Human Resources Specialist - East
Washington, DC
Human Resources – Human Resources /
Full-time /
Remote
About KIND
Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) is a global leader in the protection of unaccompanied and separated children who are forcibly displaced from their countries of origin. Launched in 2008, KIND champions a world in which every child’s rights and well-being are protected throughout their journey to safety.
Building on its extensive programming and successful model in the United States, KIND is expanding in the Americas and Europe to bring its experience to bear in working with unaccompanied and separated children. Our work focuses on addressing the legal and mental health needs of this population; building strong partnerships and engaging in training and capacity strengthening with governments, NGOs, and the private sector; and advocating for systemic and pragmatic reforms to advance the rights of unaccompanied and separated children.
Position Summary
KIND seeks a Human Resources (HR) Specialist – East with a strong focus on recruitment, ATS administration, employee relations, talent management and support to global payroll process. This role is key in ensuring efficient and compliant HR operations across the employee lifecycle — from talent acquisition, employee experience initiatives, talent management processes, and employee relations case handling, to global payroll support and EOR support — while contributing to an inclusive and responsive employee experience.
The ideal candidate is detail-oriented, organized, and collaborative, with experience supporting recruitment and HR processes in an international environment.
This is a headquarters position based remotely from the east coast region of the U.S., supporting teams across Europe and the Americas.
Essential Functions
- Recruitment & Talent Acquisition
- Coordinates recruitment logistics including job postings, applicant screening, and interview scheduling.
- Maintains Talent Acquisition inbox daily, by responding to recruitment-related inquiries and forwarding requests, as necessary.
- Maintains the Applicant Tracking System (ATS), Lever, ensuring candidate records are complete and up to date.
- Supports hiring managers throughout the recruitment process and contribute to a positive candidate experience.
- Prepares recruitment reports and dashboards as needed.
- Handles recruitment and supports HRBP America and HRBP Europe with the hiring needs.
- Point of contact with hiring agencies, freelance providing agencies.
- Administrative Support
- Organizes, maintains and updates employee files; ensures files are maintained according to applicable legal and organizational standards.
- Researches effectiveness of HR programs and proposes improvements to policies, programs and procedures to ensure higher effectiveness and operations.
- Works together with Human Resources Business Partner (HRBP) Europe to guarantee Compensation & Benefits harmony for Europe.
- Maintains and provides accurate information for employee file audits, as necessary.
- Provides assistance to HR team, as needed.
- Creates and maintains internal reports.
- Supports employee relations during employee’s lifecycle process.
- Provides support for all HR functions based on need and any other duties as assigned.
- Employee Relations
- Supports employee relations issues, conducts initial investigations and supports issue resolution in line with KIND’s policies.
- Provides guidance to managers and staff on performance, conduct, and conflict resolution matters.
- Supports HRBPs in ER case management including documentation, tracking, and follow-up actions.
- Ensures employee relations processes align with local labor laws and KIND’s values, escalating complex matters as needed.
- Partners with internal stakeholders to promote a positive and inclusive workplace culture.
- Employee Experience
- Collaborates with the HRBP and Communications teams to enhance KIND’s employee experience across internal and external channels.
- Assists in developing content and messaging for job postings, career pages, and recruitment campaigns.
- Represent KIND’s values and culture in all candidate and new hire communications.
- Contributes to wellness, and engagement initiatives that strengthen organizational culture and visibility.
- Secures and deploys HR Operations initiatives and supports other programs in the areas of Wellness, Talent Management and benefits.
- Supports Employee relations during employee’s lifecycle process.
- HR & Talent Projects
- Contributes to the design and execution of cross-functional HR and Talent projects, such as policy revamps, process improvements, engagement surveys, and other HR initiatives.
- Supports data collection, research, and analysis efforts to inform HR strategy.
- Vendor Coordination
- Assists with HRIS and ATS data entry, updates, and audits.
- Supports setup and coordination of HR operations for new country locations.
- Coordinates with external vendors (e.g., payroll providers, EOR partners, freelance agencies) to ensure smooth operations and service delivery.
Qualifications and Requirements
- Undergraduate degree required.
- Must be fully fluent in English, Spanish is a plus.
- Minimum of 4 years of experience in Human Resources.
- Excellent organizational and communication skills; strong cross-cultural and interpersonal skills; ability to build rapport with staff at all levels.
- Knowledge of International employment contracts and compliance requirements.
- Ability to manage multiple projects in a deadline-oriented environment with a keen orientation for details, and work both independently as well as a contributing member of a team.
- Excellent discretion and ability to handle sensitive information with tact and diplomacy.
- Strong technological skills, including proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (such as Teams, Excel, etc.) and HR information systems, preferably ADP and/or similar systems.
- Ability to work within an office environment and have regular interaction via telephone, videoconference, IM, and email with KIND's team.
- Ability to work collaboratively and multi-task in our KIND environment, managing numerous priorities and emerging opportunities.
- Excellent organizational skills with the ability to work on multiple projects in a deadline-oriented environment; ability to prioritize tasks and delegate as appropriate.
- Ability to work effectively with people of diverse backgrounds, lived experiences, and communication styles.
- Demonstrate discipline and adaptability to effectively deliver on our core mission of ensuring access to justice and safeguarding children’s well-being and rights.
- Ability to multitask and work with a sense of urgency in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.
- Committed to practicing and supporting wellbeing and a work-home life balance.
- Experience working and communicating in a remote environment preferred but not required
$54,285 - $67,857 a year
Our Benefits
- Medical, dental, and vision insurance with KIND paying 100% of the employee only portion of the premium for one of the three medical plan options, dental, and vision.
- Pre-tax flexible spending account (FSA) for both medical and dependent care.
- Pre-tax transit and parking spending account.
- Employer-paid life insurance and accidental death and dismemberment insurance.
- Employer-paid short and long-term disability insurance.
For a complete list of benefits, please click here.
Our Focus on Wellness
KIND recognizes that our ability to help our clients starts with helping our team members. KIND has prioritized wellness for employees through Mindfulness and Wellness Trainings, Wellness Platforms, Employee Assistance and Resilience Programs, Time Away and Office Wellness Activities.
For more information regarding our Wellness initiatives please visit this link.
Application Instructions
To be considered for this role, please submit an employment application at supportkind.org/join-the-team, along with your resume and cover letter.
Disclaimer: KIND is committed to an ethical recruitment and hiring process and maintains a firm “no fees” recruitment policy. We will never charge a fee or ask for money as part of the application process. KIND also conducts all interviews via telephone or video conference, and at no time will KIND engage in a text or mobile app-based application or interview process. For more information, please visit the following website: https://supportkind.org/join-the-team/kind-employment-practices/.
