HR Generalist in Worcester, Massachusetts at Mass Lung & Allergy PC

HR GENERALIST
Department: Administration
Reports To: Chief Operating Officer
Status: Full-Time
Location: Central Massachusetts
Schedule: Generally 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.; flexibility may be required based on organizational needs
POSITION SUMMARY
The HR Generalist serves as the primary day-to-day Human Resources resource for Mass Lung & Allergy and supports approximately 85-90 physicians, advanced practice providers, clinical staff, and administrative/support employees.
The HR Generalist is responsible for providing comprehensive HR support across the employee lifecycle, including recruitment, employee relations, performance management, employee engagement, and offboarding. Onboarding, benefits administration, and leave administration will be in partnership with the controller.
The position will also provide support in compensation, HR compliance and auditing, HRIS administration, workforce reporting and analytics, and healthcare-specific workforce requirements.
The HR Generalist partners closely with physicians, leadership, managers, and employees to promote a positive workplace culture, maintain compliance with applicable federal and Massachusetts employment laws, and ensure consistent application of organizational policies and practices.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Recruitment, Hiring & Workforce Planning
• Manage the full-cycle recruitment process for clinical, administrative, and support positions.
• Partner with managers to identify staffing needs and develop effective recruitment strategies.
• Prepare and maintain accurate job descriptions and appropriate compensation ranges.
• Coordinate job postings, candidate screening, interviews, reference/background checks, offers, and pre-employment requirements.
• Maintain communication with candidates and hiring managers throughout the recruitment process.
• Monitor recruitment effectiveness, vacancies, time-to-fill, turnover, and staffing trends.
Onboarding & Employee Lifecycle
• Coordinate and administer the new-hire process, including employment documentation, benefits enrollment, required policies, orientation, and HRIS setup.
• Partner with managers to provide a consistent and effective onboarding experience.
• Coordinate employee status changes, transfers, promotions, compensation changes, and other personnel actions.
• Manage the employee offboarding process, including required documentation and exit interviews.
• Identify retention or workplace trends from exit interviews and recommend appropriate action.
Employee Relations & Management Support
• Serve as a confidential resource for employees and managers regarding workplace concerns and HR-related questions.
• Advise managers regarding employee performance, attendance, conduct, coaching, corrective action, and progressive discipline.
• Receive and appropriately investigate complaints involving workplace conduct, harassment, discrimination, retaliation, or policy violations.
• Maintain appropriate investigation and employee-relations documentation.
• Partner with leadership and outside employment counsel when circumstances warrant.
• Promote consistent and equitable application of organizational policies and employment practices.
Performance Management & Employee Development
• Coordinate the organization's performance review process.
• Assist managers with goal setting, performance evaluations, performance improvement plans, and employee development.
• Coach managers regarding effective employee feedback and performance conversations.
• Identify opportunities for employee and management training and development.
Benefits & Leave Administration
• Administer employee benefit programs and serve as the primary employee contact for benefits-related questions.
• Coordinate annual benefits open enrollment and employee benefits communications.
• Coordinate the employee leave programs including FMLA, Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML), and other applicable leaves.
• Coordinate the interactive accommodation process under the ADA and other applicable disability/employment laws.
• Work with benefit carriers, brokers, leave administrators, and other vendors to resolve employee issues.
• Coordinate COBRA and other required benefit notices and administration.
Compensation & Payroll Support
• Assist leadership with market compensation analysis, salary ranges, job classifications, promotions, and compensation recommendations.
• Maintain accurate compensation and employment-status information.
• Coordinate employee payroll changes and provide payroll-related information to the appropriate internal or external payroll resource.
• Review employee classifications and job descriptions for consistency and compliance.
HR Compliance & Risk Management
• Maintain current knowledge of applicable federal and Massachusetts employment laws and regulations.
• Support organizational compliance with FMLA, MA PFML, ADA, ACA, ERISA, COBRA, wage-and-hour requirements, workers' compensation requirements, and other applicable employment regulations.
• Maintain personnel and confidential employee records in accordance with applicable recordkeeping requirements.
• Conduct and document Office of Inspector General (OIG) List of Excluded Individuals and Entities (LEIE) screenings for all new hires and newly engaged clinicians prior to employment or engagement, and monthly thereafter for all employees and clinicians. Promptly escalate potential matches and maintain accurate, audit-ready screening records.
• Coordinate workers' compensation claims and related employee/manager communications as applicable.
• Support workplace safety and OSHA-related HR requirements in collaboration with clinical and operational leadership.
• Periodically audit personnel files, required employment documentation, HR processes, and HRIS information for accuracy and compliance.
• Review and recommend updates to HR policies, procedures, and the employee handbook.
• Maintain confidentiality of personnel, medical, compensation, and other sensitive employee information and comply with applicable HIPAA requirements.
Healthcare Workforce Support
• Partner with practice leadership to support HR requirements affecting physicians, advanced practice providers, clinical staff, and administrative/support employees.
• Assist with employee credential, license, certification, health-screening, or training documentation where HR is responsible for maintaining such records.
• Coordinate required workforce training and maintain appropriate completion records.
• Support leadership in maintaining a professional, patient-focused, compliant healthcare workplace.
HRIS, Reporting & Administration
• Maintain accurate employee information within the organization's HRIS/payroll systems.
• Maintain complete, accurate, secure, and current personnel and electronic employee records.
• Prepare HR reports and metrics for leadership, including staffing levels, turnover, vacancies, recruitment activity, retention, leave utilization, and other relevant workforce trends.
• Identify opportunities to improve or automate HR processes.
Employee Engagement & Culture
• Monitor employee engagement and identify workplace trends or concerns requiring management attention.
• Coordinate employee recognition, wellness, engagement, and organization-wide employee events.
• Assist leadership with employee communications regarding policies, benefits, organizational changes, and HR programs.
• Recommend initiatives that support employee retention and a positive workplace culture.
QUALIFICATIONS
• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Healthcare Administration, or a related field preferred; equivalent relevant experience may be considered.
• 3-5 years of progressive Human Resources experience, preferably in a healthcare, medical practice, or similarly regulated environment.
• Demonstrated experience independently handling employee relations, recruitment, benefits, leave administration, and HR compliance.
• Working knowledge of federal and Massachusetts employment laws and HR requirements.
• Experience with HRIS, payroll, applicant tracking, and benefits systems.
• Strong proficiency with Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, and Outlook.
• Excellent written, verbal, interpersonal, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment and handle sensitive and confidential information.
• Ability to work independently while partnering effectively with physicians, managers, employees, vendors, and senior leadership.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to manage multiple priorities.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
• Human Resources experience in a physician practice, ambulatory healthcare organization, or other healthcare environment.
• SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, or SPHR certification.
• Experience supporting an organization of approximately 75-150 employees.
• Experience administering Massachusetts PFML and other Massachusetts-specific employment requirements.
• Experience conducting or assisting with workplace investigations.
• Experience with compensation benchmarking and HR metrics.
Success in this Position
The successful HR Generalist will be approachable and trusted by employees while also serving as a strong advisor to management. The individual will combine hands-on HR administration with sound judgment, consistency, confidentiality, and the ability to proactively identify and resolve workforce issues.
The position requires someone who can move comfortably between employee-level HR needs and higher-level discussions with management and physician leadership.