PEOPLE PARTNER (HR Generalist) - 2 openings

WHY WHEDA? WHEDA serves Wisconsin residents and communities by working with others to provide creative financial and technical resources to stimulate and preserve affordable housing, small businesses, and agriculture.

WHEDA employees participate in the State of Wisconsin benefit package (). WHEDA offers an excellent benefits package that includes: Medical, Vision, and Dental Insurance, State Retirement plan; 457 Deferred Compensation, Group Term Life Insurance (and optional term life insurance for family members), Disability Insurance, paid sick leave, paid vacation time twenty-eight (28) personal holiday hours, Twelve (12) paid legal holidays per year, tuition reimbursement program.

WHEDA is an equal opportunity and Affirmative Action employer seeking a diverse and talented workforce. Veterans are also encouraged to apply.

WHEDA has a remote work policy where certain employees may enjoy a hybrid or remote work schedule, based on position and business needs. See more details below related to this specific position. WHEDA is seeking two People Partner (HR Generalist) to join our People Strategy & Experience team in our Madison facility.

SALARY: Hiring Range for this position is from $73,103-$90,510 Annually. Offered Salary will be based on qualifications and internal pay equity. WHEDA provides a competitive salary, and WHEDA employees participate in the State of Wisconsin benefit package which includes retirement, health insurance and deferred compensation programs.

POSITION OVERVIEW:

The People Partner is a collaborative Human Resources generalist who works across the employee lifecycle to create a consistent, thoughtful, and people-centered experience for employees and leaders. As a trusted partner, the incumbent builds strong relationships, understands the needs of the people and teams they serve, and balances employee experience, organizational needs, sound judgment, and compliance in providing practical Human Resources guidance and solutions. Working across People Operations, Talent Acquisition, Employee Relations and other generalist functions, the People Partner takes ownership for both day-to-day needs and opportunities to improve how work gets done. Through curiosity, collaboration, data, and continuous improvement, the incumbent helps strengthen the employee experience, develop effective leaders, and advance a workplace where people can do their best work and contribute to WHEDA’s mission. The People Partner brings WHEDA’s commitment to putting people first into everyday practice by considering the human experience in how policies, processes, decisions, and Human Resources services are designed and delivered.

People Partners are expected to develop and maintain proficiency across the full scope of the position. To promote accountability, continuity of service, and development of subject-matter depth, individual People Partners may be assigned primary ownership of designated functional areas and secondary responsibility for others. Primary assignments may change based on organizational needs, workload, development opportunities, and staffing. Assignment of primary responsibility does not remove responsibility for maintaining working knowledge of or contributing to other functions of the position.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.

PEOPLE OPERATIONS: PAYROLL, BENEFITS & HRIS (20%)

• Administers and coordinates payroll-related transactions and processing; validates payroll data and resolves discrepancies and ensures timely and accurate processing; participates in and processes payroll on a regular basis; administers benefit activities including enrollments, qualifying life events, open enrollment, reconciliations, employee communications, and vendor coordination; and maintains accurate employee records and HRIS data in accordance with applicable requirements.

TALENT ACQUISITION & WORKFORCE PLANNING (20%)

• Coordinates talent acquisition activities including sourcing, candidate communications, interview scheduling, offer preparation, recruitment events, and workforce planning activities; contributes to effective recruitment strategies, candidate engagement, and continuous improvement of hiring practices.

EMPLOYEE RELATIONS(15%)

• Facilitates employee relations matters including conflict resolution, corrective action, workplace investigations, employee concerns, and respectful workplace practices; consults with leaders regarding appropriate and consistent resolution and application of Human Resources practices. Interprets and applies Human Resources policies, procedures, employment laws, regulations, rules and programs.

LEAVE & ACCOMMODATION (10%)

• Administers FMLA and other applicable leave programs through intake, documentation, employee communication, case management, and coordination with managers, payroll, and benefit vendors; coordinates accommodation requests and participates in the interactive process; interprets and applies applicable employment laws, policies, procedures, rules, and programs.

PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT & ORGANIZATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS (10%)

• Consults with leaders on performance management, coaching, performance improvement plans, talent reviews, organizational effectiveness, workforce planning, and related people practices; builds partnerships to address workforce needs and solve complex people challenges.

ONBOARDING, OFFBOARDING & EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE (10%)

• Delivers employee lifecycle and experience initiatives including onboarding, offboarding, stay interviews, engagement, recognition, employee communications, and continuous improvement efforts that strengthen the employee experience.

HR DATA, REPORTING & ANALYTICS (5%)

• Develops, analyzes, and communicates workforce reports, metrics, correspondence, and Human Resources information to inform operational and strategic decision-making; evaluates data quality, trends, and opportunities for improvement.

POLICY, PROCESS IMPROVEMENT & PROJECTS (5%)

• Leads and/or participates in Human Resources projects including technology reviews and implementations, policy updates, process redesign, analytics, strategic initiatives, change management, and continuous improvement; researches emerging employment laws, regulations, and Human Resources best practices and recommends changes as appropriate.

ORGANIZATIONAL & CROSS-FUNCTIONAL INITIATIVES (5%)

• Partners with internal departments and external resources and participates committees, task forces, and organizational initiatives representing People Strategy & Experience and advancing effective Human Resources service delivery.

PERFORMS OTHER DUTIES AS ASSIGNEDQUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a closely related field AND 3–5 years of progressively responsible professional Human Resources experience; OR an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• SHRM or other Human Resources certification desired.

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS:

• Demonstrated ability to build trusted relationships with employees and leaders, understand their needs, and provide thoughtful, practical Human Resource guidance grounded in sound judgement, consistency, and care.
• Broad Human Resources generalist knowledge across talent acquisition, employee relations, performance management, benefits, payroll, HRIS, leave administration, and the employee life cycle with the curiosity and commitment to continually develop proficiency across functional areas.
• Ability to balance employee experience, organizational needs, policy, compliance, and risk when evaluating situations and recommending solutions.
• Strong consultation and coaching skills, including the ability to ask thoughtful questions, appropriately challenge assumptions, navigate difficult conversations and help leaders make effective people decisions.
• Working knowledge of Federal, State, and local employment laws and regulations and the ability to research interpret and appropriately apply requirements to complex Human Resources situations including FMLA and ADA principles.
• Demonstrated ability to identify opportunities to simplify, improve, and strengthen Human Resources practices, processes, and employee experiences rather than relying solely on established approaches.
• Ability to use workforce information, data, employee feedback, and organizational context to identify trends, solve problems, and inform decisions.
• Strong interpersonal, conflict resolution, verbal, and written communication skills, with the ability to communicate complex or sensitive information clearly and respectfully.
• Demonstrated ownership and accountability, including the ability to follow issues through to resolution, manage competing priorities, maintain confidentiality, exercise sound judgment with limited direction, and contribute to collective team success through collaboration and knowledge sharing.
• Intermediate knowledge of Microsoft Office applications; familiarity with HRIS and payroll systems, ADP a plus.

Remote Work Options:

This position has a work schedule that will initially be 100% in-office. After training is complete, it is at the discretion of the direct manager when the employee may begin a hybrid work schedule. APPLICATION DEADLINE: This position will remain posted until filled.

• Please note- no exceptions will be made after closing date Questions may be directed to whedahr@wheda.com.

This position is not eligible for a work-related immigration visa sponsorship.

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An Equal Opportunity Employer Operating Under an Affirmative Action Plan.

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