HR Generalist

About Positively Partners
Positively Partners delivers integrated, people-centered consulting services to social impact organizations. Our services include recruitment, HR outsourcing, and consulting on people practices related to compensation, employee engagement, and inclusion.
Founded by nonprofit leaders in 2016, we help social sector organizations access high-quality, inclusion-focused HR services essential to achieving their missions. Were a team of learners, HR professionals, and equity practitioners committed to helping employees thrive in support of their organizations mission. Our home bases are in Boston, MA and Washington, DC, with a remote team across the United States, allowing us to deliver services through a mix of in-person and virtual channels.
You can learn more about Positively Partners and our service offerings at positivelypartners.PositivelyHR is our outsourced HR service, providing mission-driven organizations with comprehensive, high-quality HR solutions. We function as an extension of our clients teams, offering expert support in compliance, payroll and tax processing, benefits administration, policy development, and employee relations.
We are seeking a Principal HR Consultant to join the PositivelyHR team and serve as a strategic thought partner and trusted advisor to our nonprofit clients. In this senior-level role, you will lead on employee relations, performance management, accommodations, leave administration, and HR compliance in our client engagementsguiding people managers and organizational leaders through complex and sensitive personnel matters with empathy, clarity, and confidence.
This role is ideal for a service-driven HR professional with deep expertise in employment law and HR best practices, a coaching mindset, and a strong orientation toward practical problem-solving that balances policy, risk, and values. Serve as the primary advisor to people managers and organizational leaders on a wide range of employee relations matters, including performance concerns, interpersonal conflicts, accommodations, and corrective actions
Provide real-time guidance and problem-solving on employee issues, while scaffolding and equipping managers and leaders with long-term strategies for sustainable resolution
Partner with people managers to implement performance improvement plans and manage progressive discipline practices, balancing legal compliance alongside equitable and strengths-based practices
Investigate and support resolution of employee complaints, escalating appropriately and ensuring alignment with legal obligations and organizational values
Lead and manage leave of absence cases, ensuring compliance with applicable federal and state laws, consistent application of organizational policies, and accurate payroll processing through clear direction and handoffs
Help organizations assess and mitigate risk by ensuring alignment with employment law, internal policies, and best practices
Collaborate with legal counsel and PositivelyHR leadership to address high-level, high-risk, or highly complex issues
Coaching & Capacity Building
Coach managers and leaders through sensitive personnel decisions, building their people management skill and confidence when navigating sensitive employee matters
Support the rollout of HR policies and people practices by helping managers apply them in practical, values-aligned ways
Facilitate manager learning opportunitiesincluding office hours and workshopson performance management topics such as goal-setting, leading performance conversations, etc.
Help managers and leaders build internal muscle for handling employee issues by modeling effective conversations, documentation, and strategic thinking
Partner closely with other members of the PositivelyHR team to ensure coordinated, high-quality service and support to each client
Contribute to the continuous improvement of internal tools and processes including workflows, templates, and guidance materials to necessary to support the scaling of high-quality PositivelyHR services
May support the development or refinement of related employee handbook policies
Stay current on employment law developments, HR best practices, and contribute to internal learning and development efforts
There are innumerable ways to learn, grow, and excel professionally. We review each application to better know you and the unique strengths you will bring to work. 8+ years of progressive HR experience, including substantial experience advising managers on performance management, leaves (including state statutory leaves), and employee relations
~ In-depth knowledge of employment laws and HR compliance practices, particularly related to accommodations, FMLA, wage & hour, and disciplinary actions. Must have experience navigating employment law in states with a complex legal landscape (i.e. Demonstrated success guiding and coaching supervisors through difficult personnel issues with a strengths-based, equity-focused lens
~ Strong judgment and the ability to assess and respond in real time during meetings, coaching conversations, or employee interactions while maintaining alignment with policies and organizational values
~ Excellent communication skills, with the ability to translate legal and technical guidance into practical, values-aligned advice
~ Experience in a high-volume, multi-stakeholder environmentsuch as an HR outsourcing firm, PEO/ASO service organization, consulting or professional services firm, or a headquarters/shared-services role in a large or matrixed, multi-site organizationproviding ongoing support to a portfolio of clients, departments, or regions with diverse needs and priorities. High emotional intelligence and a calm, professional approach under pressure
~ Strong commitment to equity, inclusion, and people-centered HR practices

Must be located in the United States and willing to work eastern timezone hours to accommodate Positively Partners primarily east coast clients
At Positively Partners, we believe great work comes from alignment with strengths. Feel energized by helping people work through hard moments with clarity and care
Bring structure and calm to situations that feel high-stakes, urgent or ambiguous
Have a bias for action and a desire to help others build skill and confidence
Positively Partners offers staff a robust compensation and benefits package including access to high-quality, inclusive health benefits that prioritize employee agency and an opportunity for an end of year discretionary bonus calculated in equal measure based on individual, team, and organizational performance.
The salary range for this role is $105,000 to $140,000 with a potential for up to 10% annual, performance-based bonus. Positively Partners is committed to supporting employee growth in our field, including providing training and support on an ongoing basis.
This is a remote positio]]