HR Generalist II

URBAN ALCHEMY•Portland, OR

1d•$85,000 - $85,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Human Resources Generalist II (HRG II) is an experienced HR professional who owns their desk with full accountability. They serve as the primary HR partner for Portland Operations, supporting supervisors, directors, and staff across five worksites. They build working partnerships across HR functions, including employee relations, benefits, and payroll, to deliver practical, solutions-focused support that reflects the business needs and mission of the organization. This is not a transactional role. The HRG II manages their caseload like a project manager: knowing what is on their plate at all times, anticipating what comes next, and executing without hand-holding. They are measured on impact, specifically what changed, what improved, and what risk was reduced, not on how busy they were or how many things they touched. This work is performed in shelter environments. The HRG II will engage directly with Practitioners and operational staff who serve guests experiencing homelessness, poverty, addiction, and mental illness every day. That requires genuine emotional resilience, sound and independent judgment, and the ability to remain grounded, professional, and compassionate under pressure. Integrity is not optional in this role. HR at Urban Alchemy is the function that protects employees, the organization, guests, and the mission through fair, evidence-based decisions, and the HRG II is expected to embody that standard in every interaction. This role is not managed from behind a desk. The HRG II goes where the work is. That means visiting worksites, showing up in the environments where Practitioners and supervisors actually operate, and building trust through presence, not from a distance. The expectation is not that people come to you. The expectation is that you go to them. If your instinct is to wait, this is not the right fit. The HRG II is inherently active and action-oriented: someone who rolls up their sleeves, stays close to the ground, and understands that credibility in this organization is built in the field, not at their office.

Requirements

5+ years of HR experience, including HR business partnering experience, preferably in a high-growth or startup environment; experience supporting a large nonexempt workforce is strongly preferred
Broad knowledge of HR principles and best practices, and how HR workflows and systems connect
Strong knowledge of Oregon and federal labor law, including FMLA, ADA, EEO, and wage and hour requirements
Working knowledge of benefits plan design and payroll processes
Ability to run and analyze reports from an HRIS system
Proficiency in Google Workspace and Microsoft Office; experience with HRIS systems
Strong written and verbal communication skills; ability to communicate clearly and precisely with employees, supervisors, Operations leadership, and HR leadership across routine and high-stakes situations, including delivering difficult news, documenting investigation findings, and translating complex HR guidance into actionable direction
You move with urgency. You understand that in this environment, delayed action is not neutral. Cases that sit, requests that go unacknowledged, and decisions that stall all carry risk. You respond quickly, triage accurately, and do not let things age on your desk. You own your desk.
You do not wait to be told what comes next. You know what is on your plate, you know the status of every open item, and you close the loop without being asked. You hold deadlines as commitments. If you need more time, you say so before the deadline, not after. Silence is never the answer.
You exercise sound, independent judgment, especially in situations that are confidential, sensitive, or emotionally charged, without losing your neutrality or your professionalism. You know when to escalate and when to hold the line yourself. You bring integrity to every case.
HR is not an advocacy function, and it is not a hammer. It is the function that protects employees, the organization, guests, and the mission through evidence-based, fair decision-making. That standard lives in you.
You are emotionally resilient. This work is hard. You will hear things that are heavy. You will sit in conflict. You will deliver news people do not want to hear. You have the constitution for it, and you know how to take care of yourself.
You are accountable for impact, not just effort. You do not measure your value by how busy you were. You measure it by what changed.
You are a disciplined executor. Urban Alchemy has built the infrastructure: the playbooks, the frameworks, the toolkits, the processes. Your value is not in reinventing them. It is in following them rigorously, completely, and without cutting corners when the case gets complicated or the pressure gets high. The system exists to protect everyone involved. Respecting it is part of the job.
You ask before you miss. If you are stuck or overwhelmed, you surface it early, not after a deadline has passed. You document because you understand that if it is not written down, it did not happen, and that documentation protects everyone.
You spot patterns, ask why, and bring recommendations rather than just observations.
You prioritize ruthlessly. Not everything on your plate is equally urgent, and you know the difference.
You are comfortable with ambiguity and change, and you adapt without losing your grounding.
Must be able to work compassionately and respectfully with people from all backgrounds
Must be prepared to engage with individuals navigating poverty, mental health challenges, addiction, and/or homelessness
Must be able to pass and maintain background clearance in accordance with Urban Alchemy policy
Wear designated Urban Alchemy uniform and ID badge at all times; HR staff are held to the same uniform standard as Practitioners

Nice To Haves

Lived experience with incarceration and/or homelessness preferred
Driver's license and good driving record preferred; travel between Portland worksites is required