculating accruals and balances, and ensuring compliance with company policy and applicable laws.

  • Coordinate internal HR communications, including new-hire announcements, policy reminders, and benefits updates, crafting clear messages tailored to different audiences to increase engagement and compliance.

  • Maintain and optimize the applicant tracking system (ATS) for administrative workflows, supporting recruiters with candidate status updates, offer letter generation, background check coordination, and accurate requisition tracking.

  • Support diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives operationally by assisting with data collection, program logistics, training coordination, and reporting on participation and outcomes.

  • Execute bulk HR data updates and data cleansing activities during headcount changes or HRIS enhancements, using validated processes to limit disruption and maintain data quality.

  • Coordinate vendor relationships for HR services (background checks, benefits brokers, payroll providers, HRIS vendors), handling contracts, troubleshooting service issues, and ensuring SLAs are met.

  • Monitor and act on HR service desk/ticket queue by triaging requests, assigning tasks to appropriate HR partners, tracking resolution SLAs, and reporting on service performance metrics to improve response times.

  • Prepare and support HR-related audits and legal requests by gathering records, producing required documentation, and liaising with legal or external auditors to verify compliance and completeness.

  • Conduct regular reconciliation of HR data between systems (HRIS, payroll, benefits, finance) to identify and correct discrepancies and to ensure consistency across platforms for accurate reporting and payroll processing.

  • Train new HR team members on core HR operational processes and systems, providing documentation, demonstrations, and hands-on support to scale HR operations efficiently.

Secondary Functions

  • Support employee engagement surveys by coordinating distribution, tracking responses, and assisting with initial analysis and departmental action planning.

  • Assist HR Business Partners with investigations by collecting documentation, scheduling interviews, and maintaining confidentiality throughout the investigative process.

  • Help coordinate internal mobility and transfer processes, ensuring role changes, compensation updates, and HRIS adjustments are processed timely.

  • Participate in cross-functional working groups that touch HR operations, such as IT for access provisioning or Finance for payroll integrations.

  • Contribute to HR process documentation and the creation of step-by-step guides, FAQ pages, and training materials that reduce repetitive inquiries and improve self-service.

  • Support campus recruiting or university outreach logistics when applicable, including event coordination, travel, and candidate hosting arrangements.

  • Maintain an up-to-date knowledge base for employee-facing HR processes and continuously update content based on feedback and recurring HR tickets.

  • Assist in ad-hoc data requests for HR leadership by preparing datasets, cleaning and validating data, and providing clear written summaries of findings.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • HRIS administration and data management (e.g., Workday, ADP, UKG, SAP SuccessFactors) — user maintenance, reporting, data integrity and audits.
  • Applicant Tracking System (ATS) experience (e.g., Greenhouse, iCIMS, Lever) — requisition setup, candidate tracking, offer workflows.
  • Payroll system familiarity and payroll coordination (e.g., ADP, Paylocity, Ceridian) — basic troubleshooting and payroll change processes.
  • Benefits administration and vendor coordination (open enrollment, life event processing).
  • Advanced Excel/Google Sheets skills (VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, pivot tables, data validation) and experience building HR reports and dashboards.
  • Reporting and analytics fundamentals — extracting, cleaning, and visualizing HR metrics (headcount, turnover, time-to-fill).
  • Basic SQL or familiarity with querying tools (desirable for ad-hoc HR data pulls).
  • Knowledge of employment law and compliance basics (FMLA, ADA, EEO, local labor laws) and related documentation requirements.
  • Document management and records retention best practices, including handling sensitive information securely.
  • Experience with ticketing or HR service platforms (e.g., Zendesk, ServiceNow, HR Helpdesk tools).
  • Process mapping and project coordination skills — able to run small projects and contribute to larger initiatives.

Soft Skills

  • Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, able to convey HR processes clearly to employees and leaders.
  • High degree of confidentiality and professional judgment when handling sensitive employee information.
  • Strong organization and time management skills; able to prioritize competing requests in a fast-paced environment.
  • Detail-oriented with a reputation for accuracy and thoroughness in data entry and reporting.
  • Customer-service mindset with a solution-oriented approach for internal stakeholders and employees.
  • Problem-solving and critical thinking to surface root causes and propose pragmatic operational improvements.
  • Adaptability and resilience in the face of changing regulations, systems, or company growth.
  • Stakeholder management and collaboration skills; comfortable working cross-functionally with IT, Finance, Legal, and business leaders.
  • Facilitation and training ability — comfortable delivering process walkthroughs to new hires and HR colleagues.
  • Initiative and continuous improvement focus — proactively identifying opportunities to streamline workflows.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Associate degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field; or equivalent practical experience.

Preferred Education:

  • Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Psychology, Organizational Development, or related discipline.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Human Resources Management
  • Business Administration
  • Organizational Psychology
  • Information Systems (for HRIS focused roles)

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • 2–5 years of progressive HR operations, HRIS administration, payroll, or benefits coordination experience.

Preferred:

  • 3+ years of HR operations experience in a mid-size to large organization, with demonstrated experience administering HR systems, handling payroll coordination, benefits administration, and producing HR analytics and reporting.

If you’d like, I can tailor this file to match a specific industry (tech, healthcare, finance), company size, or seniority level and produce a version formatted for posting on LinkedIn, Indeed, or an ATS.

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