Senior) Human Resources Generalist

Job Description

The (Senior) HR Generalist serves as a key member of the Virginia Tech National Security Institute’s (VTNSI) administrative team, providing embedded HR leadership within a complex, research-driven environment. This role leads and administers human resources operations across the institute while proactively translating evolving research and programmatic needs into HR actions. The position provides both operational and consultative HR support across recruitment, employee relations, performance management, compensation, training, HRIS/data management, and compliance by exercising a high level of judgment, confidentiality, and autonomy.

Reporting to the Chief of Staff, NSI, with a functional reporting line to the HR director in the Office of Research and Innovation (ORI), the position will be responsible for:

• Partnering with institute leadership, stakeholder groups, and ORI HR to develop and execute workforce planning strategies aligned with sponsored project-based and operational staffing models, and organizational priorities.
• Leading talent acquisition and recruitment efforts by advising on workforce planning, position design, classification and compensation analysis, and sourcing strategies, while overseeing the full recruitment lifecycle to ensure a compliant and positive candidate experience in evolving competitive talent markets.
• Managing HR operations and employee lifecycle activities, including onboarding, offboarding, employment changes, records management, and data integrity by ensuring accurate, audit-ready, defensible, compliant, and efficient processes.
• Developing, analyzing, and using workforce data metrics, reports, and data-driven insight to support operational planning, organizational decision-making, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Serving as the institute’s lead HR contact on employee relations, policy interpretation, organizational design, workforce decisions, and change management, coordinating with ORI HR director to address complex personnel matters and ensuring alignment with university policies and strategic HR initiatives.
• Identifying and delivering HR-related training, guidance, and resources for leaders, managers, and employees on HR policies, processes, talent development, employee relations, compliance requirements, and workplace best practices.
• Supervising HR staff by overseeing transactional HR processes, fostering professional development, improving service-delivery, and driving operational effectiveness and process improvement initiatives.
• Interpreting, applying, and effectively communicating university, state, and federal HR policies, procedures, and employment regulations while accurately advising leaders, managers, and employees on policy-related matters and ensuring consistent compliance across the institute.
• Maintaining strong collaborative partnerships with institute leadership and ORI HR while ensuring accountability for institute-level HR outcomes and compliance with university, state, and federal policies, guidelines, and practices.

• Master’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Management, or a related field, or a bachelor’s degree with significant progressively responsible professional HR experience.
• Demonstrated human resources experience supporting HR functional areas, including recruitment, onboarding/offboarding, compensation, performance management, employee relations, and training.
• Demonstrated ability to interpret, apply, and advise on complex university, state, and federal employment policies, procedures, and regulations with a high degree of accuracy, judgment, discretion, and professionalism.
• Strong knowledge of HR systems, data management practices, and personnel processes, with…