Senior HR Generalist / HR Operations & Talent Acquisition Lead (Minneapolis, MN)

ITASCA North America is seeking a Senior HR Generalist / HR Operations & Talent Acquisition Lead to support and strengthen HR operations across our North American consulting and software organization. This role serves as the lead professional for human resources, payroll, benefits, employee relations, compliance, and talent acquisition for approximately 60-70 employees across Minneapolis, Denver, Canada, and remote U.S. locations.

About the role

This is a hands-on role for an experienced HR professional who enjoys building trusted relationships, improving processes, supporting managers and employees, and strengthening internal recruiting capabilities. The position works closely with HR, compliance, payroll, accounting, managers, vendors, and external partners to ensure consistent and effective administration of employee programs.

As ITASCA North America continues to integrate teams across locations, consistent and effective HR support is essential. This role helps ensure employees and managers receive reliable guidance, accurate payroll and benefits administration, compliant employment practices, and a positive experience throughout the employee lifecycle. The role also plays an important part in strengthening ITASCA’s ability to hire and retain talent by improving internal recruiting practices, building candidate pipelines, supporting hiring managers, and enhancing the employment brand.

Responsibilities

• Process bi-weekly payroll through ADP Workforce Now, including timesheet review, PTO tracking, payroll records, Form 941 and W-2 reviews and coordination, and related payroll compliance activities.
• Oversee bi-weekly Canadian QuickBooks payroll processing.
• Administer employee benefits, including medical, dental, leaves, accommodations, vision, life insurance, FSA, HSA, 401(k), open enrollment, invoice reconciliation, employee questions, enrollment changes, and broker coordination.
• Coordinate and oversee 401(k) plan administration and governance activities, including deductions, employer contributions, compliance reporting, Form 5500 coordination, compliance testing, plan records, and service as a member of the Company's Retirement Plan Committee with responsibility for fiduciary oversight of plan administration and compliance matters.
• Maintain employee records, personnel files, performance review documentation, compensation letters, handbook updates, and HR system changes.
• Oversee onboarding and offboarding, including new hire orientation, I-9 completion, systems setup, exit documentation, offer letters, and separation documentation.
• Manage leave administration, including FMLA, state paid family and medical leave programs, workers’ compensation, accommodations, and related compliance requirements.
• Support managers with employee relations matters, including performance coaching, documentation, corrective action, performance improvement plans, and employee meetings.
• Lead full-cycle recruiting for technical, professional, and administrative roles across Minneapolis, Denver, Canada, and remote U.S. locations.
• Manage recruiting systems and platforms, including Breezy, LinkedIn, Indeed, SciTech, university career portals, and other talent acquisition channels.
• Develop sourcing strategies, conduct candidate outreach, screen applicants, coordinate interviews, support compensation benchmarking and market analysis, prepare offers, and manage pre-employment steps.
• Conduct compensation research, salary benchmarking, job evaluations, and market analysis; maintain position descriptions; and provide data and recommendations to support compensation planning, workforce planning, internal equity, recruiting, salary administration, and organizational decision-making.
• Support EEO, affirmative action, immigration, training, compliance reporting, and employee lifecycle processes.
• Coordinate HR, payroll, benefits, recruiting, compliance, and process-improvement activities across North American locations and with supporting staff or third-party providers.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Psychology, or a related field, or an associate’s degree plus relevant experience in lieu of a bachelor’s degree.
• Approximately 5–8 years of progressive professional-level human resources experience, including payroll and benefits administration, talent acquisition, employee relations, employment law compliance, and leave administration.
• Hands-on payroll processing experience; ADP Workforce Now experience is strongly preferred.
• Experience administering benefits, including open enrollment and carrier or broker coordination.
• Experience with full-cycle recruiting and talent acquisition.
• Strong discretion and confidentiality when handling sensitive employee information.
• Knowledge of federal and state employment laws, such as FLSA, ADA, and FMLA.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills in English.
• Authorization to work in the United States.

Skills

• HR certification, such as PHR, SHRM-CP, or SHRM-SCP (strongly valued).
• Experience supporting employees across multiple U.S. states and/or Canada.
• Experience providing functional leadership, project coordination, or oversight of HR and payroll processes.
• Experience supporting 401(k), retirement plan, or employee benefit plan administration, compliance, committee activities, or related governance responsibilities.
• Experience with HRIS, payroll, recruiting, and learning management platforms, such as ADP Workforce Now, Breezy, EasyLlama, Employee Navigator, or similar systems.
• Experience with employee relations, HR compliance, affirmative action, EEO reporting, immigration coordination, or multi-state HR administration.
• A track record of personal development, growth, and process improvement.

About ITASCA

ITASCA is a global, employee-owned engineering consulting and software firm serving the hydrogeology, geomechanics, and engineering geology communities. ITASCA works across industries including mining, civil engineering, and power generation, with offices in North America, South America, Europe, Australia, and China. Our purpose is to drive the evolution of geological engineering and geosciences to improve the world by collaboratively developing innovative solutions to challenging problems. ITASCA’s core values include uncompromising attention to quality, passion for learning and innovation, and shared responsibility for our business.

Location

This is a full-time position based in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Pay

The anticipated starting base salary for this role is $75,000–$110,000 annually, depending on experience, qualifications, and skill set.

Benefits

• Competitive salary commensurate with experience.
• Performance bonuses, including cash and company stock.
• Health, dental, and vision benefits for you and your family.
• Generous paid time off from day one.
• Paid holidays.
• 401(k) with company match.
• Company-paid short-term disability, long-term disability, and life insurance.