HR Coordinator

 

Job Description

 

Term:               Full-time, hourly

Pay:                  $30.00/hour + health insurance, paid time off, and other benefits

Location:          San Francisco, CA

Reports To:       Deputy Director, Human Resources

 

Organization Description:

Urban Alchemy hires individuals who were once incarcerated and trains them to transform people and places through love and respect. We provide services that heal communities challenged by the intersection of extreme poverty, mental illness, addiction, and homelessness. When individuals are suffering in our public spaces, Urban Alchemy offers solutions. When a neighborhood, street, or intersection earns a reputation as a place to avoid, we turn it around. Urban Alchemy staff, known as Practitioners, create a peaceful and supportive presence, helping our communities rebuild a sense of pride one person at a time. Urban Alchemy is a nonprofit organization founded in 2018. We quickly grew from a small program in San Francisco to a thriving social enterprise with over 1,000 staff. We currently operate in California, Alabama, Colorado, Georgia, New Mexico, and Oregon. Over 95% of Urban Alchemy employees, including leadership, experienced incarceration and/or homelessness. For more information visit our website.

 

Position Summary:

The Human Resources Coordinator is a high-volume, task-critical role that keeps HR operations moving. This position owns the core administrative workflows that touch every employee at Urban Alchemy: onboarding, I-9 compliance, background check review, employment verifications, garnishments, and child support withholding orders. These functions are not background tasks. They are compliance obligations with real legal and human consequences, and the Coordinator is accountable for executing them accurately, completely, and on time.

This is a role where thoroughness, accuracy, and follow-through are the measure of performance. The work is high volume, deadline-driven, and requires someone who manages their desk with the same discipline expected of every HR team member: knowing what is open, knowing the status of every item, and closing the loop without being asked.

 

This role sits at Urban Alchemy's San Francisco headquarters, the operational center of the organization, and supports all regions from that seat. The Coordinator works directly with Practitioners during onboarding, many of whom are justice-impacted individuals who may be using technology and digital platforms for the first time. That requires genuine patience, warmth, and the ability to meet people where they are. The Coordinator is often a Practitioner's first experience of HR at Urban Alchemy, and that first impression matters.

 

Position Duties and Responsibilities:

 

A Note on the Nature of This Work

High volume does not mean low stakes. Every garnishment order has a legal deadline. Every I-9 has a compliance window. Every onboarding packet connects to a person's first paycheck and first experience of being employed here. Accuracy is not optional, and neither is follow-through.

 

The Coordinator manages their caseload like a project manager: knowing what is open, knowing what is due, and never letting a deadline pass in silence. If something is unclear or delayed, they surface it early. They close the loop. They document. They ask before they miss.

 

Onboarding Administration

• Own the full onboarding workflow for all new hires across Urban Alchemy regions, from offer acceptance through completion of all required documentation
• Coordinate with new hire Practitioners to complete onboarding paperwork via Paycom, including assisting individuals who are new to email, smartphones, or digital platforms; this may include helping a new hire set up a personal email account from scratch so they can receive and complete their onboarding link
• Maintain onboarding accuracy and completion rates at a high standard; missing or incomplete documentation creates downstream compliance risk and payroll delays
• Communicate weekly with the training team to confirm which new hires have completed their onboarding documentation in Paycom and are cleared to attend the following week's New Employee Orientation (NEO), so trainers can prepare accordingly
• Communicate clearly and proactively with HR team members and Operations when onboarding issues arise
• Travel to other Urban Alchemy regions to support in-person onboarding when a new region is being established or when operationally required

 

Pre-Employment Compliance: I-9 and Background Checks

• Manage I-9 form completion for all new hires in compliance with federal requirements, including timely completion, proper document review, and accurate recordkeeping
• Conduct regular audits of I-9 records to identify and remediate compliance gaps before they become violations
• Stay current on I-9 regulatory requirements and flag any changes that affect current processes
• Review background check results for all new hires, identify any disqualifying findings per Urban Alchemy policy, and escalate promptly so the appropriate HR leader can initiate the FCRA individualized assessment process
• Understand that background check review is not passive; the Coordinator is responsible for reading results carefully, recognizing what requires escalation, and moving quickly so the interactive process can begin without delay
• Maintain complete and accurate records of all background check outcomes and escalations

 

Garnishment Processing

• Receive, review, and process all garnishment orders accurately and in compliance with applicable federal and state laws
• Process garnishment orders in Paycom using the garnishment feature, which applies the deduction directly to the employee's profile; the Coordinator is responsible for timely and accurate upload so deductions are applied correctly
• Respond to employee questions about their garnishment with clarity and professionalism; direct employees to contact the taxing authority named on the notice if they wish to request a reduction in their monthly deduction amount
• Maintain complete and organized garnishment records
• Respond to external agency inquiries related to garnishments in a timely and professional manner

 

 

 

Child Support Withholding Orders

• Process all income withholding orders for child support, ensuring accuracy, legal compliance, and timely setup in payroll
• Respond to employee inquiries about child support withholding orders with patience and clarity; explain what the notice is, why the deduction is appearing, and direct employees to the issuing agency for questions about the order itself, including amounts or modifications
• Maintain documentation on all active orders and monitor for modifications or terminations

 

Verification of Employment (VOE)

• Respond to all VOE requests promptly and accurately, whether from employees, third-party verifiers, lenders, or agencies
• Track all VOE requests and completions to ensure every request is responded to and nothing falls through the cracks

 

General Administrative Support

• Provide administrative support to the HR team as assigned, including data entry, records maintenance, and report pulls from the HRIS
• Respond to state unemployment agency inquiries from all operating regions with complete and accurate documentation
• Handle sensitive employee information with full confidentiality at all times
• Identify and flag process gaps or recurring issues to their direct supervisor

 

General

• Follow all safety procedures and ensure compliance with OSHA, state, local, and Urban Alchemy policies
• Attend orientation and complete all required training mandated by the company or funders
• Wear designated Urban Alchemy uniform and ID badge at all times; HR staff are held to the same uniform standard as Practitioners
• Perform additional duties as assigned by supervisor

 

Position Requirements:

 

Technical Requirements

• Minimum 2 years of experience in HR administration in a high-volume environment required; experience with garnishments, I-9 compliance, or high-volume onboarding strongly preferred
• Strong working knowledge of HRIS systems; Paycom experience a plus
• Proficiency in Google Workspace and Microsoft Office
• Excellent attention to detail and commitment to accuracy in all documentation
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple open items simultaneously and prioritize effectively
• Solid written and verbal communication skills; ability to communicate clearly with employees, external agencies, and internal teams

 

Character and Judgment

• You move with urgency. You understand that in this role, delayed action is not neutral. A garnishment order that sits past its deadline, an I-9 window that closes, a background check flag that isn't escalated on time, all of it carries compliance and human consequence. You respond quickly, prioritize accurately, and do not let things age on your desk.
• You manage your desk. You know what is open, what is due, and what needs follow-up. You do not wait to be reminded.
• You hold deadlines as commitments. If something is going to be late, you say so before the deadline, not after. Silence is never the answer.
• You are patient. Many of the Practitioners you will onboard have never navigated digital platforms before. You meet them where they are without frustration, and you understand that how you treat someone during their first HR interaction shapes how they experience this organization.
• You are accurate. In this role, errors have compliance and payroll consequences. You check your work.
• You close the loop. When something is done, you say so. When something needs follow-up, you track it. You do not leave people wondering.
• You handle sensitive information with discretion. Every day you will touch personal financial and employment data. You treat it accordingly.
• You ask before you miss. If you are stuck or behind, you surface it early.
• You document because you understand that if it is not written down, it did not happen.

 

General

• Must be able to work compassionately and respectfully with people from all backgrounds
• Must be prepared to engage with individuals navigating poverty, mental health challenges, addiction, and/or homelessness
• Must be able to pass and maintain background clearance in accordance with Urban Alchemy policy
• Lived experience with incarceration and/or homelessness preferred
• Driver's license and good driving record preferred; regional travel may be required

 

Physical Requirements:

• Sitting: 7+ hours
• Standing: 1+ hours
• Walking: 1+ hours
• Bending at waist: less than 1 hour per day

 

Work Environment:

• Work is typically performed in a standard office setting.
• May involve occasional exposure to moderate noise levels from office equipment and open-plan conversations.

 

In-Office Requirement:

• This position requires full-time in-office presence five days per week at the San Francisco headquarters
• In-office presence is essential to the coordination demands of this role

 

Statement of Non-discrimination:

Urban Alchemy shares a special bond with society’s most vulnerable because we see ourselves in their struggle. When doing our work, we recognize the humanity in those who are struggling and treat them how we once wished others had treated us. People who have been incarcerated, experienced homelessness and/or come from marginalized communities are strongly encouraged to apply because we believe they have unique skills and abilities to engage with people who are struggling. Urban Alchemy provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. Urban Alchemy prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type.

 

How to Apply:

If you have questions, please email [email protected] and indicate the position you are interested in. You can apply for this position by visiting: https://www.paycomonline.net