HR Assistant

Location: Houston, US

About the School

The Village School is a private college preparatory school for grades Early Childhood through High School. Our High School offers the International Baccalaureate Diploma program and boarding opportunities through the Nord Anglia Boarding program. The Village School is an international community in Houston, Texas, providing a world-class education to private day and boarding students. We adhere to the highest academic standards, developing lifelong learners and global citizens who think critically, collaborate genuinely, and give of themselves generously. Ranked nationally for STEAM education and for the diversity of our international student body. Proud member of the Nord Anglia Education global network of schools.

About the Role

The Human Resources Assistant provides administrative and operational support to the Human Resources department, assisting with HR processes, compliance activities, and employee support. This role helps ensure efficient HR operations, accurate recordkeeping, and a positive employee experience while maintaining confidentiality and adherence to school policies and procedures.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required
• Experience or training in human resources, business administration, or a related field preferred
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications and HR systems
• Must be eligible to work in the United States without employer sponsorship

Experience & Knowledge

• Previous administrative or human resources experience preferred
• General knowledge of HR processes and compliance requirements
• Experience working in a fast-paced, professional environment
• Ability to work with multiple systems and platforms

Working Expectations

• Maintain consistent and reliable attendance and report to work on time. Core business hours are 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.
• Be punctual and dependable in attending scheduled meetings, appointments, and assigned responsibilities.
• Manage priorities effectively and meet established deadlines and department timelines.
• Maintain a professional, responsive, and service-oriented approach when interacting with employees, vendors, and other members of the school community.
• Demonstrate initiative by identifying outstanding items, following up on requests, and completing tasks without requiring constant direction.
• Maintain flexibility to support the HR department during periods of increased workload, critical deadlines, and other business needs.

Attributes

• Strong organizational and time-management skills
• High level of professionalism and discretion
• Effective written and verbal communication skills
• Attention to detail with the ability to manage competing priorities
• Collaborative and service-oriented approach

Responsibilities

Executive & Administrative Support

• Provide administrative and operational support to the HR Director and HR department.
• Assist the HR Director with email drafts, correspondence, and other communications.
• Coordinate reserving meeting spaces for department events, prepare agendas and materials.
• Assist with preparing presentations, reports, spreadsheets, and other HR materials.

Compliance - Employee & Vendor Requirements

• Communicate the clearance process and requirements to vendors, volunteers, interns, and other non-employee personnel; and track completion of required background checks and trainings.
• Track employee and non-employee compliance requirements, including background checks and safeguarding trainings, to ensure individuals remain eligible to work or be present on campus.
• Maintain compliance trackers and follow up on outstanding requirements.
• Assist with preparing documentation for audits.
• Ensure required documentation is properly maintained.
• Escalate compliance concerns or overdue requirements to the HR Director.

HR Mailbox & Communication Management

• Monitor and manage the HR department mailbox and ensure inquiries are addressed in a timely manner.
• Respond to routine employee questions and requests or route matters to the appropriate HR team member.
• Escalate sensitive, complex, or employee-relations matters to the HR Director.
• Track outstanding requests and follow up with employees, managers, etc. to ensure timely resolution.

Employee Records & HRIS Administration

• Maintain accurate and confidential employee personnel records and documentation.
• Ensure documents are properly filed, easily accessible, and maintained in accordance with HR procedures.
• Scan and upload employee documentation into the appropriate electronic personnel file and verify that documents are complete, legible, and accurately filed.
• Conduct regular file audits to identify missing, outdated, or incorrectly filed documentation.
• Assist with HRIS data cleanup.

Recruitment, Onboarding & Offboarding

• Provide administrative support throughout the recruitment and hiring process.
• Assist with pre-employment requirements, including creating and maintaining candidates' electronic and hard-copy files, coordinating background checks, reference checks, tracking required documentation, and ensuring all required compliance clearances are completed prior to the employee’s start date.
• Prepare and organize new-hire documentation and onboarding materials.
• Coordinate onboarding activities and track completion of required onboarding items.
• Support offboarding items.

Payroll & Benefits Administrative Support

• Provide administrative support for payroll-related HR processes when needed.
• Assist employees with routing routine payroll and benefits questions to the appropriate HR or Business Office contact.
• Support benefits-related administrative activities, including employee communications and documentation.

Other Requirements

• Coordinate and complete audit requests by gathering, organizing, and preparing the required supporting documentation and information for submission and review.
• Support departmental projects, initiatives, and special assignments.
• Maintain strict confidentiality and exercise discretion when handling employee files, payroll, benefits, and other sensitive or confidential information.
• Provide professional, responsive, and service-oriented support to employees and managers.
• Exercise sound judgment when determining which matters can be handled independently and which should be escalated.
• Comply with all school policies, procedures, and applicable HR requirements.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Core Values

• Accountable: Establishes a high-performing culture and accepts accountability for organizational performance.
• Strategic: Leads opportunity and is committed to continuous improvement aligned with the organizational vision and direction.
• Collaborative: Works collaboratively with others to achieve organizational outcomes.
• Entrepreneurial: Creates organizational value for diverse stakeholders and achieves commercial success.
• Enabling: Drives excellence through valuing and developing others.
• Agile: Achieves personal and organizational success within a changing, dynamic, and complex environment.
• Resilient: Demonstrates personal resilience within a demanding environment of high expectations.