HCM Specialist II

About the role

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a leading national research university and the State of New Jersey’s preeminent, comprehensive public institution of higher education. As one of the largest employers in the State, Rutgers is committed to its students, the State it serves, and the faculty and staff who work on its campuses. For two consecutive years, Rutgers has been ranked on Forbes’ list of America’s Best Large Employers (#64 of 500, #1 in New Jersey for 2023). University Human Resources (UHR) supports the Rutgers mission by delivering programs and services to attract, retain, and develop diverse, highly skilled talent.

Under the direction of the Human Capital Management leadership team, this position prepares and reviews HR and payroll transactions for positions from hire through separation. The role is responsible for the initiation, review, processing, approval, and auditing of personnel transactions supporting the University’s temporary and permanent workforce needs, ensuring transactions are complete, accurate, timely, and compliant with employment laws, collective negotiations agreements, University policies, and established business procedures. The position serves as a key resource to schools, units, and departmental representatives by communicating transaction issues, explaining requirements, and recommending solutions to resolve errors or employment conflicts. It also supports continuous improvement and data integrity by identifying recurring trends and process gaps, assisting with corrective actions, and providing training and guidance to departmental partners and team members.

Responsibilities

• Prepares employee transactions, enters data, and routes requests for review.
• Reviews and approves assigned transactions, including salary and offer-letter documentation, before processing actions affecting payment.
• Checks calculations, documentation, and approvals against university policies, bargaining unit contracts, and applicable federal and state requirements.
• Tracks requests, resolves processing issues, and provides timely customer service.
• Assists with compensation programs, reporting, procedure updates, and client training while maintaining confidentiality.
• Validates employment and assignment data, reviews supporting documentation, and identifies incompatible or incomplete transactions.
• Conducts pre- and post-transaction audits and processes time-sensitive personnel actions to reduce errors and support accurate employee and payroll records.
• Identifies recurring trends and process gaps, assists with corrective actions, and provides training and guidance to departmental partners and team members.

Qualifications

Minimum Education and Experience

Bachelor’s degree in a related field; or an equivalent combination of education and/or experience.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Effective data entry, analytical, mathematical, statistical, and problem-solving skills, with strong attention to detail.
• Strong organizational, interpersonal, communication, collaborative, and client service skills.
• Ability to follow direction and apply university policies, bargaining unit contract terms, and applicable federal and state requirements.
• Ability to set priorities, meet deadlines, research issues, develop action plans, and adapt to changing assignments.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team, perform both initiator/preparer and reviewer/approver duties, and maintain confidentiality.
• Strong analytical, organizational, customer service, and written and verbal communication skills, with demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities and time-sensitive transactions while maintaining a high degree of accuracy and confidentiality.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with PeopleSoft HCM, HCM Cloud, and Payroll systems; HR transaction templates and workflow tools; Microsoft Excel, Word, and web-based HR applications.

Benefits

Rutgers provides a comprehensive benefits package to eligible employees. Specific benefits vary based on the position and may include:

• Medical, prescription drug, and dental coverage
• Paid vacation, holidays, and various leave programs
• Competitive retirement benefits, including defined contribution plans and voluntary tax-deferred savings options
• Employee and dependent educational benefits (when applicable)
• Life insurance coverage
• Employee discount programs

Compensation

FLSA: Nonexempt | Grade: 03

• Minimum Salary: $54,027
• Mid-Range Salary: $68,383
• Maximum Salary: $82,739

The final salary offer may be determined by several factors, including the candidate’s qualifications, experience, and expertise, availability of department or grant funds, market benchmarks, and internal equity to ensure fair compensation relative to the university’s broader compensation structure.

Work Arrangement

• Position Status: Full Time
• Standard Hours: 37.50 per week
• Work Arrangement: Consistent with Rutgers Policy 60.3.22 or applicable collective negotiations agreements, this position may be eligible for a hybrid work arrangement. Flexible work arrangements are not permanent, subject to change or discontinuation, and contingent on employee approval in the FlexWork@RU Application System.

Position Details

• Union: Administrators Confidential
• Payroll Designation: PeopleSoft Seniority Unit
• Terms of Appointment: Staff – 12 month
• Pension Eligibility: ABP
• Location: Rutgers University–New Brunswick, New Brunswick, NJ

Physical Demands and Work Environment

Office environment with regular computer use and review of electronic and paper records.