HR Manager (Generalist)

Job Description

Join our close-knit team at The North Carolina Arboretum (TNCA)! We are a unique blend of public garden, university affiliate and nonprofit organization, dedicated to providing a beautiful and enriching experience for our community. We pride ourselves on our welcoming culture and collaborative environment and we are seeking an experienced Human Resources Manager to join our team. This generalist role will focus primarily on employee-facing responsibilities, ensuring that our staff feel valued, supported, and engaged utilizing policies, procedures and benefits provided by the State of North Carolina, University of North Carolina System and best practices adopted at public gardens across the nation.

The Human Resources Manager serves as the lead point of Human Resources (HR) services for employees and managers at The North Carolina Arboretum. As a Generalist, this role will cover most HR functions, including talent attraction, hiring, training and development, employee engagement and performance, and compensation and benefits. This position is responsible for providing overall support across the agency and contributing to the direction of HR processes and systems that advance the Arboretum’s strategic goals and objectives.

The HR Manager will perform a full range of managerial duties with an emphasis on supporting all employees. Support tasks include leading recruiting, selection, orientation, training, coaching, counseling, and disciplining staff; planning, monitoring, appraising, and reviewing staff job contributions; maintaining compensation; designing systems; accumulating resources; resolving problems and implementing change.

Reporting to the Chief of Staff, the HR Manager is also responsible for the interpretation of University, Federal, and State policies, and will provide consultation and advice on HR issues and concerns. Partnering with the CHRO/Chief of Staff, the HR Manager will help develop organizational strategies by identifying and researching HR issues, contributing information, analyzing, and making recommendations in line with organizational objectives. The Manager will work with the Chief of Staff to plan and carry out UNC System Office and OSHR actions and changes including policy, procedure, communication updates, and initiatives.

This position will supervise the HR Specialist and will be responsible for assuring that personnel actions and activities are compliant with relevant Federal, State, and University policies and support the Arboretum’s equal opportunity and diversity goals. The HR Manager will also be responsible for integrating HR best practices within the Arboretum and serve as an advocate within the University and public gardens community of HR professionals.

About Us

For more than 35 years…Cultivating Connections between People, Plants and Places…amid a 434-acre public garden, The North Carolina Arboretum is located within the Bent Creek Experimental Forest just south of Asheville and adjacent to the Blue Ridge Parkway at Milepost 393. Surrounded and crisscrossed by forested coves and meandering creeks in the botanically diverse Southern Appalachian Mountains, The North Carolina Arboretum is set in one of the most beautiful natural settings in America.

The Arboretum was established as an affiliate of the University of North Carolina System by the State General Assembly in 1986, nearly a century after Frederick law Olmsted, the Father of American Landscape Architecture, first envisioned a research arboretum as part of his legacy and plan for George Vanderbilt at Biltmore Estate.

Located on land within the Pisgah National Forest, the Arboretum is operated under a special use permit issued by the National Forests in North Carolina. This permit does not give the Arboretum the authority to allow commercial activities on National Forest land.

Duties & Responsibilities

Recruitment, Selection, Benefit Administration, Performance Management, EEO, Workers Compensation and Employee Relations:

Design, implement and oversee an overall recruiting strategy, prepare and post jobs to appropriate venues including sourcing and attracting candidates using social media and database information; assist with screening candidates, resumes and job applications to assess applicant’s relevant knowledge, skills, experience and aptitudes; provide oversight to interview strategies for hiring managers; act as a point of contact and build influential candidate relationships; onboard new employees in benefits and organizational policies; and, promote the Arboretum’s reputation as a great place to work.

Assist employees in addressing questions or issues regarding benefits, time reporting, or leave issues; assure that key benefits and payroll information is appropriately disseminated and reported to WCU, the Arboretum’s fiscal agent; provide oversight of time reporting practices and business processes within the Arboretum to assure accuracy and timeliness.

Work to offer consultation, facilitation, and resolution strategies for workplace issues; assist in communications between employees and supervisors, corrective action and planning, disciplinary actions, and explanation and clarification of University policies and procedures. With the CHRO/Chief of Staff, partner with UNC System representatives in addressing specific complaints and concerns relating to Equal Employment Opportunity. Oversee and manage employee separations within the Arboretum and coordinate applicable employee exit activities. Consult with managers on implementing appropriate performance management practices within the unit and assist in performance problems under applicable Arboretum and University procedures. Provide leadership and guidance to management to promote and advance diversity efforts within the Arboretum and to assure equal opportunity in all hiring, promotion, and related HR decision-making.

Coordinates and administers the Arboretum’s worker’s compensation and Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) program. Oversees processing of workers’ compensation claims ensuring compliance with relevant policies, procedures, and legislation. Also responsible for administering and coordinating the FMLA program while ensuring compliance with Federal, State, and local regulations. Communicates and serves as a point of contact with employees, physicians, leave administrators, and caretakers regarding FMLA leave. Ensures confidential files are maintained per Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) regulations and Employee Privacy guidelines. Coordinates with The North Carolina Retirement System regarding Short Term Disability and responds to inquiries providing timely information needed for claim review.

Classification and Compensation:
Perform job and task analysis to document job requirements and objectives; advise managers on classification needs and staffing requirements with a broad understanding of both short- and long-term goals of the unit and organization. Consult with the Chief of Staff and leadership on developing organizational structures that enhance effectiveness and reduce administrative costs within the work unit. Consult with managers and supervisors on writing and developing job descriptions to meet staffing needs. Plan and oversee local compensation plans and philosophies. Provide some consultation on salary administration and recommend possible appropriate salary actions.

Policy, Budget, and Administrative Duties:
In coordination with the CHRO/Chief of Staff, develop, plan, and implement human resources policies, procedures, and best practices for the Arboretum. Collaborate with the CHRO/Chief of Staff and other departments to implement new business processes and suggest opportunities for improvement or change. Actively participate in University committees or working groups focused on HR service delivery, business systems, and business process improvement. Interpretation and implementation of Federal and State laws affecting Human Resources management and University policies. Help provide Arboretum representation to other University HR personnel, the Office of State Human Resources, and all persons seeking employment with the Arboretum.

Developing financial strategies for HR and the Arboretum by estimating, forecasting, and anticipating requirements, trends, and variances; aligning monetary resources; developing action plans; measuring and analyzing results and minimizing the impact of variances.

Education and Experience

The successful candidate must possess:
– Professional knowledge of principles, theories, and best practices within Human Resources Management;
– Demonstrated ability to apply a range of HR policies and procedures;
– Desire to remain current with emerging HR programming and the ability to apply relevant trends to department operations;
– Ability to work in an environment with a strong emphasis on coaching and mentorship, fostering a supportive environment for professional growth and development.
– Excellent oral and written communication skills, sound business judgment, tact, and diplomacy. Must be able to interact with personnel at all levels of Arboretum employment and be able to encourage and foster open communication between departments and HR;
– Active listening skills that will help create meaningful connections with employees and leadership by attentively listening to concerns and feedback.
– Strong empathy and interpersonal skills.
– Proven excellence in implementation, management, and review of human resource functions;
– Experience leading change management in a complex and dynamic environment;
– Strong organizational skills with a demonstrated ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously. Efficiently able to prioritize tasks and projects based on deadlines, importance, and resource availability.
– Highly developed management, analytical, problem-solving, and creative resourcefulness skills.
– Demonstrated ability to work with a broad range of constituencies in a collegial and collaborative manner;
– Excellent presentation and supervisory skills; and,
– A strong command of technology including familiarity with database systems and software related to personnel data, recruitment, benefit enrollment platforms, and the Microsoft Office platform.

Minimum Education, Experience, and Skills
Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Human Resources, Public Administration, or a related area of study; minimum of four years of experience in personnel management or directly related program development demonstrating competencies needed to perform the work or an equivalent combination of training and experience.

Preferred Education, Experience, and Skills
PHR, SPHR or other HR Certification preferred as well as knowledge of NC Office of State Human Resources policies and procedures and integrated systems such as Cornerstone or Ellucian Banner.

Application Instructions

All applications must be submitted online at https://www.ncarboretum.org/about-us/employment/ by 5 p.m. on Friday, September 20.