Human Resources Manager

About the Role

As the Human Resources Manager for Milender White, a Graham Group Company, you will serve as the embedded, front-line people partner to the Milender White businesses, based in Orange County, California. This role supports operations across Denver, Southern California, and San Diego, putting HR where the work happens: alongside leaders, managers, and project teams who need practical support in real time. This is a hands-on delivery role focused on bringing the people strategy into the business unit, coaching managers, resolving employee relations matters, ensuring compliance across two states, and providing feedback from the field to shape the people agenda. You will lead one direct report, an HR Generalist.

Responsibilities

• Front-Line Partnership to the Business
  • Serve as the first point of contact for leaders, managers, and employees on day-to-day people matters.
  • Coach and support managers on performance management, difficult conversations, team dynamics, and employee development to build their confidence in handling issues.
  • Spend meaningful time on-site and in the markets served to understand the project portfolio, crews, and operating pressures.
  • Apply practical HR judgment to real situations, escalating matters to the VP, People when necessary.
  • Act as a two-way conduit between the business and HR, translating business realities into actionable HR direction.
• Employee Relations and Compliance
  • Manage and resolve employee relations matters with sound judgment, timeliness, and thorough documentation; escalate complex or high-risk matters as needed.
  • Conduct objective, well-documented workplace investigations.
  • Apply knowledge of federal, California, and Colorado employment law—including wage and hour, leave administration, pay transparency, and prevailing wage considerations—to ensure compliance and reduce risk.
  • Administer leaves, accommodations, and related processes in partnership with internal and external resources.
  • Interpret and apply HR policy consistently across the three markets, flagging discrepancies where policy does not align with field realities.
• Delivering the People Programs
  • Implement enterprise and division people programs—such as performance cycles, engagement, onboarding, compensation planning, and development—within the business units, adapting delivery for a field-based workforce.
  • Support workforce planning and staffing conversations with operations leadership, including project ramp-up and demobilization cycles.
  • Partner with Talent Acquisition on hiring needs, interview and selection support, offers, and onboarding for the region.
  • Maintain accurate people data and provide straightforward reporting to business leaders and the VP, People.
  • Support organizational changes and transitions, ensuring clean execution and clear communication.
• HR Leadership
  • Directly supervise, coach, and develop one HR Generalist supporting employee life cycle activity across the markets.
  • Set clear priorities, delegate appropriately, and provide regular feedback to build the Generalist’s capability and independence.
  • Ensure consistent day-to-day HR delivery and service standards across Denver, Southern California, and San Diego.
• Health, Safety, and Culture
  • Reinforce the organization’s health, safety, and quality expectations, embedding safety culture into onboarding, manager coaching, and employee relations practices.
  • Work closely with managers and employees to improve working relationships, build morale, and support retention.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Human Resources, or a related field; equivalent experience will be considered.
• 8-10 years of progressive HR generalist or HR business partner experience, including direct ownership of employee relations.
• Experience supervising or formally mentoring at least one HR team member preferred.
• Professional HR certification (SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, or SPHR) is an asset.
• Experience supporting a distributed, field-based workforce; construction, engineering, or another project-based industry strongly preferred.
• Working knowledge of California and Colorado employment law, and comfort operating in a multi-state environment.
• Proficiency with an enterprise HRIS and the Microsoft Office Suite.

Skills

• Credibility with the field: Earns trust quickly with superintendents, project teams, and operations managers.
• Responsiveness: Follows through, closes loops, and is reliably available when the business needs support.
• Judgment: Handles sensitive and ambiguous situations with discretion and composure; knows when to escalate.
• Coaching orientation: Builds manager capability instead of absorbing every issue personally.
• Practicality: Understands how people decisions affect project delivery, schedule, and cost, and provides actionable advice.
• Communication: Clear and direct verbally and in writing; adapts style for diverse audiences, from jobsite trailers to leadership meetings.
• Ownership: Works independently after taking direction and delivers without needing close oversight.
• Comfortable being the first call in difficult or high-pressure situations.

Schedule

This role is primarily office-based in Newport Beach, California, with regular travel between markets (Denver, Southern California, and San Diego) and to active construction project sites, estimated at 25–30%. Occasional travel beyond these markets may be required. Site visits require adherence to all applicable jobsite safety requirements and personal protective equipment standards.

Pay

Compensation range: $135,000 – $165,000 per year. The final offer will depend on qualifications, relevant skills, experience, licensure, and may be adjusted based on internal equity, budget, and market conditions.