Onboarding Operations Lead (5091)

Position Summary

The Onboarding Operations Lead supports onboarding operations across both Together for Youth and House of the Good Shepherd under the Stronger Communities NY umbrella. This role provides cross-agency support and partnership to leaders, hiring managers, the recruitment team, and candidates throughout New York State, ensuring a consistent, compliant, and engaging onboarding experience across a diverse portfolio of youth welfare programs and services.

The Onboarding Operations Lead is responsible for facilitating and supporting the end-to-end onboarding experience from offer acceptance to integration into the organization. Serving as a central point of coordination for onboarding activities, this role helps ensure new hires experience a smooth transition into the organization while maintaining the highest standards of compliance, service delivery, and candidate engagement.

Working under the direction of HR leadership, the Onboarding Operations Lead collaborates closely with Talent Acquisition, Human Resources, hiring managers, and external vendors to support efficient onboarding processes, maintain regulatory compliance, and enhance the candidate experience. This individual assists in identifying opportunities to improve workflows, supports efforts to streamline time to start, leverages data, and helps remove barriers within the onboarding process to support the agency's mission.

Key Responsibilities

Onboarding Operations & Support

• Coordinate the end-to-end onboarding process for all new hires from offer acceptance through orientation and initial integration.
• Serve as primary resource for onboarding policies, processes, and systems providing guidance and support as needed
• Update and maintain onboarding materials, presentations, training resources, and communication materials.
• Collaborate with Talent Acquisition, Human Resources, and operational teams to support a coordinated and efficient onboarding experience.
• Provide cross-agency onboarding support across TFY and HGS locations throughout New York State.
• Assist in identifying opportunities to streamline processes and support implementation of improvements that enhance efficiency, quality, and candidate satisfaction.
• Support the delivery of a welcoming onboarding experience that reinforces organizational culture and values from day one.

Background Screening & Compliance

• Coordinate and oversee pre-employment screening activities, including background checks, employment verification, license verification, motor vehicle reports, reference checks, and other required screenings.
• Serve as a point of contact for background screening vendors, assisting with communication, service requests and issue resolution as needed.
• Track screening turnaround times and proactively resolve barriers that may impact candidate start dates.
• Maintain current knowledge of federal, state, and local employment laws governing pre-employment screening and onboarding activities.
• Ensure compliance with all regulatory requirements, agency standards, and organizational policies.

Documentation & Employee Records

• Ensure timely and accurate completion of all onboarding documentation and employment records.
• Monitor completion of required forms and onboarding milestones, including I-9s, acknowledgments, licensure requirements, and agency-specific documentation.
• Assist in researching and resolving discrepancies related to background checks, employment verification, licensure, and onboarding documentation.
• Maintain data integrity, confidentiality, and proper retention of employee records in accordance with legal and organizational requirements.

HR Systems & Technology

• Serve as the functional expert for the Applicant Tracking System (ATS), onboarding platforms, and related HR systems.
• Troubleshoot system issues and provide guidance and support to candidates, hiring managers, and HR staff.
• Identify opportunities for process automation and system enhancements that improve operational efficiency and user experience.
• Maintain accurate onboarding data and ensure seamless transitions between recruitment, onboarding, and HRIS processes.

Metrics, Reporting & Continuous Improvement

• Analyze onboarding data and metrics to identify trends, bottlenecks, and opportunities for improvement.
• Develop and maintain onboarding dashboards and reports to support visibility into onboarding performance.
• Monitor and report on key performance indicators, including:
  
  
  
  • Time-to-start
  • Background check turnaround times
  • Candidate satisfaction
  • Onboarding completion rates
  • New hire retention trends
  • Service-level agreement performance
  
  
  
  
• Develop and implement data-driven solutions that improve onboarding effectiveness and operational efficiency.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives that enhance candidate experience and reduce administrative burden.

Candidate Experience & Employee Engagement

• Serve as the primary point of contact for candidates throughout the onboarding process.
• Provide proactive communication and support regarding onboarding requirements, self-service activities, and documentation completion.
• Address candidate questions and concerns promptly and professionally.
• Partner with hiring managers to ensure new hires are appropriately prepared for successful integration into their roles.
• Foster a positive, inclusive, and welcoming onboarding experience that reinforces engagement and connection to the mission of the organization.

Financial Administration

• Manage invoice reconciliation for background screening services and other onboarding-related expenses.
• Monitor vendor expenses and ensure accurate and timely invoice processing.
• Maintain accurate documentation related to onboarding expenses, supporting adherence to budget guidelines.
• Identify opportunities to improve vendor process, streamline invoicing, and optimize costs.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Minimum of three (3) years of progressive Human Resources experience with significant responsibility in onboarding, talent acquisition operations, employee experience, or HR administration.
• Strong knowledge of employment laws, onboarding compliance requirements, and pre-employment screening regulations.
• Experience utilizing Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), HRIS platforms, and onboarding technologies.
• Demonstrated project management, organizational, and process improvement skills.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities with exceptional attention to detail.
• Excellent communication, customer service, and relationship management skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, high-volume environment while maintaining a high degree of accuracy and professionalism.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting multi-site or geographically dispersed organizations.
• Experience leading onboarding operations in a high-volume hiring environment.
• Experience managing background screening vendors and service-level agreements.
• Knowledge of HR metrics, reporting, and process automation.
• Experience within nonprofit, human services, healthcare, education, or youth-serving organizations.
• Professional certification preferred (SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, or equivalent).

Success Measures

Success in this role will be measured by:

• Reduced time-to-start and onboarding cycle times
• Improved candidate satisfaction and onboarding experience scores
• High levels of onboarding compliance and documentation accuracy
• Effective management of background screening turnaround times
• Increased operational efficiency through process improvements and automation
• Strong partnership and satisfaction among hiring managers and business leaders
• Consistent onboarding practices and service delivery across both agencies
• Successful integration of new hires, resulting in improved engagement and retention outcomes

Equal Opportunity Employer

Together for Youth is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, creed, color, national origin, sexual orientation, military status, sex, pregnancy, gender identity or expression, disability, marital status, or any other basis covered by appropriate law.

We are committed to fostering an inclusive, equitable, and accessible environment where diversity is valued and recognized as a source of strength and enrichment. We seek to attract talented people from a diverse range of backgrounds and cultures.

As a federal contractor, Together for Youth will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor's legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)