Onboarding Coordinator & Recruiting Assistant

Statement of Duties:

Onboarding & Recruitment Assistant is responsible for working alongside the Employee Engagement & Retention Specialist to support the successful execution of the new hire pre-employment, orientation, and onboarding process for new hires. Additionally, the employee will assist the team with the full-cycle recruitment process on an as needed basis.

Essential Functions:

The essential functions or duties listed below are intended only as illustrations of the various type of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to the position.

Onboarding Coordination (80%):

• Manages the new hire pre-employment process from start to finish, including creating offer letters, scheduling applicable screenings, conducting reference checks, and communicating with candidates and hiring managers regarding status updates.
• Collaborates with cross-functional teams to ensure a smooth transition from candidate to new employee status.
• Assists the Employee Engagement & Retention Specialist with new hire orientation and onboarding.
• Maintains accurate and up-to-date records of candidate and employee information in the HR database.

Talent Acquisition Coordination (20%):

• Assists in internal and external recruiting processes including passive outreach.
• Manages the union bid process from start to finish including working alongside the unions to obtain approval of job postings, review bids, and determine seniority and qualifications of candidates.
• Acts as a point of contact regarding union job postings.
• Advertises vacancies on the City’s Careers Page and other job boards.
• Acts as a backup in executing job offers and advising new hires on information regarding benefits, City policies and any pre-employment screenings required; escalates any concerns with a sense of urgency.

Minimum Qualifications:

Education and Experience: Associates Degree and three to five (3-5) years of demonstrated Human Resources experience; or any equivalent combination of education, training and experience which provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the essential functions of the job.

• Must have previous experience in the role of Human Resources Assistant or similar experience and/or be able to demonstrate complete understanding of the position’s duties and required knowledge.
• HRCI PHR or SHRM-CP Certification preferred.

Knowledge, Abilities and Skill:

Knowledge: Thorough knowledge of office procedures, software, and standard office equipment such as a multi-line phone system; thorough knowledge of Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 31; thorough knowledge of local, state, and federal laws and regulations pertaining to employment and record-keeping.

Ability: Ability to handle problems and emergencies effectively; ability to communicate clearly, both verbally and in writing; ability to operate a personal computer; ability to maintain confidential information and act with integrity and professionalism; ability to maintain, manage, and organize records; ability to prioritize tasks and delegate them when appropriate; ability to interact effectively and appropriately with City employees, City officials, job candidates, vendors, Civil Service (HRD) staff and members of the general public.

Skill: Strong interpersonal and organizational skills; excellent communication skills both verbal and written; excellent interpersonal, negotiation, and conflict resolution skills; excellent time management skills with a proven ability to meet deadlines and attention to detail; strong analytical, problem-solving and independent research skills; proficient computer skills for all office software programs including Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel)and Outlook calendar/scheduling; ability to learn applicant tracking system software and other HRIS applications. Experience with MUNIS software preferred

Work Environment:

The work environment involves everyday discomforts typical of offices, with occasional exposure to outside elements. Noise or physical surroundings may be distracting, but conditions are generally not unpleasant. Employee may be required to work beyond normal business hours in response to attend evening meetings or complete work assignments.

Physical and Mental Requirements

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the position’s essential functions.

Physical Skills

Few physical demands are required to perform the work. Work effort principally involves sitting to perform work tasks, with intermittent periods of stooping, walking, and standing. May also be some occasional lifting of objects such as office equipment and computer paper (up to 30 lbs.) Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.

Motor Skills

Duties are largely mental rather than physical, but the job may occasionally require minimal motor skills for activities such as moving objects, operating a telephone, personal computer and/or most other office equipment including word processing, filing and sorting of papers.

Visual Skills

Visual demands require constantly reading documents for general understanding and analytical purposes.

Hours: Full-Time 
Salary: $75,000 annualized, plus benefits
Union: Non-Union
FLSA:  Non-Exempt 
Date Posted: March 12th, 2026

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The City of Somerville is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, age, national origin, disability or any other protected category. Women, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

Auxiliary aids and services, written materials in alternative formats, and reasonable modifications in policies and procedures will be provided to qualified individuals with disabilities free of charge, upon request. Persons with disabilities who need auxiliary aids and services for effective communication (i.e., CART, ASL), written materials in alternative formats, or reasonable modifications in policies and procedures in order to access the programs, activities, and meetings of the City of Somerville should please contact Adrienne Pomeroy at 617-625-6600 x 2059 or [email protected].

Pre-Employment Requirements for All Employees:

• MA Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) clearance
• Completion of Conflict-of-Interest Law Education training for municipal employees

Overview of Total Rewards:

• 4 weeks annual vacation for non-union positions. Union positions vary by contract. Please note, police officers are members of the SPEA union. Public Health Nurses are part of Union A (SMEA).
• Medical insurance through the Group Insurance Commission (GIC) - 80% of premium costs paid by City
• Dental coverage low and high plans through Cigna
• Vision care through Vision Service Plan (VSP)
• Long term disability through Sun Life
• Group and voluntary life insurance through Boston Mutual
• Health Care and Dependent Care flexible spending through Benefit Strategies
• Deferred compensation plans through a choice of three vendors
• Free, confidential services through the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provided by E4Health
• Annual cancer screening & wellness release
• Tuition reimbursement
• MBTA pass program
• FREE Blue Bikes membership
• Eligible employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF)

Benefits listed are for benefits-eligible positions and the above information is meant to be a general overview of the benefit programs offered by the City of Somerville and not a binding contract.