HR Generalist Associate

Job Description

The HR Generalist Associate is a hands-on, execution-focused HR professional who supports day-to-day labor and people processes while contributing to strategy, process improvement and short-term projects. This role partners with HRBP’s and COE teams to deliver practical HR solutions that improve the employee experience, strengthen capability frameworks, and support business goals. The role also owns execution and communications for HR programs and tracks KPIs and global initiatives to ensure alignment and continuous improvement.

Key responsibilities

1.      Strategy, governance & HR analytics

• Maintain and report on core HR governance metrics and KPIs (turnover, time-to-fill, onboarding completion, absence, etc.), producing regular dashboards and insights for HR leadership.
• Support policy governance: maintain the local HR policy tracker, recommend adjustments to ensure compliance with local labor law and global standards, and document approvals and version control.
• Partner with HRBPs and HR Lead to translate strategic priorities into measurable initiatives and short-term projects.
• Lead and deliver short-term HR projects as needed (process remediations, policy implementation, SENA Admin, OEA among others), demonstrating flexible planning and rapid execution.
• Provide hands-on support during peak cycles (e.g., large hiring waves, restructures, audits).

2.      Employee Lifecycle

• Act as primary HR point of contact to managers for HR processes; advise on local labor requirements, guide managers through administrative processes, and provide status updates until closure.
• Lead improvements to onboarding processes to enhance new-hire integration and time-to-productivity (pre-boarding checklists, role-specific onboarding plans, buddy programs, among others).

3.      Competency frameworks & talent capability

• Support updates to competency and role frameworks to reflect evolving business needs and future skill requirements.
• Work with managers and COE talent teams to ensure competencies are embedded in job descriptions, interview guides and performance conversations.

5.      Employee value proposition & inclusive hiring

• Contribute to initiatives that strengthen the employee value proposition (EVP): candidate experience improvements, local benefits administration, internal mobility communications and recognition programs.
• Help implement diversity recruitment strategies in partnership with Talent Acquisition and COE teams (diverse sourcing channels, inclusive job descriptions, structured interviews).

6.      HR process improvement & automation

• Identify opportunities to streamline and automate administrative HR processes (onboarding workflows, status-change approvals, HRIS data quality) and participate in design, testing and rollout of automation solutions.
• Maintain process documentation and contribute to continuous improvement efforts to reduce manual effort and increase data accuracy.

7.      Collaboration with COEs & global initiatives

• Act as local delivery partner for COE-led programs such as L&D offerings, performance assessments, compensation and benefits initiatives and engagement surveys — support scheduling, communications and local implementation.
• Track progress of global HR initiatives and local adoption; escalate blockers and recommend localized adjustments when appropriate.

8.      HR communications

• Draft and manage internal communications related to HR processes, program launches, policy changes and key deadlines; ensure messages are clear, timely and aligned with global guidance.
• Produce manager-facing materials and quick reference guides to support consistent local execution.

9.      HSE partnership

• Collaborate with occupational health, the vendor management to ensure compliance and timely support for employees.
• Coordinate with medical providers, safety teams and leadership on health-related protocols and reporting.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Psychology or related field.
• 2–5 years of experience in generalist HR roles supporting HR processess, onboarding, employee relations and HR operations.
• Advanced English.
• Familiarity with local labor law and strong experience handling employee lifecycle transactions (hires, terminations, leaves, changes).
• Experience with HRIS (e.g., Workday, SAP SuccessFactors) and MS Office. Experience with process automation tools (e.g., Power Automate, Zapier) is a plus.
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Analytical mindset; comfortable creating and presenting HR metrics and insights.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills (Spanish/English bilingual).
• Collaborative attitude; experience working with COEs or centralized HR teams.
• Comfortable working on-site and coordinating with external vendors.

Required Skills:

Adaptability, Deployment Automation, Diversity and Inclusion (D&I), Employee Relationship Management, Employee Value Proposition, HR Analytics, HR Automation, HR Documentation, HR Process Improvement, HR Reporting, HR Systems Implementation, Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS), Human Resources (HR) Auditing, Human

Required Skills:

Adaptability, Automation Solutions, Business Administration, Communication Management, Diversity and Inclusion (D&I), Diversity Recruitment, Employee Value Proposition, HR Analytics, HR Automation, HR Best Practices, HR Documentation, HR Process Improvement, HR Reporting, HR Systems Implementation, Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS), Human Resource Management, Human Resources (HR) Auditing, Human Resources (HR) Technology, Human Resources Analytics, Legal Regulatory Compliance, Process Documentation, Project Human Resource Management, Recruiting Processes, SAP SuccessFactors, Talent Management

Preferred Skills:

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Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA, also known as Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, Rahway, NJ, USA, does not accept unsolicited assistance from search firms for employment opportunities. All CVs / resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at our company without a valid written search agreement in place for this position will be deemed the sole property of our company.  No fee will be paid in the event a candidate is hired by our company as a result of an agency referral where no pre-existing agreement is in place. Where agency agreements are in place, introductions are position specific. Please, no phone calls or emails. 

Employee Status:

Project Temps (Fixed Term)

Relocation:

VISA Sponsorship:

Travel Requirements:

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Not Applicable

Shift:

Valid Driving License:

Hazardous Material(s):

Job Posting End Date:

07/31/2026

*A job posting is effective until 11:59:59PM on the day BEFORE the listed job posting end date. Please ensure you apply to a job posting no later than the day BEFORE the job posting end date.