HR Operations Specialist

Smithfield Foods•Smithfield, VA

About The Position

The HR Operations Specialist is a member of the HR Service Delivery team and reports to an Associate Manager within HR Operations for the assigned area of specialty. The role handles specialized, transactional HR processes in one or more areas, including HR data and transactions, leave of absence, employee records management, benefits, compensation, and talent acquisition. It supports data integrity, consistent process execution, and accurate, customer-focused information for employees, managers, and HR colleagues. The specialist is expected to identify and resolve problems with minimum direction, use standard operating procedures for daily work, and follow the escalation model for issues outside their scope. The role performs detailed, process-oriented work, responds to escalated inquiries, maintains procedural documentation, and may coordinate small projects or process changes. It requires protecting confidential employee information, staying current on policy and practice changes, and meeting service-level expectations.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year college or university in human resources or a related field and at least 2 years of relevant experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
1–2 years of experience in an area of specialty, such as HR data and transactions, leave of absence, employee records management, benefits, compensation, or talent acquisition.
Experience using HR software.
Strong computer skills, including Excel, office software, email, and internet use.
Ability to learn new systems.
Ability to work with and manipulate data and spreadsheets.
Ability to complete detailed and repetitive work accurately.
Strong problem-solving and analytical skills.
Ability to communicate effectively by phone and in writing with all levels of the organization.
Ability to demonstrate integrity and strong ethics.
Strong customer service skills.

Nice To Haves

Bilingual skills.

Responsibilities

Perform transactional and process-oriented work in the assigned area of specialty, including entering, reviewing, or approving transactions; auditing data; conducting employee outreach; sending communications; running and manipulating reports and data; and updating HR systems or spreadsheets.
Ensure information is accurate and required approvals and processes are followed.
Address escalated inquiries from the HR Shared Service Center involving moderately or highly complex issues in the area of specialty.
Respond to inquiries using available tools and resources while providing excellent, friendly customer service.
Update procedural documentation to reflect new scenarios or requested changes.
Coordinate small projects or changes in the area of specialty, as needed.
Follow protocols for documentation, employee outreach, quality guidelines, and use of translation services.
Escalate high-level issues, including questions involving policy interpretation or system errors.
Meet service-level agreement metrics for problem-resolution timeframes.
Stay current on changes to policies and practices.
Work independently without continuous oversight.
Protect employee privacy and maintain confidentiality of sensitive reports and information.