Position Summary
Capital Area Transit System (CATS) is seeking a highly motivated, organized, and results-driven HRBP I – Recruitment & Workforce Administration to join our Human Resources team.
This is a recruitment focused HR role with primary responsibility for helping CATS attract, hire, and onboard the workforce needed to support Agency operations. The HR Business Partner will manage full-cycle recruitment for assigned positions, develop candidate pipelines, partner closely with hiring managers, coordinate pre-employment and onboarding activities, and drive vacancies from job posting through successful hire.
The position also serves as an HR resource to department managers and supervisors for day-to-day workforce administration. This includes assisting with employee timekeeping, reviewing timecard exceptions and corrections, monitoring sick leave and PTO usage and accruals, helping resolve discrepancies, and providing guidance on applicable HR policies, procedures, and collective bargaining agreement requirements.
The successful candidate will be someone who enjoys recruiting, takes ownership of vacancies, follows through consistently, and is comfortable working directly with managers to solve day-to-day workforce administration issues.
WHAT YOU’LL DO Recruitment & Talent Acquisition – Primary Focus
- Manage full-cycle recruitment for assigned positions from job posting through successful hire.
- Partner directly with department managers to identify current and anticipated staffing needs.
- Develop recruitment and sourcing strategies for high-volume, specialized, and difficult-to-fill positions.
- Actively source qualified candidates rather than relying solely on incoming applications.
- Recruit for operations, maintenance, skilled trades, administrative, professional, technical, and management positions.
- Review applications and resumes and conduct candidate prescreening.
- Conduct telephone and preliminary interviews.
- Coordinate interviews, candidate evaluations, and selection activities with hiring managers.
- Maintain consistent communication with hiring managers regarding vacancy status, candidate pipelines, and recruiting challenges.
- Maintain timely and professional communication with candidates throughout the hiring process.
- Develop and maintain candidate pipelines for recurring and difficult-to-fill positions.
- Coordinate and participate in career fairs, hiring events, workforce partnerships, community recruitment activities, and other sourcing initiatives.
- Maintain accurate applicant and recruitment records within the Agency’s ATS/HRIS.
- Track vacancies, time-to-fill, candidate activity, hiring outcomes, and other recruitment metrics.
- Identify recruiting bottlenecks and proactively recommend solutions to keep hiring processes moving.
Pre-Employment & Onboarding
- Manage selected candidates from conditional offer through confirmed start date.
- Coordinate background checks, employment verifications, reference checks, and required pre-employment screenings.
- Track outstanding pre-employment requirements and proactively address potential hiring delays.
- Prepare and coordinate new hire documentation.
- Ensure timely completion of Form I-9 and other required employment documentation.
- Coordinate and assist with New Employee Orientation.
- Enter and verify new hire information within the HRIS.
- Partner with department managers to ensure readiness for employee start dates.
- Serve as a primary HR contact for candidates and new employees throughout the onboarding process.
- Monitor new hire completion requirements and help ensure a smooth transition into the Agency.
Timekeeping, Leave & Workforce Administration
- Serve as an HR resource to department managers and supervisors regarding employee timekeeping, sick leave, PTO, and related workforce administration matters.
- Monitor employee time records for completeness, accuracy, and timely approval.
- Review timekeeping exception reports and identify missing punches, coding issues, incomplete entries, and other discrepancies.
- Coordinate authorized timecard corrections with employees, managers, and supervisors.
- Monitor departmental compliance with timecard submission and approval deadlines.
- Assist managers and supervisors with understanding and applying timekeeping procedures.
- Review employee sick leave and PTO balances, usage, and accrual information and assist with resolving discrepancies.
- Assist managers and employees with questions regarding available sick leave and PTO balances and applicable usage requirements.
- Monitor leave and time-related entries for consistency with Agency policies and applicable collective bargaining agreement provisions.
- Identify recurring timekeeping or leave administration issues and recommend additional training, communication, or process improvements.
- Assist managers in understanding their responsibility for timely and accurate employee time and attendance records.
- Coordinate with the appropriate HR, Finance, or payroll personnel when an issue requires additional review or correction.
- Maintain appropriate documentation related to timekeeping and workforce administration activities.
WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Management, Public Administration, or a related field; or an equivalent combination of relevant education and progressively responsible Human Resources experience.
- Minimum of three (3) years of progressively responsible Human Resources experience.
- Demonstrated hands-on full-cycle recruitment experience.
- Experience sourcing, screening, interviewing, and coordinating candidates through the hiring process.
- Experience managing multiple vacancies, candidates, hiring managers, projects, and deadlines simultaneously.
- Experience with onboarding, HRIS administration, workforce administration, or related HR functions.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills.
- Strong organizational, follow-up, and customer-service skills.
- Ability to exercise sound judgment and maintain strict confidentiality.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office and HR technology.
Preferred Qualifications
- SHRM-CP or PHR certification.
- Experience with Netchex or a comparable HRIS/ATS/timekeeping platform.
- High-volume recruiting experience.
- Experience recruiting commercial drivers, skilled trades, maintenance, operations, or other difficult-to-fill positions.
- Experience supporting an hourly/non-exempt workforce.
- Experience working in a unionized, public-sector, transportation, manufacturing, or operational environment.
- Experience assisting managers with electronic timekeeping, attendance, sick leave, PTO administration, and workforce reporting.
THE IDEAL CANDIDATE
The successful candidate will be someone who
- Genuinely enjoys recruiting and considers talent acquisition a core strength.
- Takes ownership of assigned vacancies and keeps the hiring process moving.
- Knows how to actively source candidates rather than simply wait for applications.
- Is comfortable recruiting for high-volume and difficult-to-fill positions.
- Builds productive working relationships with department managers.
- Communicates consistently with candidates and hiring managers.
- Is highly organized and follows through without requiring constant direction.
- Can manage numerous open positions and candidates without losing attention to detail.
- Understands the importance of candidate experience and timely onboarding.
- Is comfortable working with HR technology, data, timekeeping, and leave information.
- Can help managers understand timekeeping, sick leave, PTO, and other routine workforce administration requirements.
- Recognizes problems early and takes initiative to resolve them.
- Can balance recruiting priorities with deadline-driven HR administrative responsibilities.
- Works collaboratively while independently managing assigned responsibilities.
WHY JOIN CATS?
At CATS, Human Resources plays an important role in building and supporting the workforce that keeps the Baton Rouge community moving.
This position offers an opportunity to have a direct impact on CATS by helping the Agency find, hire, and successfully onboard the people needed to deliver public transportation services, while also partnering with managers on the day-to-day workforce administration necessary to effectively manage their teams.
If you are an HR professional who loves recruiting, enjoys working with hiring managers, takes ownership of getting positions filled, and can also provide practical HR support for workforce administration, we encourage you to apply.