HR Generalist

Position Summary:

Are you a proactive and detail-oriented HR professional with a passion for fostering a positive and inclusive workplace? If so, Democracy Forward Foundation (“Democracy Forward”) is looking for an HR Generalist to join our team.

We are seeking a collaborative and solutions-focused professional to support Democracy Forward’s People, Culture, and Operations team. This position will be responsible for ensuring the smooth and efficient execution of HR operations, including onboarding and offboarding, performance review coordination, and HR records management. This role will also partner with the People and Culture team to support employee engagement initiatives and benefits administration by working closely with our Professional Employer Organization (PEO). The HR Generalist will serve as the first point of contact for HR-related matters, ensuring a seamless and positive experience for employees.

This position is full-time. Democracy Forward’s office is located in Washington, DC. While this position offers flexibility to work remotely, it requires regular in-office presence eight (8) times per month (averaging about 2-3 times per week) to effectively support the nature of the role.

The HR Generalist will report to the People & Culture Manager and work closely with all staff across the organization.

Key Responsibilities:

Onboarding & Offboarding:

• Manage the full onboarding process for new hires, including pre-employment paperwork, system setup, orientation scheduling, and first-day coordination.
• Maintain the onboarding and payroll trackers to ensure all onboarding tasks are completed and all new hire documents are properly saved to personnel files.
• Equip hiring managers with comprehensive onboarding materials to ensure smooth and effective preparation for new hires.
• Conduct onboarding sessions to introduce new employees to policies, benefits, and organizational culture.
• Delivers responsive support to new hires by answering general HR questions and routing more complex inquiries to the People & Culture Manager.
• Facilitate smooth offboarding by coordinating exit processes, updating the offboarding tracker, collecting feedback, and ensuring final documentation is completed.
• Work with internal teams to ensure the timely setup and deactivation of employee accounts and access.

HR Operations & Employee Support:

• Serve as the first point of contact for HR-related inquiries, providing timely responses and directing staff to appropriate resources when needed.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date employee records, including personnel files, HRIS entries, internal changes tracker, and the HR drive.
• Assist in updating and maintaining internal HR documents, policies, and processes.
• Support employee relations by providing general guidance and escalating concerns when necessary.

Operations & Oversight: 

• Serve as the organization’s primary point of contact with financial institutions.
• Work with outside accountants to prepare monthly journal entries, maintain cost allocation spreadsheets, and update the Executive Office on financial matters as appropriate.
• Ensure timely and accurate processing of accounts payable and payroll and review accounts receivable.
• Oversee day-to-day financial operations including payroll, fellowship stipends, and banking relationships.
• Support cash flow management and investment policy implementation.

Performance Management:

• Assist with managing the performance review process using our performance management system, ensuring timely completion and accurate documentation.
• Partner with the People and Culture Manager to support managers and employees in navigating our performance management system, providing guidance on system functionality and best practices.

PEO Liaison & Benefits Administration:

• Act as the HR liaison with the organization’s PEO for benefits administration, payroll inquiries, and employee support.
• Support open enrollment and ongoing benefits communication, assisting employees with general benefits inquiries.
• Ensure accurate benefit records are maintained in coordination with the PEO.

Qualifications:

We recognize that strong candidates may not meet 100% of the qualifications listed. If you believe you can contribute meaningfully to our team, we encourage you to apply.

Required:

• 5+ years of experience in human resources or HR operations, ideally within a fast-paced environment.
• Strong knowledge of onboarding, offboarding, performance management, and HR records management.
• Experience using HRIS platforms and working with external HR service providers (e.g., PEOs).
• Exceptional communication and organizational skills, with the ability to track details, manage multiple priorities, and maintain reliable follow-up across tasks and stakeholders.
• High level of discretion and professionalism, with proven experience handling sensitive employee information confidentially.
• Commitment to equity, inclusion, and social justice in the workplace.

Preferred:

• Experience working in a nonprofit, mission-driven, or advocacy organization.
• Experience with benefits administration and employee support in a PEO-managed environment (familiarity with ADP or Rippling)
• Experience coordinating performance review cycles and professional development initiatives.
• Experience leveraging technology and productivity tools, demonstrating strong tech-savviness and a quick ability to learn new platforms; familiarity with Notion is a strong plus.

Work Environment & Physical Demands:

• This role may require occasional travel for team retreats, conferences, or organizational meetings.
• This role may involve sitting for extended periods and working on a computer. Reasonable accommodations will be provided as needed.

The salary range for this position is $80,000-$95,000 plus excellent benefits. Compensation is commensurate with experience. 

Democracy Forward Foundation is an equal opportunity employer. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. We encourage applications from all qualified individuals. We strongly encourage people of color; LGBTQIA+ people; women; people with disabilities; and veterans to apply. Please note that all lawyer positions require a law degree and active membership in the bar of a state or the District of Columbia. 

Not sure you meet all of our qualifications? Research shows that men apply for jobs when they meet an average of 60% of the criteria. Yet women and other people who are systematically marginalized tend to only apply if they meet every requirement.  If you believe that you could excel in this role, we encourage you to apply. We are dedicated to considering a broad array of candidates, including those with diverse workplace experiences and backgrounds. Whether you are new to mission-based legal and policy work, returning to work after a gap in employment, or simply looking to transition or take the next step in your career path, we welcome the opportunity to have you on our radar.  Please include in your cover letter the nature of your interest in legal and policy work promoting democracy and progress and what you hope to bring to our team and the role for which you are applying.