People Operations Specialist

About the role

The People Operations Specialist supports managers, supervisors, faculty, staff, and non-faculty academic appointees with comprehensive human resources services. This role advises on leave administration, disability accommodations, performance management, recruitment, onboarding, offboarding, and payroll-related challenges.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary HR resource for managers, supervisors, faculty, staff, and non-faculty academic appointees.
• Provide guidance on employee relations, recruitment, onboarding, leave administration, performance management, policy interpretation, and compliance with University, state, and federal regulations.
• Collaborate with Academic Affairs, Disability Management Services, Employee Relations, and other central UCSF offices to resolve personnel matters, facilitate employment actions, and support a positive, inclusive, and compliant workplace.
• Advise supervisors and employees on University policies, leave options, performance management, and employee relations matters.
• Assist managers and supervisors with Family and Medical Leave (FMLA), California Family Rights Act (CFRA), Pregnancy Disability Leave (PDL), military leave, and other leave requests.
• Partner with Disability Management Services (DMS) on reasonable accommodation requests and return-to-work processes.
• Ensure timely processing of appointments, stipends, additional compensation, and timekeeping.
• Resolve payroll discrepancies by working with UCPath, Shared Services, and department managers.
• Aid managers with performance management, corrective actions, and documentation.
• Maintain confidential personnel records and documentation.
• Prepare workforce reports as requested.
• Provide guidance to employees and supervisors on human resources policies, procedures, and employment practices.
• Respond to employee questions regarding benefits, leave of absence, payroll, timekeeping, and workplace policies.
• Aid employees in navigating University resources, including Employee Relations, Disability Management Services, Workers' Compensation, and the Faculty and Staff Assistance Program (FSAP).
• Guide employees through payroll, timekeeping, and UCPath processes and assist in resolving payroll issues.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Three to five years of progressively responsible human resources experience, preferably in an academic, healthcare, or higher education environment.
• Interpersonal skills including verbal and written communication, active listening, critical thinking, persuasiveness, advising, and counseling skills.
• Ability to use discretion and maintain strict confidentiality.
• Strong skills in short-term planning, analysis, problem-solving, and customer service.
• Knowledge of financial analysis and reporting techniques and/or human resources policies and procedures for staff and academic employees.
• Ability to work independently while managing competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to proactively manage HR transactions to completion, initiating follow-up and escalating issues as needed.

Preferred Qualifications

• Thorough knowledge of University rules and regulations, processes, protocols, and procedures for budget, accounting and fund management, and/or personnel management.
• Knowledge of University of California and UCSF policies, procedures, and HR programs.
• Experience supporting faculty, staff, or academic personnel in a higher education or academic health setting.
• Familiarity with University of California personnel policies, collective bargaining agreements, and academic personnel processes.
• Experience with UCPath, PeopleSoft, Oracle, or other enterprise HR/payroll systems.