Senior Human Resources Generalist - Iowa City, IA

At ACT Your Work Makes a Difference · Education has power – a power that changes lives forever. It creates opportunities that lift up individuals, their families, and sparks societal change that echoes through generations to come. From our grassroots we have fought the good fight ...

Job description

At ACT Your Work Makes a Difference

Education has power – a power that changes lives forever. It creates opportunities that lift up individuals, their families, and sparks societal change that echoes through generations to come. From our grassroots we have fought the good fight for fairness in education, and we remain devoted to helping anyone who struggles to access that power. This is what matters to us and we must do better - we've never been more sure of our purpose.

ACT team members are part of an organization dedicated to an important mission: Helping people achieve education and workplace success. Advancing the mission internally, by helping team members achieve education and workplace success of their own, is core to our values. ACT values a diverse workplace and is committed to fostering an inclusive environment in which every team member has an equal opportunity to grow.

We want our team members to have the well-being and confidence they need to do their best work, in an environment where both they and the ACT thrive. To support this, our total rewards include company paid life insurance, medical, dental, vision, flexible spending accounts, 401(k) with company contributions, paid holidays, paid time off, and so much more. You can find a comprehensive list of our benefits here.

We are seeking a Senior Human Resource Generalist to join our dynamic Talent Strategy team who will play a key role in supporting organizational initiatives. This position will partner closely with Talent Strategy leadership and business stakeholders to drive HR programs, support workforce transitions and lead change management efforts that align with our evolving business needs.

The finalist will be hired at the salary and level commensurate with their qualifications. For this position, we anticipate offering a market competitive annual salary in the range of $105,000 to $125,000. ACT manages salaries within the range based on relevant factors including skills, experience, and internal equity. The position is not incentive eligible.

Location: This is a remote position, based in the United States.

Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S. without the need for visa sponsorship.

What you will be working on:

• Guide managers through performance management processes, including coaching, documentation, progressive discipline, corrective actions, and follow-ups, ensuring risk mitigation and alignment with organizational values.
• Conduct fact-finding and assist with workplace investigations in partnership with legal and HR leadership; recommend corrective actions.
• Conduct exit interviews and provide summary feedback to management.
• Represent the company, when needed, at unemployment hearings.
• Advise managers and employees on HR policies, procedures, and best practices, ensuring compliance with applicable employment laws.
• Partner with HR leadership as necessary on complex employee relations issues.
• Contribute to HR team initiatives that enhance culture, engagement, and organizational effectiveness.
• Collaborate with HR Business Partners and department leaders to assess change impacts and develop communication, training, and engagement strategies.
• Support the planning and execution of workforce transitions, including role changes, team realignments, and offboarding processes.
• Maintain and update HR policies, employee handbook content, and SOPs to reflect current legal requirements and organizational standards.
• Manage mandatory reporting processes and support regulatory filings as needed.
• Stay current on legislative changes that may affect employment practices and advise HR colleagues on recommended changes.

Role Progression:

• Within 1 month:

• You've built working knowledge of ACT's HR Policies, systems, and employment practices.

• You've established relationships with Talent Strategy leadership and key business partners.

• Within 3 months:

• You can independently manage routine employee relations matters and advise managers on performance and policy questions.

• You're supporting investigations and change initiatives in partnership with HR and Legal.

• Within 6 months:

• You're leading complex employee relations cases and change initiatives with minimal oversight.

• You're serving as a trusted advisor on change management, compliance trends, and Policy improvements.

This could be the job for you if you have these minimum requirements:

• At least 5 years of progressive HR experience, with at least 2 years in employee relations or business partner role.
• Demonstrated experience managing employee relations issues and processes, including investigations and coaching managers related to employee performance concerns.
• Strong knowledge of HR best practices, employment law, program management and organizational development principles.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to effectively manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, evolving environment.
• Proficiency in HRIS systems and Microsoft Office Suite.
• Bachelor's degree in human resources, Business Administration, or related area of study; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

It's a plus if you have:

• Professional certifications such as PHR, SPHR, or SHRM-CO.
• Experience working with a primarily remote employee base.

About ACT

When ACT was founded in 1959, it disrupted the assessment industry with a new approach to helping students better understand their readiness so they could take steps to improve it. By leveraging our expertise and authority in assessment and research, we will again disrupt the industry—helping more people learn, better measure their progress, and improve their navigation through life's transitions.

More than ever before, ACT is fulfilling its mission of helping people achieve education and workplace success. We're doing it by pushing the boundaries of learning innovation through the work of our people, who we call team members because we're all in this together.

We know transformation does not come without challenge. That's why ACT invests in a variety of experiences for team members to strengthen their connections, explore ideas, learn from customers, and celebrate success.

Learn more about working at ACT at

ACT is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. ACT participates in E-verify. ACT's online position announcements are intended only to provide general descriptions of employment opportunities; none of the information provided for any position should be interpreted as a commitment by ACT to specific terms and conditions for employment.

Completion of the ACT National Career Readiness Certificate is recommended. Find a testing site near you to register for the WorkKeys assessments. Finalists for this position will be subject to a criminal background check as a condition of employment.

**If you have received an ACT employment-related communication from an email address that is not affiliated with and/or that requests personal or financial information, please do not reply. Instead, reach out to us at with the details. ACT's recruitment team appreciates your interest in working with us to transform college and career readiness pathways for all learners and wishes you the best of luck in your career journey.*