People Operations Generalist

WHO WE ARE

Avant Gardner is New York City's premier event space and producer. Its flagship venue, The Brooklyn Mirage, is the crown jewel of New York City entertainment and one of the most iconic venues in the world. Avant Gardner’s 80,000 square foot complex occupies an entire city block of East Williamsburg, highlighted by the space’s unrivaled audiovisual features including a 200 foot wide, 15k resolution video wall. Voted North America's 'Best Large Club' in 2022 and 2023 and ranked top ten globally by DJ Mag, Avant Gardner has welcomed sold out shows featuring today's top acts and emerging global stars including Drake, Skrillex, Turnstile, Four Tet, John Summit, Glass Animals, Carl Cox, Keinemusik, Christina Aguilera, David Guetta, Marshmello, Reneé Rapp, Rina Sawayama, Rüfüs Du Sol, SOFI TUKKER, Tiësto, and many more. Avant Gardner’s portfolio includes event brands such as The Cityfox Experience along with programming across New York City. For more information, visit Avant-Gardner.com.

WHO YOU ARE

• Someone who is highly organized
• Someone who is able to juggle multiple projects at once and prioritize with a high degree of accuracy
• Someone who is reliable and has a “no task too small” attitude
• Someone who can keep calm under high pressure situations
  

ABOUT THE ROLE

The People Operations Generalist supports diverse HR functions, including employee relations, benefits administration, talent acquisition, training, compliance, and payroll support. This role involves organizing employee engagement initiatives, conducting orientations and training, managing benefits programs and leaves, ensuring legal compliance (FMLA, ADA, ACA), and assisting with audits and reporting. Additionally, you’ll collaborate on recruitment efforts, improve HR processes, and act as a backup for payroll processing. The ideal candidate is adaptable, detail-oriented, and committed to fostering a positive workplace culture aligned with the organization’s mission and values. This is an in-person role, requiring attendance on-site. 

ESSENTIAL ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Reports to the Senior People Operations Manager 

• Employee Relations:
• Assist the People Operations Manager in handling employee relations issues and conducting investigations.
• Help organize employee engagement initiatives, team-building activities, and recognition programs.
• Lead new hire orientations and training sessions under the direction of the People Operations Manager, ensuring a smooth introduction to the company culture, policies, and procedures. Conduct exit interviews and stay interviews.  
• Benefits Administration:
• Administer and oversee employee benefits programs, including health, dental, vision, and retirement plans with the People Operations Management team.
• Conduct benefits orientations and open enrollment sessions under direction of the management team. Ensuring timely communication with staff about deadlines and changes. 
• Process and manage leaves of absence for both venue and corporate employees, ensuring compliance with FMLA, ADA, and state leave regulations. 
•  Maintain up-to-date knowledge of benefits compliance and employment laws, including FMLA, ADA, and state leave regulations. 
• Complete compliance reporting for benefits programs (e.g., Quarterly PFL/DBL, ACA compliance). 
• Collaborate with the Payroll Manager to audit payroll reports, verify benefits eligibility based on hours worked, and manage ADP Health Compliance following ACA regulations.
•  Collaborate with the Payroll Manager to ensure accurate benefit deductions. 
• Assist in improving benefits programs by researching and implementing enhancements as needed. 
• Oversee and audit employee records in HRIS to ensure accuracy in benefits data. 
• Talent Acquisition and Development:
• Assist in recruitment by creating job descriptions, posting and managing job openings, screening resumes, and coordinating interviews.  
• Lead new hire orientations and training sessions under the direction of the People Operations Manager, ensuring a smooth introduction to the company culture, policies, and procedures.  
• . Coordinate new hire setup and logistics with the People Operations Coordinator.  
• Help organize employee engagement initiatives, team-building activities, and recognition programs.  
• Identify training needs and facilitate employee training programs to enhance their skills and performance.
• Payroll, Compliance and Reporting:
• Secondary backup for payroll processing,  
• Ensure compliance with all local, state, and federal labor laws, including OSHA, EEOC, FMLA, and other regulations.
• Maintain accurate records and prepare necessary reports for compliance, audits, and senior management review.
• Carry out ad-hoc projects as required.
  

DESIRED SKILLS & QUALIFICATIONS

• 1-3 years of experience in human resources or a related role, with knowledge of I-9 compliance.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build relationships at all levels of the organization.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously.
• Proficiency in Google Workspace (Drive, Shared Drives, Google Groups) for team collaboration and document management. Strong skills in Excel or Google Sheets, with a willingness to learn and optimize these tools if necessary. Ideally, you're comfortable working with pivot tables, v-lookups, and larger datasets.
• Exceptional communication skills, both written and verbal
• Experience with payroll processing is a plus.
• A "grit and determination" mindset often found in startup environments; able to navigate challenges and find solutions.
• Passionate about fostering a positive workplace culture and employee experience.
• Flexibility to adapt to a dynamic and fast-paced work environment.
  

BENEFITS & PERKS

• When available, complimentary or discounted tickets for live events at our music venue, guests included.

• Complimentary snacks and beverages available in office
• PTO Days + Specified Holidays Off
• Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance
• 401K with employer match
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA) that can be used for commuting expenses, dependent care and more!
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Opportunities for professional development and advancement within the company
  

COMPENSATION

The yearly salary for this position will range from $80,000 - $85,000 per year