Human Resources Partner

Mission Statement:

Committed to kindness in service to the community since 1931, the Humane Society of Sonoma County is a donor-supported safe haven for animals. Our mission is to save lives and benefit the wellbeing of pets and their people with kindness, innovation, and leadership.

SUMMARY

Reporting to the Senior Director of Human Resources, the HR Partner is a key member of HSSC’s Human Resources team, providing comprehensive, hands-on HR support across departments and locations. This role serves as a trusted and accessible resource for employees and supervisors while taking primary responsibility for many of the day-to-day systems, processes, and practices that support employees throughout their experience at HSSC.

The HR Partner independently manages a broad range of HR functions, including non-leadership employee relations, onboarding and offboarding, HRIS administration, workers’ compensation, compliance tracking and audits, recruitment support, training coordination and delivery, personnel records, and employee lifecycle processes. The position works very closely with the Senior Director of Human Resources on more complex employee relations matters, policy development, organizational initiatives, and emerging compliance needs.

This role is well suited for a highly experienced HR professional who enjoys animal welfare, people, and process. You are approachable and compassionate while also comfortable with accountability, difficult conversations, deadlines, documentation, and the less glamorous details that keep an HR department running well. You use sound judgment, protect confidentiality, communicate clearly and kindly, and understand that good HR is about creating fair, consistent, thoughtful practices that help people do their best work in support of HSSC’s mission.

Key Responsibilities:

EMPLOYEE RELATIONS & STAFF SUPPORT

• Serve as a primary day-to-day HR resource for employees and supervisors regarding workplace concerns, HR policies and procedures, performance expectations, conflict resolution, and other employment-related questions.
• Build positive, trust-based relationships with employees across departments and locations, providing responsive, respectful, and consistent HR support.
• Independently assess and respond to routine employee relations matters, helping employees and supervisors identify concerns, clarify expectations, and work toward constructive solutions.
• Facilitate workplace conversations and conflict resolution when appropriate, using a fair, impartial, and solutions-oriented approach
• Conduct initial inquiries and fact-finding regarding routine employee concerns, complaints, policy issues, and workplace conflicts; document findings and elevate complex, sensitive, or high-risk matters to the Senior Director of Human Resources.
• Support supervisors with performance conversations, coaching, documentation, corrective action, and other employee performance matters in partnership with the Senior Director as appropriate.
• Recognize when an issue may involve protected leave, accommodation, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wage and hour, workplace safety, or other significant legal or organizational risk and promptly involve the Senior Director.
• Apply trauma-informed and compassion-aware practices when supporting employees and supervisors in HSSC’s emotionally demanding animal-welfare environment.
• Maintain the highest level of integrity and confidentiality, representative of an HR Partner.

HR OPERATIONS, SYSTEMS & COMPLIANCE

• Serve as the primary day-to-day administrator of HSSC’s HRIS and related HR systems, maintaining accurate employee information, workflows, records, reporting, and system processes.
• Maintain personnel, medical, workers’ compensation, and other HR records in accordance with applicable confidentiality, retention, and recordkeeping requirements.
• Process and track employee changes including hires, transfers, promotions, compensation changes, status changes, separations, and other employment actions utilizing HRIS system functions.
• Develop and maintain practical HR workflows, checklists, templates, calendars, and tracking systems that promote consistency and reduce administrative gaps.
• Conduct routine personnel-file, I-9, training, policy acknowledgment, and other HR compliance audits; identify discrepancies and coordinate corrective action.
• Maintain required postings, notices, employment documentation, and recurring compliance requirements.
• Track HR deadlines and recurring regulatory requirements and bring emerging concerns or needed changes to the attention of the Senior Director.
• Prepare routine HR reports and maintain data related to hiring, turnover, employee changes, training, workers’ compensation, and other workforce measures.
• Support agency audits, regulatory reporting, employment verifications, unemployment claims, and other HR-related administrative requirements.
• Support biweekly payroll in partnership with the finance department. Review payroll reports prior to processing, identify patterns related to OT, penalties, anomalies, and serve as payroll back-up as needed.
• Participate in the evaluation and improvement of HR systems and processes, identifying opportunities to make HR services more accessible, efficient, consistent, and employee-friendly.

EMPLOYEE LIFECYCLE, RECRUITMENT & ONBOARDING

• Coordinate the day-to-day recruitment process in partnership with hiring managers and the Senior Director, including job postings, applicant workflows, interview coordination, candidate communication, background and reference checks, offers, and pre-employment requirements.
• Support hiring managers in providing candidates with a welcoming, organized, and respectful recruitment experience consistent with HSSC’s values.
• Manage the day-to-day execution of HSSC’s onboarding program, ensuring new employees have the information, access, training, introductions, and support needed to begin successfully.
• Coordinate orientation and new-hire touchpoints, including established 30-, 60-, and 90-day processes.
• Monitor onboarding completion and partner with supervisors when additional support or follow-up is needed.
• Coordinate employee transitions, promotions, transfers, and other internal employment changes.
• Manage offboarding logistics for departing employees, including documentation, system notifications, return of agency property, benefit notices, and exit processes.
• Conduct exit interviews as assigned and identify recurring themes or opportunities for improvement for review with the Senior Director. Continually evaluate the employee lifecycle experience and recommend practical improvements that strengthen clarity, connection, consistency, and belonging.

TRAINING, DEVELOPMENT & CULTURE

• Develop, coordinate, and facilitate agency-wide HR training in partnership with the Senior Director, including required compliance training, supervisor education, workplace expectations, HR processes, and other identified organizational needs.
• Translate employment requirements and HR policies into practical, understandable training and resources employees and supervisors can actually use.
• Maintain compliance related training calendars, completion records, learning materials, and required certifications or acknowledgments.
• Support onboarding and ongoing supervisor development by providing tools, resources, and training related to communication, documentation, performance management, conflict resolution, and consistent application of workplace practices.
• Assist in identifying employee and supervisor development needs and coordinate internal or external learning opportunities.
• Partner with the Senior Director and agency leadership on employee engagement, recognition, communication, and culture-building initiatives.
• Help identify patterns in employee questions, workplace concerns, exit feedback, and HR data that may point to opportunities for additional communication, training, or organizational improvement.
• Model HSSC’s values through clear, compassionate, inclusive, and accountable communication.

WORKERS’ COMPENSATION, LEAVES & EMPLOYEE SUPPORT

• Manage the day-to-day workers’ compensation process from initial injury reporting through claim closure, including required documentation, communication with employees and supervisors, coordination with carriers and providers, and claim tracking.

• Maintain accurate workers’ compensation records and monitor open claims, work restrictions, modified duty documentation, and return-to-work requirements.

• Coordinate routine leave administration and employee documentation in accordance with established HSSC processes, escalating complex leave and accommodation matters to the Senior Director.

• Provide employees with clear and compassionate guidance regarding HR processes during injuries, leaves, and other significant employment transitions.
• Maintain appropriate separation and confidentiality of medical and personnel information.

• Support unemployment and disability claim administration and respond to routine requests for employment information.

STRATEGIC & ORGANIZATIONAL SUPPORT

• Partner closely with the Senior Director of Human Resources to implement HR department goals, initiatives, policies, and systems across the agency.
• Bring forward trends, recurring concerns, process gaps, and employee feedback that may benefit from broader organizational attention.
• Participate in HR projects including policy implementation, HRIS improvements, compliance initiatives, employee engagement efforts, training programs, and process redesign.
• Support consistent HR practices across HSSC locations and departments while recognizing the different operational needs of individual teams.
• Develop strong working relationships with staff, supervisors, and department leaders and help connect day-to-day HR practices with broader organizational goals.
• Serve as a thoughtful steward of HSSC’s culture, helping ensure HR processes reflect dignity, compassion, integrity, connection, fairness, and accountability.
• Provide coverage and continuity for essential HR operations and participate in other HR initiatives as agency needs evolve.

Supervision:

Supervised by: Senior Director of Human Resources
Supervises: No regular direct reports at this time. May provide workflow guidance, training, or project coordination to administrative staff, interns, or other team members supporting HR functions, with the eventual oversight of additional HR staff as agency expands.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Minimum of five years of progressively responsible human resources experience, including meaningful experience in employee relations and day-to-day HR operations and management.
• Demonstrated professional experience working across multiple areas of human resources, such as employee relations, performance management, recruitment and onboarding, HRIS administration, workers' compensation, leaves, training, compliance, and employee lifecycle processes.
• Experience independently handling employee concerns, workplace conflict, performance matters, and other employee relations issues, with appropriate escalation of complex or high-risk matters.
• Experience working directly with employees and supervisors across different roles, departments, and levels of an organization.
• Experience in navigating and supporting leadership in expansion efforts, mergers, and other large-scale projects that result in multi-faceted culture change, staffing expansion, and everything that goes along with organizational change and development.
• Experience developing, coordinating, or facilitating workplace training or employee development activities.
• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Organizational Leadership, or a related field preferred; equivalent relevant education, professional training, certification, and/or experience will always be considered.
• HR certification such as SHRM-CP, PHR, PHRca, or equivalent is preferred.
• Experience in a nonprofit, animal welfare, veterinary, healthcare, social services, or other mission-driven environment is highly preferred.
• Bilingual English/Spanish skills are highly desirable, with additional compensation for bilingual skillset.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

• Strong working knowledge of California and federal employment law and HR practices, including employee relations, wage and hour, leaves and accommodations, workplace investigations, workers’ compensation, performance management, and employment compliance.
• Genuine enjoyment in getting to know and working with other people, strong skills in self-reflection, self-regulation, and using curiosity and empathy as a first response to charged situations.
• Strong employee relations, conflict resolution, and fact-finding skills, with the ability to navigate difficult or emotionally charged situations with curiosity impartiality, sound judgment, and respect.
• Demonstrated knowledge of equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) and cultural humility, with the ability to recognize bias, barriers, power dynamics, and the distinction between equity and sameness when applying HR practices and organizational expectations.
• Working knowledge of trauma-informed and psychologically safer workplace practices, including awareness of how trauma, stress, compassion fatigue, power dynamics, and lived experience may affect employees and workplace interactions.
• Ability to balance accountability with empathy, communicating expectations clearly and addressing performance or conduct concerns while preserving dignity, fairness, and opportunities for growth when appropriate.
• Commitment to procedural fairness, including listening to differing perspectives, gathering relevant information before reaching conclusions, examining assumptions and potential bias, and remaining open to new information.
• Ability to build trust while maintaining appropriate professional boundaries, confidentiality, discretion, and HR’s responsibility to the organization as a whole.
• Excellent written, verbal, facilitation, and training skills, with the ability to communicate complex or sensitive information in ways that are clear, direct, accessible, culturally aware, and compassionate.
• Sound judgment and ability to independently manage routine HR matters while recognizing when complexity, risk, or legal or organizational implications require consultation with or escalation to the Senior Director of Human Resources.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to identify patterns and systemic concerns, manage competing priorities, and reliably follow work through to completion.
• Strong technological proficiency, including the ability to learn, administer, and improve HRIS and other HR, learning, compliance, and communication systems.
• Commitment to continuous learning and to HSSC’s values of Dignity, Compassion, Integrity, and Connection, applying those values to how we support employees, one another, the animals in our care, and our community.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

This position requires regular use of a computer and other office technology and may involve sitting or standing for extended periods. The employee must be able to move throughout HSSC facilities and travel between HSSC locations as needed to meet with employees, participate in meetings, facilitate training, and support HR activities.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

This position is primarily based at HSSC’s Santa Rosa campus and provides support across HSSC locations, including periodic work at the Healdsburg and Petaluma facility, as well as the home office environment. Work is performed primarily in an office and animal-welfare environment and includes regular interaction with employees, supervisors, volunteers, and leadership.