Human Resources Specialist

• Job Type: Officer of Administration
• Bargaining Unit:
• Regular/Temporary:
  Regular
• End Date if Temporary:
• Hours Per Week: 35
• Standard
  
  Work Schedule:
• Building:
  Interchurch
• Salary Range: $68,000 -$75,000

The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to departmental budgets, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, specialty, and training. The above hiring range represents the University's good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting.

Position Summary

The HR Specialist within the Arts and Sciences Human Resources Office leads the day-to-day HR functions for student casual hiring and onboarding across A&S. Serving as the primary point of contact for student casual employment, the Specialist coordinates and oversees end-to-end hiring and onboarding activities for A&S departments, centers, and institutes. The role stewards HR operations that include onboarding, employee records, HR compliance, and HR systems support, making independent decisions within policy to deliver timely, compliant service to students, staff, and campus partners.

Arts and Sciences is the intellectual heart of Columbia University. Home to more than 1,000 faculty, 60 research centers and institutes, and 28 academic departments, A&S provides a transformative educational experience to more than 16,000 undergraduate, graduate, and PhD students  field-defining research in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences advances knowledge, learning, and impact at the highest levels.

Responsibilities

• Independently administer A&S student casual hiring and onboarding processes, including position setup, onboarding requirements, and HR system processing. Track positions to completion and use sound judgment to resolve issues, deciding when and what to elevate in alignment with University and A&S policies.
• Work with managers to develop and post job vacancies for work study and casual roles in Talent Link and on approved external platforms, applying professional discretion to ensure accuracy and consistency with standards.
• Train and advise managers on student employment processes, including work study and casual hiring, and administer biweekly payroll for casual and support staff in the Time and Labor system, applying professional discretion to interpret guidelines in varied situations.
• Lead the A&S New Hire Orientation for all new employees, making audience-appropriate delivery decisions while maintaining compliance.
• Participate in and initiate the annual compensation review process, making independent decisions to prioritize actions and validate data integrity.
• Process payroll related activities, including new hire and rehire transactions, payroll corrections, over payment recovery requests, stop payments, suspense clearance, and paycheck reissues. Ensure complete and accurate documentation and select appropriate actions within established guidelines.
• Ensure accurate data entry and timely processing of hiring and employment actions in University HR systems, including PAC and Talent Link. Diagnose discrepancies and determine corrective steps.
• Conduct regular payroll audits by generating and reviewing system reports to confirm accuracy and timeliness. Reconcile payroll and decide on required correction transactions within established guidelines.
• Monitor and manage the shared Arts and Sciences HR email inbox. Triage correspondence, set priorities, and provide timely, accurate responses or determine when to escalate to the appropriate HR partner.
• Counsel employees on HR policies, procedures, time reporting, and general HR processes. Apply policy to case specifics and make next step decisions.
• Assist with tracking compliance items, including Form I-9 documentation, mandatory training, visa or immigration requirements where applicable, and visa status updates, making timing and follow-up decisions consistent with requirements.
• Maintain organized records of correspondence and outcomes to support audits, reporting, and continuity of service across the A&S HR team, determining record-keeping approaches consistent with guidance.
• Participa…