We’re seeking a strategic, people-focused HR Leader to help shape a fast-growing, mission-driven organization that has served the community for decades and is deeply committed to transforming children's lives. This role is ideal for someone who values collaboration, leads with humility and integrity, and is passionate about people-centered work. The ideal candidate combines a strategic mindset with hands-on execution, thrives in fast-paced environments, and is skilled at building positive organizational culture. They bring a proven track record in performance management, employee engagement, and organizational development. In this role, you’ll partner closely with leadership to strengthen performance, engagement, and growth across the organization—particularly for first-time managers and early-career employees.
If you're eager to build structure, coach others, and make HR a force for good, this is your opportunity!
RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Act as a trusted advisor to executive and departmental leadership on workforce strategy, engagement, and performance.
- Lead and manage sensitive employee relations cases: conduct investigations, hold interviews, make recommendations, and maintain accurate documentation.
- Provide expert guidance on conflict resolution and facilitate difficult conversations with clarity, professionalism, and empathy.
- Ensure full compliance with California labor laws, federal employment regulations, and organizational policies.
- Lead the execution of training programs, and professional development pathways that align with organizational goals.
- Serve as an HR Ambassador and role model for what it means to work within a mission driven team, demonstrating integrity, inclusivity, professionalism, and positivity.
- Guide and coach managers on how to have structured, strategic conversations with their teams about performance, growth, and expectations.
- Adopt collaborative, humble approach based on integrity and appreciation for people-centered work in a culturally diverse environment.
- Design and implement data-driven employee engagement strategies in collaboration with executive and team leadership to foster connection, retention, and a high-performance culture.
- Lead employee engagement initiatives and help build team culture through planning events, celebrations, recognition programs, and community-building activities.
- Create and refine HR policies that promote clarity, equity, and legal compliance.
- Own and enhance performance management processes and tools that enable employee growth and accountability.
- Craft and implement employee retention strategies by analyzing engagement, turnover, and attrition trends; report on key workforce metrics to inform HR strategy, mitigate risk, and demonstrate organizational impact.
- Develop and document HR processes that enhance employee lifecycle experiences (onboarding, engagement, performance, offboarding).
- Create and drive strategic HR initiatives aligned with organizational goals and KPIs.
- Track ER metrics and develop recommendations for proactive workplace improvements.
- Use metrics, dashboards, and KPIs to measure HR effectiveness and drive continuous improvement.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree, PHR and/or SHRM-CP certification strongly preferred.
- Progressive experience in Human Resources operations, including a minimum of 5 years in a strategic HR Business Partner or HR Manager role.
- Strong knowledge of California employment laws, HR compliance standards, and nonprofit sector best practices.
- Proven success managing performance management programs and implementing scalable HR tools.
- Experience advising and collaborating with executive teams and managers across departments.
- Skilled at coaching inexperienced team leaders and entry-level employees in structured workplace settings.
- Proficiency in using data to drive decisions and demonstrate the impact of HR initiatives.
- Demonstrated professionalism and leadership presence, a visible role model to staff and peers.
- High emotional intelligence, excellent interpersonal skills, with the ability to navigate difficult conversations, offer critical feedback constructively, and build trust across levels.
- Thrives in fast-paced, dynamic environments; demonstrates adaptability, resilience, and a proactive approach when navigating ambiguity and change.
- Strong project management skills and a bias toward action and accountability
- Proficient in HRIS platforms, Google Suite, MS Office, and Excel.
