Human Resources Manager

About the role

The Human Resources Manager serves as a strategic and operational leader responsible for advancing DWC's people strategy while ensuring compliance with applicable employment laws and organizational policies. This role partners closely with agency leadership to foster a high-performing, inclusive, and trauma-informed workplace culture that supports employee engagement, retention, professional development, and organizational effectiveness.

Responsibilities

• Partner with organizational leaders to develop and implement HR strategies that support DWC’s mission, strategic plan, values, and organizational objectives.

• Serve as a trusted advisor to managers and employees by providing guidance on workforce planning, employee relations, performance management, and organizational effectiveness.

• Analyze workforce trends, employee data, and organizational needs to develop proactive solutions that enhance employee engagement, retention, and operational effectiveness.

• Lead and support organizational change initiatives, ensuring effective communication, employee engagement, and successful implementation.

• Manage and resolve complex employee relations matters, including performance concerns, workplace conflict, policy violations, corrective action, grievances, and employment separations.

• Conduct thorough, objective, and confidential workplace investigations involving allegations of harassment, discrimination, retaliation, misconduct, and other workplace concerns.

• Prepare comprehensive investigation reports, findings, and recommendations while ensuring compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws.

• Collaborate with leadership and legal counsel, as needed, to mitigate risk and ensure legally compliant employment practices.

• Ensure organizational compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local employment laws and regulations, including wage and hour requirements, leave administration, workers’ compensation, and employee privacy standards.

• Develop, implement, communicate, and maintain HR policies, procedures, and practices that promote consistency, accountability, equity, and compliance across the organization.

• Monitor changes in employment legislation and recommend policy and practice updates to maintain compliance and minimize organizational risk.

• Provide training, coaching, and consultation to leaders regarding employment law, policy interpretation, and best practices.

• Oversee and continuously improve performance management processes, ensuring alignment with organizational goals, core competencies, and leadership expectations.

• Coach and support managers in setting performance expectations, providing feedback, developing employees, and addressing performance challenges.

• Partner with leadership to support succession planning, leadership development, and workforce development initiatives by identifying and implementing learning and development opportunities that strengthen organizational capacity, enhance employee growth, and promote organizational effectiveness.

• Oversee the administration of employee benefits, leaves of absence, accommodation requests, and workers’ compensation programs.

• Ensure accurate and timely HR documentation, recordkeeping, reporting, and maintenance of personnel files in accordance with legal requirements and organizational standards.

• Utilize HRIS and other technology platforms to maintain data integrity, generate reports, monitor trends, and support informed decision-making.

• Identify and implement process improvements that enhance efficiency, service delivery, and employee experience.

• Champion a positive, inclusive, and trauma-informed workplace culture that reflects DWC’s values and commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and psychological safety.

• Partner with leadership to develop and implement employee engagement, recognition, wellness, and retention initiatives.

• Serve as a culture ambassador by promoting organizational values, celebrating achievements, and strengthening employee connection to DWC’s mission.

• Foster a workplace environment where employees feel respected, supported, and empowered to contribute their best work.

• Directly supervise HR team members, providing leadership, coaching, mentoring, performance management, and professional development opportunities.

• Establish clear goals, priorities, and expectations for HR staff while fostering accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

• Build and maintain a high-performing HR team committed to delivering responsive, customer-focused service to employees and organizational leaders.

• Participate in cross-functional committees, organizational initiatives, and special projects that advance agency goals.

Qualifications

• A minimum of 5 years of HR experience, with at least 2 years in a managerial or supervisory role, preferably supporting nonprofit organizations, social service agencies, or mission-driven organizations.
• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent in HRM, Business, Psychology or equivalent PHR/SPHR, or SHRM Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) or SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-CP) credential.
• Demonstrated knowledge of California employment laws, wage and hour regulations, leave laws, workers’ compensation, and workplace investigations.
• Demonstrated experience managing complex employee relations matters, including workplace investigations, grievance resolution, performance management, corrective action, reductions in force, accommodations, and conflict resolution.
• Must include hands-on responsibility for staff supervision and development.
• Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills, including the ability to articulate and explain complex benefits, legal, and personnel issues with clarity, tact, and diplomacy.
• Ability to develop and maintain a goal-oriented, positive attitude throughout the organization; must be able to interface equally well with the Board of Directors, executive staff, direct reports, and the general DWC community.
• Demonstrates cultural humility, a commitment to trauma-informed care, and the ability to support and lead within a mission-driven environment serving diverse communities.
• Promotes psychological safety, respect, collaboration, and inclusive leadership practices throughout the organization.
• Must be a CA resident and live no more than 80 miles from DWC; must be available for in-person meetings at DWC.
• Must provide documentation of a negative TB test result within the last twelve months, on first day of hire.