Assistant Assistant - HR Specialist

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church is seeking an organized, proactive, and service-oriented Executive Assistant / HR Specialist to provide high-level administrative, human resources, and operational support to the Lead Pastor and Director of Administration. This position helps coordinate leadership, boards, and committees; maintains confidential records and compliance documentation; supports employee benefits and payroll administration; and serves as clerk and administrative coordinator for the Columbarium. The ideal candidate exercises sound judgment, discretion, strong communication, and initiative in a dynamic ministry environment.

Position Details

• Schedule: Part-time, 24-28 hours per week
• Hours: To be determined with supervisor; occasional evening or weekend duties may be required
• Status: Hourly, part-time, non-exempt
• Reports to: Director of Administration
• Location: Good Shepherd Lutheran Church campuses in Madison and Verona, WI; travel between campuses and occasional community events is required

Responsibilities

• Provide high-level administrative support to the Lead Pastor and Director of Administration, including calendar management, prioritization, meeting preparation, and coordination of ministry initiatives
• Coordinate board and committee operations, including scheduling, agendas, meeting materials, minutes, official records, action items, and follow-up
• Maintain accurate and confidential personnel, governance, Columbarium, and regulatory records while supporting church, legal, denominational, and nonprofit compliance requirements
• Coordinate employee onboarding, background checks, benefit enrollment and changes, COBRA administration, annual benefit audits and reporting, and employee support related to online systems
• Maintain payroll system information and serve as backup to the Staff Accountant for bi-weekly and monthly ad-hoc payroll processing, as needed
• Serve as clerk and administrative coordinator for the Columbarium and provide executive-level recordkeeping support to the Good Shepherd Foundation
• Support internal and external communications and serve as a welcoming, responsive point of contact for staff, congregation members, visitors, and external partners
• Handle sensitive pastoral, human resources, financial, and personnel information with strict discretion and care

Qualifications

Qualified individuals must have:

• 3-5+ years of experience providing executive-level administrative support
• Experience with, or the ability to learn, human resources responsibilities related to payroll and benefit administration
• High-level proficiency in Microsoft Office, specifically Outlook, Word, and Excel
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills and strong organizational skills
• Ability to anticipate leadership needs, solve problems independently, take initiative, and manage multiple competing priorities
• Ability to engage comfortably and professionally with church members and visitors of all ages
• Understanding of and commitment to the mission and vision of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
• High school diploma
• Ability to pass a background check
• Valid driver's license

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree, ideally in communication, business, or a related field
• 3-5 years of experience in human resources payroll and employee administration
• Experience using artificial intelligence (AI) and reviewing legal documents
• Working knowledge of church database/management software and the operational needs of a large church
• Expertise in executive calendar management and high-level meeting organization
• Event planning experience and experience leading or supporting volunteer teams

Job Type: Part-time | 24-28 hours per week

Work Location: In person; Madison and Verona campuses

Start Date: Monday, September 14