HR Associate

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HR Associate

Chicago, IL

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HR ASSOCIATE

About Cara Collective

Cara Collective seeks to fuel a courageous national movement to eradicate relational and financial poverty. Through our three entities - Cara, Cleanslate and Cara Plus - we engage job seekers, employers, and other organizations across the country to break the cycle of poverty through the power and purpose of employment.

At present, we produce 1,000 jobs each year; however, our results don't just end with employment. Today, we take the insights gained over the past 35 years to equip other organizations and employers with practices to help build a more inclusive economy. Learn more at www.caracollective.org.

About the Cara Collective Human Resources Team

The HR Team is committed to serving, supporting and guiding the Cara Collective community in all aspects of HR. The HR Team is the link between Cara Collective's employees and business entities, ensuring HR compliance and implementing protocols & policies that support employee well-being, creating a foundation where both the organization and our mission flourish.

About the Role

The HR Associate is a critical member of the Cara Collective HR Team, contributing to core functions across the organization-including recruitment, onboarding, offboarding, payroll, and employee initiatives. By supporting the seamless execution of day-to-day HR operations, this role provides the foundational stability that allows our team to thrive. The HR Associate plays a key role in shaping our workplace culture, ensuring internal operations align with our mission to foster a positive, equitable, and inclusive environment where every employee can reach their full potential.

Qualifications

The ideal candidate is an entry-level human resources professional aligned with Cara Collective's mission to advance equity and break the cycle of poverty. You are detail-oriented, execution-driven, and comfortable working with both data and people in a fast-paced environment.

You are a proactive team player who responds quickly to needs, follows direction well, and takes pride in delivering accurate, high-quality work. You are motivated by operational excellence and ensuring smooth, reliable processes.

You bring a growth mindset, approach challenges with curiosity, and communicate with empathy to support a positive employee experience. Experience or interest in social justice is valued but not required

Requirements:

• 0-2 years of foundational experience in HR or a related field.
• Basic knowledge of core HR functions and best practices, with a commitment to continuous learning.
• Intermediate proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook).
• Strong technical aptitude with the ability to quickly learn and administer HR systems such as Paycom and other digital platforms.
• Highly organized with strong written and verbal communication skills; capable of working onsite and managing multiple priorities in a dynamic environment.
• Efficiently manages scheduling, high-volume email, and task tracking to ensure seamless operational flow.
• Demonstrates the highest level of integrity and discretion in handling sensitive and confidential information.
• A self-starting mindset with a proven ability to take initiative, anticipate needs, and drive tasks to completion.

Essential Responsibilities of the HR Associate

Human Resources Operations (55%)

• Support daily HR operations and administrative tasks.
• Ensure compliance with policies and regulations and the integrity of HR communications by supporting HR inquiries; respond to employee and external inquiries with timeliness and care.
• Maintain and update HR SOPs and internal documentation to ensure accuracy and consistency.
• Serve as the primary custodian of employee data by executing all lifecycle updates.
• Manage and audit digital and physical employee records to ensure compliance.
• Assist with data collection and reporting for audits.
• Lead in-person onboarding, delivering a high-touch, hands-on experience while managing the end-to-end HR and Paycom process to ensure employees are fully integrated and day-one ready.
• Ensure timely and accurate completion of I-9 documentation.
• Coordinate new hire passport scheduling and tracking for a highly organized, seamless experience.
• Coordinate logistics for in-person and virtual HR programs, trainings, and meetings - from pre-event preparation and record keeping to post-event wrap up.
• Support the implementation of professional development and compliance trainings and meticulously track and maintain professional development records.
• Collaborate on the design and delivery of staff engagement initiatives with the creative energy necessary to produce deliverables and events that enrich our culture and enhance employee experience.

Payroll (20%)

• Serve as the primary liaison for Paycom inquiries, providing hands-on troubleshooting to ensure a seamless user experience.
• Manage end-to-end execution of garnishments, direct deposit verifications, and Wisely Pay Card authorizations.
• Monitor Paycom dashboards to ensure timely processing of payroll and compliance actions.
• Reconcile weekly timesheets for transitional workers and bi-weekly timesheets for staff accurately and on time.
• Support the bi-weekly payroll cycle for Cara Collective and its Social Enterprises, providing critical backup coverage and executing pre- and post-processing steps.
• Partner with Finance and employees to quickly resolve returned payroll funds and ensure timely repayment.
• Generate and distribute payroll reports for cross-functional departments and stakeholders.

Recruitment (15%)

• Support full-cycle recruitment by partnering with hiring teams on intake meetings, posting roles, screening resumes, conducting phone screens, coordinating interviews, and assisting with background checks.

Benefits 10%

• Monitor eligibility timelines, schedule enrollment and support meetings, and maintain accurate benefits records for employees.
• Own the accurate data entry and processing for all employee benefits.
• Coordinate logistics and provide hands-on technical troubleshooting for employees during the annual Open Enrollment.
• Support the gathering and processing of data and reports for all benefits audits.
• Fulfill compliance reporting requirements for PTO, ACA, 401(k), EEO, and other requests as needed.

Reports To

Manager of HR

Direct Reports

N/A

Workplace Type & Team Culture

Cara Collective has a strong team culture that values collaboration, communication, and camaraderie. We believe in the power of working together in person, which is why we expect our employees to be onsite at one of our Chicago-based locations multiple days each week. The exact number of onsite days per week may vary by role, employee tenure, and other factors. This commitment to in-person collaboration fosters a sense of belonging and teamwork among our employees, creating a supportive and dynamic work environment.

We consistently measure staff satisfaction through employee surveys and have found that year over year, the vast majority of staff agree that Cara Collective is a great place to work and grow. This high level of employee satisfaction reflects our dedication to creating a positive and fulfilling workplace for all members of our team.

Starting Pay Range

We take budget and starting salary very seriously. We market our roles and offer competitive, market-based compensation to all employees.

This position's expected starting pay range is $45,000 - $48,000 annually.

Benefits

• Medical, Dental, Vision Plans
• Basic Life Insurance
• Long Term Disability
• Personal Technology Reimbursement
• 4+ Weeks Paid Parental Leave
• Starting with 17 Vacation Days, 8 Sick Days, 14 Paid Holidays

Employee Paid Benefits

• Pre-Tax Medical Flexible Spending Account
• Pre-Tax Dependent Care Account
• Pre-Tax Transit & Parking Options
• Supplemental Life and AD&D Insurance
• Short-Term Disability Insurance
• 401(k) Retirement Plan (employer match up to 4% upon hire & immediately vested)

As of this posting, we annually review our benefit offerings to meet our employees' needs and be competitive in the market. All listed benefits offerings a at the discretion of the employer.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Cara Collective is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive work environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, age, disability, parental status, veteran status, or any other protected status under applicable laws. This commitment applies to all employment practices, including those supported by technology or artificial intelligence tools used in the hiring process.

We encourage individuals of all backgrounds to apply. If you are a qualified candidate with a disability and require reasonable accommodation to complete this application or participate in the interview process, please email us at kboelkens@carachicago.org.

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