Human Resources Generalist (37458)

ABOUT THE WALTERS ART MUSEUM 
The Walters Art Museum is among America's most distinctive museums, forging connections between people and art from cultures around the world and spanning seven millennia. Located in Baltimore’s Mount Vernon neighborhood, the Walters is free for all. The museum’s campus includes five historic buildings and 36,000 art objects. 

Today, the Walters serves Baltimore and Maryland by embracing its role as educator and storyteller, using the collection as a vehicle of knowledge and cultural expression to support learning, dialogue, and community engagement. The museum is committed to public education, offering essential programs that help people to connect art to their lives. The Walters Visitor Promise aligns staff and volunteers across the museum to preserve and share the works in our care for future generations, partner with communities, and create welcoming, accessible experiences for visitors. The museum offers challenging and creative work opportunities by promoting collaboration and teamwork. 

OVERVIEW OF ROLE 
The Human Resources Generalist plays a key role in supporting day-to-day HR operations within a unionized environment at the Walters Art Museum. Reporting to the Senior Director of Human Resources, this role supports core HR functions including recruitment, onboarding, benefits administration, leave management, employee relations support, performance management coordination, training administration, and HR compliance.

The Generalist position provides daily oversight and support of the HR Helpdesk, ensuring timely, accurate, and professional responses to employee and manager inquiries; partners closely with the Labor Relations Specialist on union-related matters; and serves as a member of the Staff Incident Team for safety-related matters. 

The ideal candidate will bring hands-on experience in payroll coordination and benefits administration, including annual open enrollment processes, ensuring accuracy, compliance and strong employee support. 

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

General HR Administrative Support

• Lead and manage the HR Helpdesk function, ensuring timely, accurate, and consistent responses to inquiries; and track, analyze, and report monthly metrics and trends to identify recurring issues, inform process improvements, and enhance service delivery. 
• Collaborate with the Human Resources Assistant to support biweekly payroll processing, including but not limited to benefit reconciliation and payroll audit review.
• Participate on the Staff Incident Team (SIT), supporting documentation and response coordination for workplace safety matters.
• Maintain HRIS data integrity, reporting accuracy, and audit readiness.

Recruitment 

• Support full-cycle recruitment to include postings, interviews, candidate communication, and offer preparation.
• Maintain applicant tracking systems and recruitment documentation to ensure accuracy and compliance.
• Coordinate pre-employment processes (background checks, references, onboarding paperwork).

Onboarding & Offboarding

• Administer onboarding and separation processes in compliance with CBA provisions and internal policies.
• Coordinate orientation, system access, and required training in collaboration with managers, union representatives, and internal stakeholders. Prepare and process all new hire documentation.
• Support employee resignations, retirements, layoffs, and terminations.
• Assist with exit interviews and maintain accurate HRIS records.

Benefits Administration 

• Administer employee benefits programs including medical, dental, vision, retirement, and wellness plans, ensuring accurate enrollment, changes, and terminations.
• Serve as a primary contact for benefits and eligibility inquiries and plan provisions.
• Manage leave of absence (LOA), STD and LTD processes including vendor coordination.
• Maintain accurate benefits and leave records within the HRIS, ensuring compliance with company policies and applicable regulations.
• Support annual open enrollment activities, including system setup, employee communications, reports, reconciliation and audit review.
• Liaise with benefits vendors and internal stakeholders to resolve routine benefits-related matters.

Employee Relations & Labor Relations

• Support employee and labor relations activities in a unionized environment, ensuring CBA compliance.
• Assist and facilitate employee meetings, fact-finding, investigations, meeting coordination, and documentation preparation in accordance with established protocols.
• Support progressive discipline process and due process requirements.

Performance Management

• Support performance management processes in alignment with collective agreement provisions and organizational policies.
• Guide managers on performance documentation and procedural consistency.
• Track performance plans and corrective actions, monitor timelines for compliance.

Training & Development

• Coordinate compliance, safety, and skills-based training programs and maintain accurate training records. 
• Assist with the development and distribution of training materials, job aids, and learning resources.
• Support internal career progression where applicable.
• All other duties as assigned.

• Bachelor’s degree in human resources, business administration, or a related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 3–5 years of progressive HR experience, including hands-on payroll coordination and benefits administration experience; preferably in a unionized environment. 
• Working knowledge of collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) and the ability to follow established protocols, timelines, and due process requirements.
• Strong understanding of employee and labor relations practices, including progressive discipline, grievance processes, and documentation standards.
• Ability to provide tactical, manager-facing support for performance management within a unionized workforce.
• Proficiency with HRIS and applicant tracking systems, including data maintenance, reporting, and troubleshooting. Working knowledge of Paycom HRIS preferred. 
• Solid understanding of benefits compliance requirements (FMLA, COBRA, ACA reporting a plus).
• Strong organizational and time-management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to prepare professional documentation, reports, and correspondence.
• Demonstrated ability to maintain confidentiality and exercise sound judgment when handling sensitive employee and labor matters.
• Strong attention to detail with the ability to ensure compliance with CBAs, organizational policies, and employment legislation.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with HR leadership, managers, employees, and union representatives.
• SHRM - CP or PHR Certification preferred but not required. 

SCHEDULED SHIFT
Monday through Friday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm; Onsite 

Annual Salary $70,000 - $80,000

The Walters Art Museum provides an excellent comprehensive benefits package that includes medical, dental, prescription, vision, subsidized transportation and parking, museum membership, short term disability, long-term disability, life insurance, FSA (flexible spending account), 457b retirement, and free professional financial management counseling. This is a 100% onsite position. All employees must be legally authorized to work in the United States. The museum does not sponsor work visas.