Title: Senior HR Generalist
Compensation: $95,000 – $115,000
Location: On-site – St. Charles, Illinois

About The Job:

Lakeside HR Group has been engaged by our client to recruit for a Senior HR Generalist to join their team. Our client operates a complex, mission-driven organization supporting a nationwide workforce in a 24/7 operational environment, offering a highly collaborative and purpose-driven culture.
This is a highly visible, hands-on role focused on both recruiting and employee relations. You’ll partner closely with leadership while serving as a trusted resource for employees and managers across the organization—balancing empathy with strong HR expertise in a fast-paced environment.

Key Responsibilities:

Recruiting & Talent Acquisition
• Manage full-cycle recruiting for dispatchers and other professional roles — from job posting and sourcing through offer acceptance and pre-boarding.
• Partner with the Director and hiring managers to develop and execute targeted sourcing strategies for hard-to-fill roles across a national footprint.
• Screen applicants, conduct structured behavioral-based interviews, and facilitate the selection process in alignment with the organization’s mission, values, and competency framework.
• Manage the candidate experience from first contact through offer, ensuring every interaction reflects the organization’s culture and commitment to its mission.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date applicant tracking records; generate recruiting metrics and pipeline reports for the Director and leadership team.
• Build and maintain relationships with external sourcing partners to support the recruiting pipeline.

Employee Relations
• Serve as a primary employee relations resource for frontline employees and managers — a visible, accessible, and trusted point of contact for concerns, questions, and guidance.
• Conduct thorough, timely, and unbiased investigations into employee complaints, policy violations, and conduct issues; document findings and recommend appropriate resolution.
• Partner with managers to administer corrective action, progressive discipline, and performance improvement plans (PIPs) in a consistent and legally sound manner.
• Support managers through difficult employee conversations including performance concerns, conflict resolution, and separations — providing coaching, documentation guidance, and real-time backup.
• Monitor employee relations trends and surface early-warning signals to the Director before issues escalate or affect retention.
• Maintain thorough, accurate, and confidential documentation for all employee relations matters in the HRIS and employee files.
• Interpret and apply HR policies and applicable employment law (federal, state, and local) to employee relations situations across a multi-state footprint.
• Partner with the Director on high-risk ER matters, agency claims, and interactions with outside legal counsel as needed.

HR Operations & Compliance
• Coordinate leave administration (FMLA, ADA, state leave) by engaging the interactive process, issuing required paperwork and tracking time off taken.
• Manage Workers’ Compensation first report of injury process.
• Respond to unemployment claims.
• Support the preparation of HR reports, compliance filings, and audit documentation as directed.
• Contribute to the development and maintenance of HR policies, procedures, and employee-facing resources.

Onboarding & New Hire Integration
• Facilitate and continuously improve new hire orientation process, ensuring new employees are integrated into the mission, values, and culture from day one.
• Coordinate role-specific onboarding plans with functional leaders and operations teams to accelerate time-to-productivity across diverse role types.
• Track onboarding completion and early-engagement metrics; identify gaps and recommend improvements to the Director.
• Serve as a backup to the HR Coordinator for onboarding activities.

Culture & Engagement
• Support employee engagement initiatives, recognition programs, and culture-building activities as directed by the Director.
• Contribute to the administration and follow-up of the employee engagement survey program, including helping facilitate manager action planning.
• Support participation in community engagement activities that connect employees to the organization’s mission.

Required Skills:

Bachelor’s degree in HR, Business, or related field (or equivalent experience).
5+ years of progressive HR experience with strong employee relations and recruiting background.
Proven experience handling workplace investigations and complex employee matters.
Knowledge of employment laws including FLSA, FMLA, ADA, and EEOC.
Strong communication skills with the ability to build trust across all levels.
High level of discretion and professionalism with confidential information.
Ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.

Preferred:

Experience in logistics, healthcare, or other regulated environments.
Experience supporting distributed or 24/7 workforces.
HR certification (SHRM-CP, PHR, or similar).
Experience with HRIS platforms and applicant tracking systems.

Benefits:

Competitive salary + comprehensive benefits package
Opportunity to work in a mission-driven, purpose-filled environment
High visibility role with direct impact on employees and leadership
Collaborative and supportive team culture

About Lakeside HR Group:

At Lakeside HR Group, we understand that finding the right job is essential for your career success. We are a boutique-style human resources consulting and recruiting firm dedicated to providing personalized, tailored solutions. When you partner with us, you are not just getting a recruiter; you are getting the entire Lakeside team working together to support your career goals.

Partner with us at Lakeside HR Group, where we are more than just a recruiting firm; we are your partners in achieving your career aspirations.

Sr. Human Resources Generalist