Human Resources Manager

Published: 6/14/2022

Job Description

West Valley Law Firm — Confidential Search
Location: Calabasas, California
Schedule: Full-time, on-site, Monday through Friday
Typical Hours: 9:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.
Compensation: $100,000–$130,000 annually, depending on directly relevant experience, California HR expertise, professional credentials, law-firm or professional-services experience, and the final scope of responsibilities.

Confidential Search

“West Valley Law Firm” is a placeholder name being used for this confidential search. The actual law firm’s identity will remain private during the initial application-review process for privacy and operational reasons.

Candidates selected to advance further in the selection process will be provided with the firm’s full name and additional information before participating in a substantive interview.

About the Firm

West Valley Law Firm is a growing, plaintiff-side trial law firm handling serious wrongful-death and catastrophic-injury matters.

The firm began as a close, family-operated practice and has grown into a larger professional organization. As we continue to expand, we are seeking an experienced Human Resources Manager who can help preserve the firm’s values while bringing greater consistency, organization, communication, and accountability to the workplace.

The firm already has an employee handbook and access to remote and outside HR resources. We are now looking for a strong, hands-on HR professional who will be physically present in the office, develop meaningful relationships with employees and management, identify concerns early, and ensure that the firm’s policies and expectations are consistently put into practice.

This is not a payroll-only, recruiting-only, or administrative HR position. It is also not a role for someone who views HR only as enforcement or discipline. The successful candidate will be fair, steady, approachable, discreet, organized, and capable of respectfully holding every level of the firm accountable.

Position Overview

The Human Resources Manager will serve as the firm’s primary on-site HR and employee-relations resource.

This individual will work directly with firm leadership, attorneys, paralegals, legal assistants, administrative staff, remote HR resources, payroll and benefits providers, and outside employment counsel when appropriate.

The right candidate must be able to earn employees’ trust while still addressing attendance, communication, professionalism, performance, policy, and workplace-conduct concerns directly.

This person must also be comfortable advising partners and senior attorneys, including respectfully explaining when a proposed employment action is inconsistent with firm policy, has not been adequately documented, or creates unnecessary risk.

Primary Responsibilities

Serve as the firm’s primary on-site HR and employee-relations resource.
Develop professional relationships with attorneys, paralegals, legal assistants, and administrative staff.
Conduct regular employee check-ins and identify concerns before they become larger workplace problems.
Help create a professional environment built on communication, accountability, respect, and consistent expectations.
Apply the employee handbook and workplace policies fairly and consistently.
Help supervisors establish clear responsibilities, performance expectations, and measurable standards.
Coach managers on communication, documentation, feedback, performance management, and corrective action.
Address attendance, punctuality, professionalism, communication, productivity, and workplace-conduct concerns.
Handle employee complaints and employee-relations matters from the initial report through appropriate resolution.
Conduct or coordinate fair, prompt, neutral, and well-documented workplace investigations.
Recognize when a complaint should be referred to outside employment counsel or an independent investigator.
Manage employee coaching, written warnings, performance-improvement plans, corrective action, and termination processes.
Ensure employment decisions are supported by accurate, consistent, and objective documentation.
Review timekeeping practices and address overtime, meal-period, rest-period, and off-the-clock-work concerns.
Coordinate employee leaves, disability accommodations, pregnancy-related accommodations, and return-to-work matters.
Coordinate workers’ compensation, unemployment, payroll, and benefits matters with the appropriate outside providers.
Manage new-hire onboarding, orientation, handbook acknowledgments, required documentation, and employee integration.
Manage offboarding, final documentation, return of firm property, and coordination of system and building-access termination.
Maintain confidential personnel, medical, investigation, leave, and performance records.
Track required workplace training, policy acknowledgments, certifications, and employment documentation.
Assist with recruiting, interviewing, reference checking, offers, and new-hire preparation.
Help draft and maintain accurate job descriptions and performance expectations.
Assist leadership in evaluating staffing needs, workload distribution, employee development, retention, and workplace morale.
Coordinate with office management and legal supervisors without interfering with attorneys’ legal judgment or case strategy.
Maintain strict confidentiality regarding employees, clients, cases, investigations, and firm operations.
Stay current on California employment practices and recognize when specialized legal guidance is necessary.

What Success Looks Like

The successful Human Resources Manager will help create an office where:

Employees clearly understand what is expected of them.
Managers address concerns promptly rather than allowing problems to grow.
Employees receive honest, respectful, and timely feedback.
Performance concerns are documented consistently.
Policies are applied fairly across departments and levels of seniority.
New employees receive organized and professional onboarding.
Departing employees are handled respectfully and securely.
Leadership receives candid, practical, and well-reasoned HR advice.
Employees feel comfortable raising concerns without believing HR will automatically take either side.
Accountability is viewed as part of a professional workplace, not as punishment.

Required Qualifications

At least five years of progressive human-resources experience.
At least three years of substantial, hands-on experience supporting California employees.
Direct experience handling employee relations, difficult workplace conversations, performance management, corrective action, and terminations.
Experience personally conducting or coordinating workplace investigations.
Working knowledge of California wage-and-hour practices, employee classifications, timekeeping, meal and rest periods, leaves, accommodations, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and personnel-record requirements.
Demonstrated ability to advise owners, executives, partners, or other senior professionals.
Ability to remain professional and objective when an issue involves a high-performing employee or member of management.
Experience coaching supervisors and helping them improve documentation, communication, and accountability.
Strong written communication, interviewing, documentation, and organizational skills.
Sound judgment regarding confidentiality, escalation, investigations, and the involvement of outside counsel.
Experience managing onboarding, offboarding, personnel records, payroll or benefits coordination, and policy implementation.
Ability to handle sensitive information with discretion.
Comfort working with HR information systems, payroll platforms, Microsoft Office, and related workplace technology.
Ability to work full-time and on-site in Calabasas, California.

Law-Firm Experience

Prior law-firm experience is preferred but is not required.

Candidates from accounting, consulting, insurance, healthcare, financial services, or other professional-services environments are encouraged to apply if they have strong California HR and employee-relations experience.

Candidates without law-firm experience should be prepared to explain how their prior experience translates to a confidential, deadline-driven professional environment where employees work with sensitive client information and regularly interact with senior professionals.

Preferred Education and Credentials

One or more of the following is preferred but not required:

PHRca — Professional in Human Resources, California
SHRM-SCP — SHRM Senior Certified Professional
SPHR — Senior Professional in Human Resources
PHR — Professional in Human Resources
SHRM-CP — SHRM Certified Professional
CLM — Certified Legal Manager
AWI workplace-investigation training or credential
Formal workplace-investigation training
Bachelor’s degree in human resources, business administration, organizational leadership, psychology, employment relations, or a related field

Substantial hands-on California HR experience may substitute for a particular degree or certification.

Personal Qualities We Value

The successful candidate will be:

Fair and consistent
Calm under pressure
Respectful but direct
Approachable without becoming overly informal
Discreet and trustworthy
Comfortable addressing difficult behavior
Willing to respectfully disagree with management when necessary
Able to separate facts from assumptions
Focused on correction and improvement before punishment
Organized and dependable
Strong with documentation and follow-through
Capable of balancing employee concerns with the firm’s operational needs
Comfortable working in a demanding, fast-moving professional environment

\nCompany Description

Join a growing, established West Valley professional services firm with a close-knit, team-oriented culture. We take pride in creating a supportive environment where employees are respected, cared for, and encouraged to grow. Our team is dedicated, hardworking, and collaborative, but we also value a relaxed, family-style atmosphere where people work together, communicate openly, and move in unison toward the same goals. This is a great opportunity for someone who wants to make a meaningful impact, help strengthen internal operations, and become an important part of a company that genuinely values its people.