Immigrant Defenders Law Center (“ImmDef”) is a next-generation, social justice law firm that provides high-quality representation and legal services to immigrants in Southern California and beyond. ImmDef was founded with the belief that no immigrant should be forced to face an unjust immigration system alone and our universal representation programs are a first step towards that goal. Learn more about us at www.immdef.org.

The Director of Human Resources oversees all activities related to the organization’s HR needs for nearly 180 staff across four offices in Southern California. Responsibilities include but are not limited to employee and labor relations, recruiting and onboarding, payroll and benefits administration, leave management, maintenance of employee records, and performance management within a complex environment. The ideal candidate will have a minimum of 10 years’ experience in human resource management in a mission-driven organization. An understanding of the needs of a legal organization is a plus, as is the desire to expand and improve the HR function in a dynamic nonprofit.

Job responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

Employee Relations

• Manage the HR team to ensure effective, compliant, and equitable work practices as they relate to employee and labor relations, payroll and compensation, performance management and the employee life cycle.
• Develop, maintain, interpret, and apply employee handbook, policies, procedures, practices, and regulations consistently and assure compliance with applicable federal, state and local labor laws, rules and regulations.
• Provide coaching and guidance to staff and managers while encouraging innovative solutions to personnel matters.
• Conduct investigations and research employee grievances in compliance with established procedures.
• Collaborate with union representatives regarding employee issues; maintain compliance with Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
• Serve as liaison with outside legal counsel and/or HR consultant on HR-related legal issues.

Compensation, Benefits, and Leaves of Absence

• Maintain the organization’s existing compensation structure and benefits ensuring consistency, equity, and competitiveness; make recommendations to leadership on potential improvements.
• Oversee benefits plan renewals and open enrollment periods; regularly audit benefits statements for accuracy.
• Serve as the staff lead for all 401(k) administration responsibilities, in coordination with our third-party administrator.
• Coordinate all leaves of absences, including FMLA/CFRA, ADA, and Personal LOA in compliance with all federal, state and local leave laws, in conjunction with ImmDef’s internal policies and CBA; maintain communication with employees on leave to facilitate smooth and timely return to work.
• Review, examine, and resolve Worker’s Compensation claims; monitor employees’ recovery to achieve medically approved return to work in limited or full duty status.
• Review and prepare 1095-C/ACA reports annually.

Recruitment, Retention & Onboarding

• Develop and revise job descriptions and job postings as needed to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in the recruitment and retention process.
• Develop strategic recruitment practices to attract top talent of attorneys, managers, legal support staff, and other positions to effectively serve our clients and community.
• Develop and coordinate employee onboarding and orientation programs to facilitate understanding of internal policies, procedures and expectations.
• Provide input on employee retention programs, employee surveys and other projects related to staff morale, diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Develop and oversee programs related to staff appreciation and organizational culture including happy hours, holiday parties, and staff summer events.

Performance Management & Professional Development

• In collaboration with management staff, design and coordinate effective and relevant employee performance management system with an emphasis on job performance and elimination of bias in the performance management process.
• Work with managers to create professional development plans and programs that are aligned with ImmDef’s goals.
• Identify management training needs; develop and administer trainings on an ongoing basis.
• Provide overall direction in the day-to-day operations of the Human Resources department, including setting priorities to meet HR’s overall goals and initiatives.

Payroll & HRIS

• Direct the implementation and testing of improvements to HRIS (UKG) including recruitment, time & attendance, and performance management modules.
• Oversee payroll functions and processing; identify new approaches to improve and streamline current systems; conduct final audit of payroll to ensure proper processing.
• Review and prepare EEO-1 annual report.

• B.A. or M.A. in Human Resources, Business, Public Administration, or other related fields (or commensurate practical experience).
• SPHR or SHRM-CP/SCP certification desirable.
• A minimum of ten years experience in the Human Resources field, including experience working in a nonprofit legal services environment, with employee unions, and implementing CBA requirements.
• Experience handling issues related to employee benefits and compensation, organizational planning, employee relations and recruiting.
• Specialized training and experience in California labor law, compensation and benefits, safety and employee relations required.
• Proven success record of effective management coaching.
• Experience administering FMLA, CFRA, ADA, parental, and other leaves of absence.
• Understanding of ADA workplace accommodations and interactive process.
• Experience with Alternative Work Schedules and associated requirements helpful.
• Outstanding relationship building and professional communication skills.
• Analytical thinker who approaches challenges strategically with an optimistic, can-do attitude.
• Proven track record of efficient time and project management, and the ability to work independently in certain situations with minimal direct supervision.
• Strong attention to detail is a must.
• Strong diplomacy skills are essential.
• Commitment to social justice and ImmDef’s mission to defend our immigrant communities against systemic injustices in the immigration system.

We encourage all qualified applicants to apply for a position fighting for our immigrant communities!

Immigrant Defenders Law Center is an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer. We value diversity in the workplace and strongly encourage applications from all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, gender, sex, age, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, ethnic group identification, citizenship, marital or familial status, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, medical condition, military and veteran status, gender identity or expression, genetic information, arrest or conviction record, or any other protected characteristic.

Due to the large number of applicants, we are unable to respond to every applicant and will only contact those who are invited to interview for the position.

Schedule:

• ImmDef’s standard work schedule is 35 hours per week, or 70 hours per pay period, with flexible scheduling options including hybrid and compressed schedules that allow staff to take up to one day off per week without needing to use paid time off.
• Hybrid Work Schedule: Staff in exempt positions at ImmDef are expected to be in the office a minimum of 3 days per week, with 2 days available to work remotely.

Professional Memberships:

• ImmDef provides eligible staff with $150 towards the professional association of their choice, as well as opportunities to attend conferences, trainings and seminars/webinars hosted internally and by partner organizations.

Holidays and Paid Time Off :

• 13 paid holidays
• 1-Week paid winter break between Christmas and New Years
• 15 vacation days per year
• 15 Sick Days per year

Health, Dental and Vision Insurance:

• ImmDef provides health coverage on the first of the month following 30 days on the job.
• We cover 100% of premiums for our base dental and vision plans for our staff members and 75% of base plan dental and vision premiums for their dependents. ImmDef also covers 94% of the base plan medical premiums for our staff and 69% of the base plan medical premiums for their dependents.

FSA and Dependent Care FSA:

• ImmDef offers FSA plans to help offset the costs of eligible health care expenses for you, your spouse, and your eligible dependents using pre-tax dollars.
• We also offer Dependent Care FSA to pay for eligible dependent care services, such as preschool, summer day camp, before or after school programs, and child or adult daycare.
• Eligible for Parental Leave which includes six (6) weeks of ImmDef paid leave.

401(k) Retirement Savings Plan & Employer Matching:

• ImmDef staff are eligible to enroll in our 401(k) plans immediately upon hire, contributing pre-tax dollars towards their retirement goals
• After six months on staff, ImmDef will match 100% of contributions up to 3% of the employee’s salary
• Funds are vested immediately!

Public Service Loan Forgiveness

• As a 501(c)3, full-time ImmDef staff with qualifying student loans are eligible for the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness

Parking and Public Transportation Stipends:

• Staff members assigned to an office without free on-site parking are eligible to receive a parking stipend of up to $105 per month in actual accrued parking or transportation costs, paid through a pre-tax commuter benefit account.
• Staff in all offices are eligible to receive a public transportation stipend of up to $100 per month in actual accrued public transportation costs.

Cell Phone Stipends:

• ImmDef provides a $15 monthly cell phone stipend to staff members whose job duties require them to consistently work at sites outside of ImmDef offices, or travel between ImmDef worksites, and whose jobs require use of their personal cell phones or communications that cannot be accomplished with ImmDef-issued equipment.