HR & Operations Associate

About Safe Passage Project

Safe Passage Project (SPP) is a highly focused nonprofit immigration legal services organization that provides free lawyers to immigrant children facing deportation. Founded in 2013, SPP has grown to include 50+ employees, two offices, and an annual budget of over $6 million. It manages over 1,400 open cases a year. To date, SPP has supported more than 3,000 young people in NYC and Long Island.

The New York Immigration Courts, some of the busiest immigration courts in the US, have more than 15,000 juveniles on their dockets, many of whom are fleeing trauma in their countries of origin such as gang violence, recruitment, abuse, and sexual assault. Immigrant children are not afforded free legal representation by the government, regardless of their age. As a result, more than half of immigrant children in immigration proceedings must go to court without the aid of a lawyer.

Among unaccompanied children with legal representation, immigration court data shows that 90 % are allowed to remain in the United States, whereas less than 15 % of unrepresented children are allowed to stay. This is where Safe Passage Project steps in, both through providing immigrant youth with direct representation by staff attorneys and through a robust network of pro‑bono attorneys who SPP attorneys train, mentor, and supervise.

Reporting to the People Operations Manager, the HR & Operations Associate provides comprehensive administrative and operational support across all areas of human resources. Serving in a generalist capacity, this role is responsible for managing activities throughout the entire employee lifecycle and will also work closely with the Director of People and Operations to support key HR and organizational initiatives.

• Support with onboarding, offboarding, and payroll support, including non‑exempt timesheet tracking, benefits administration, and HR compliance.
• Assist in end‑to‑end recruitment processes by posting job openings, scheduling interviews, coordinating communication between applicants and hiring managers, and maintaining accurate recruitment and hiring records.
• Prepare, process, and maintain detailed and confidential personnel files and HR documentation across multiple systems, ensuring all records are current, accurate, and compliant with data integrity and retention standards.
• Assist with the planning and execution of staff engagement events and initiatives.
• Generate and analyze HR‑related reports and metrics; support HR system maintenance, upgrades, and data validation to ensure consistency and accuracy across all platforms.
• Assist the Director of People and Operations with labor relations matters, including but not limited to the implementation of collective bargaining agreements, management of union dues and records, responding to bargaining‑related information requests, and the maintenance of confidential labor relations records and communications.
• Maintain and safeguard the confidentiality of all personnel and organizational data in accordance with agency policy, applicable law, and the requirements of a confidential HR position.
• Exercise sound judgment and discretion in managing sensitive employee and organizational information.

The strongest candidates for this position will have most, though likely not all, of the following qualifications and characteristics:

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field preferred; equivalent work experience considered.
• 1–3 years of experience in human resources, people operations, or a related field.
• Familiarity with professional employer organizations (PEO) and HR compliance systems is strongly preferred but not required.
• Working knowledge of HR practices across the employee lifecycle, including recruitment, onboarding, benefits administration, compliance, employee relations, and offboarding.
• Demonstrated ability to handle highly sensitive and confidential information with integrity, discretion, and professionalism, particularly in relation to personnel, labor relations, and organizational data.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Excellent…