HR & Operations Associate

HR & Operations Associate

The Young Center for Immigrant Children's Rights invites applications for the position of full-time HR & Operations Associate, to be based at the Young Center's Chicago headquarters. The Administrative Department of the Young Center supports a national organization of 150+ employees. The Department manages the administrative function of the organization, including finance, compliance, IT, human resources, vendor management, and facilities. The HR & Operations Associate will play an essential dual-function role on the team, supporting both the Talent & Recruitment Manager on HR and talent acquisition activities and the Operations Manager on day-to-day operations and facilities tasks. This position reports to the Operations Manager.

The Young Center for Immigrant Children's Rights is a national organization dedicated to protecting and advancing the rights and best interests, safety, and well-being of immigrant children in the United States. We center children's voices, celebrate their strengths, and recognize their fundamental need to be with family and in community, not detention.

For more than 20 years, the Young Center has accompanied and advocated for over 10,000 children from more than 70 countries worldwide. We are the only organization that takes an integrated approach to protecting and advancing the rights of children, in accordance with the Convention on the Rights of the Child and state and federal law, through direct services, stakeholder support across child welfare systems, systems and narrative change, and litigation. Further, we fight tirelessly to bring greater equity to the child welfare system, demanding accountability from systems and people in positions of power, so children in immigrant families who face court cases remain safe, free, and with families in communities where they are supported.

The Young Center has offices in Houston, San Antonio, and Harlingen, Texas; Chicago, Illinois; New York, New York; Washington, D.C.; Phoenix, Arizona; Los Angeles, California; and Grand Rapids, Michigan. We also serve children through our programs in New Jersey. To learn more about the Young Center, visit

Duties and Responsibilities

• Assist with managing the applicant tracking system (ATS), ensuring all data is accurate, complete, and reportable in collaboration with the Talent & Recruitment Manager.
• Post and track job openings on the internal ATS, Idealist, Handshake, and relevant external job boards as needed.
• Ensure all job descriptions and interview rubrics are accurately updated and complete in collaboration with the Talent & Recruitment Manager.
• Support the clearance process for Young Center employees and volunteers, including management within Salesforce, under the oversight of the Talent & Recruitment Manager.
• Assist with candidate pre-screening interviews as needed, in collaboration with the Talent & Recruitment Manager.
• Oversee verification of employment requests for staff.
• Provide administrative support for internal trainings and general project management for departmental initiatives.
• Share updates with employees regarding training opportunities.
• Support coordination of new hire onboarding and offboarding from an HR administrative standpoint, including preparation of documentation and personnel file maintenance.
• Maintain departmental electronic data and files, employee personnel files, and staff-facing resources such as the Employee Handbook and other policy documents.
• Maintain and update Administration Department SharePoint pages and serve as a resource for basic SharePoint navigation questions from staff.
• Support administrative orientation for new hires, including tech equipment and software setup and orientation scheduling.
• Assist with tech inventory record maintenance, including tracking equipment assignment for new hires.
• Manage organizational and departmental calendars and maintain departmental files.
• Manage the YC general inbox and phone line.
• Support staff setup in Microsoft Office and other software platforms, including coordination on folder permissions and external software access for new employees.
• Provide administrative support for facilities-related tasks, including vendor coordination and office supply management.

Minimum Requirements and Qualifications

• At least 2 years of post-high school experience, which may include a combination of employment, community organizing, internships, student leadership, and/or volunteer experience, ideally in an HR, operations, or administrative support role.
• Resourceful and collaborative team player with the flexibility to respond to changing priorities.
• Very strong interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence, with a proven ability to handle confidential information with discretion and tact.
• Exceptional written and oral communication skills.
• Self-starter who takes ownership of work with a proactive approach to problem-solving.
• Demonstrated understanding of anti-racism, anti-oppression and/or diversity, equity, and inclusion practices.
• Organized, detail-oriented, and able to work independently on tasks and deliverables.
• Experience supporting the coordination of medium to large-scale projects to successful completion.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office products and Adobe Acrobat, with the ability to quickly learn new technology and/or platforms.
• High school diploma required; college degree a plus.
• Bilingual ability in English/Spanish

Preferred Qualifications

• Experiencelived, volunteer, or professionalwith immigration matters

Physical Demands

Physical demands include regular attendance, keyboarding, sitting for long periods (at least 5 hours a day). Ability to use computer, telephone, and copy machine. Ability to travel by plane, car and other conveyances within U.S. Occasional lifting for event setup/preparation.

Application Details

The Young Center is an "at-will" and equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate in and affirmatively factors diversity into its hiring practices. Young Center encourages applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, creed, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, ancestry, marital or parental status, pregnancy, citizenship, non-disqualifying physical or mental disability, genetic information, or veterans' status. Reasonable accommodation will be made so that qualified disabled applicants may participate in the application process; no applicant will be penalized for requesting an accommodation. Please advise in writing of special needs at the time of application.

$26.91 to $29.93 is the standard new hire hourly range for this position. Actual wage will vary depending on factors including but not limited to location and experience. The Young Center does not ask for prior pay history from our candidates and our offer-making process is negotiation-free for salaries and benefits. We offer our best possible salary based on relevant experience. The range listed is just one component of the Young Center's total compensation package for employees. The Young Center provides excellent benefits, including health/dental/vision insurance (employee & dependents) at no cost to the employee, paid vacation, sick time, and a 401(k) plan with employer match.

A criminal background check will be conducted.

Review of candidates will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Please apply on the Young Center website with a cover letter, resume and three references. Only complete applications will be considered.

To learn more about the Young Center's work, please visit

Important Email Notice for Candidates: To ensure you receive all communications regarding your application and candidacy with the Young Center, please add the following domains to your email safe sender list: @jazzhr.com; @jazz.co; @applytojob.com