Senior Human Resource Manager

JOB DESCRIPTION

April 2026

SENIOR HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER

ELLA BAKER CENTER
FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
OAKLAND CA

ORGANIZATIONAL BACKGROUND

The Ella Baker Center for Human Rights (EBC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Oakland California organizing to shift resources away from prisons and punishment towards opportunities that make our communities safe healthy and strong. Named after civil rights hero Ella Baker we mobilize Black Brown and low-income people to build power in our communities. For over 25 years we have worked from the community to the legislative level to free our people from state violence. We are currently working to end mass incarceration and mass criminalization in the United States through Truth and Reinvestmentmoving resources away from failed criminal legal policies and into creating opportunities also known as books not bars jobs not jails healthcare not handcuffs. Through our programs such as successful organizing in Alameda County a robust state policy platform and national leadership in the movement to end mass incarceration EBC is building a culture of care to replace cages and cops.

The Ella Baker Center Action Fund (EBCAF) is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization and a separate but affiliated organization with the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights. EBCAF mobilizes our communities current and formerly incarcerated people their loved ones people who are low income and Black and Brown communities to exercise their full political power and hold institutions accountable. Like our namesake Ella Baker we understand that true power lies within the people. EBCAF was born out of the vision to further build power amongst those most impacted by incarceration and criminalization. We mobilize these communities to ensure that our elected officials are focused on addressing the root causes of harm in our communities instead of investing in failing institutions such as prisons and policing that exacerbate that harm.

OUR VALUES

At Ella Baker Center we win by doing our liberation work in alignment with and guided by our core values:

1. Prioritize people most impacted by policing and prisons
2. Accountability
3. Black Liberation
4. Interconnection
5. Transformation
6. Culture of Care and Healing
7. Self-Determination

The ideal candidate at EBC understands that our work uplifts the leadership and strategies of those most impacted by the criminal system: working-class people of color. Our primary aspiration is Black liberation as these communities are the most harmed by policing and prisons. We practice accountability to our communities and each other by giving and receiving feedback communicating directly and building a culture of restorative justice.

We seek staff who are looking to not only transform the world but are themselves excited to be personally transformed by organizing for liberation while caring for ourselves or each other. Transformation means that we do not turn anyone away who seeks our advocacy or support based on what the state has charged them with. Inherent in collective liberation work we ask our staff to do the personal work of organizing to dismantle white supremacy and cisheteropatriarchy and practice anti-oppression in everyday relationships. Our values mean we are building a leaderful movement with an emphasis on those who have been systematically denied leadership and power.

ABOUT THE ROLE

Reporting directly to the Managing Director the Senior Human Resources Manager is a high impact position that will support the development and implementation of HR strategies. This position will play an instrumental role in ensuring that we promote a workplace culture that centers EBCs mission vision and values while promoting an optimal experience for all employees. The Senior Human Resources Manager will be responsible for building strategies systems and processes that drive growth and that centers the mission vision and values of the Ella Baker Center. As a member of the Administrative Team the Senior Human Resources Manager will support the leadership in ensuring that the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights has the right people systems and processes to meet its goals and drive impact. The Senior Human Resources Manager will support and coordinate the execution of key people and culture functions such as recruitment retention performance management professional development compensation and benefits and employee engagement.

This role serves as an internal expert in California employment law and labor relations ensuring full compliance and the consistent application of policies and practices across the organization while leading postcollective bargaining agreement implementation by translating contract provisions into clear compliant and consistently applied organizational systems policies and practices.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

HR Strategy and Implementation

• Manage the administration of human resource programs including but not limited to HRIS compensation benefits and leaves.
• Provide proactive leadership and professional expertise in all areas of human resources management including benefits payroll employee relations compliance and performance across full-time employees and contractors.
• Maintain knowledge of trends best practices regulatory changes and new technologies in human resources talent management and employment law to keep the organization in regulatory compliance.
• Research develop and implement periodic competitive compensation benefits performance appraisal and employee incentive programs including compensation benchmarking.
• Audit review refine and ensure individual as well as collective accountability to Ella Baker Centers policies procedures and processes.
• Support organizational leaders and managers with training and organization-wide staffing strategy ensuring the recruitment function has clear hiring goals and varied recruitment strategies.
• Work with managers throughout the organization to help define establish and communicate annual goals for team members and ensure that managers are tracking progress against goals.
• Support the organizational strategic planning process around human resource management talent acquisition compliance risk management and fiscal accountability.
• Collaborate with the Administrative Team to Identify and manage consultants to support organizational initiatives focused on culture wellness and engagement (restorative justice wellness program training plan).
• Serve as the primary internal advisor to leadership on complex HR compliance and employee relations matters.
• Lead the implementation of collective bargaining agreement provisions across organizational systems and practices.
• Identify gaps between current practices and legal or contractual requirements and implement solutions to ensure alignment.

Employee Engagement

• Formulate and recommend personnel policies procedures and objectives for the organization to the senior management team.
• Determine and recommend employee engagement practices necessary to establish a positive employer-employee relationship and promote a high level of staff engagement.
• Create systems to collect and review staff feedback and conduct internal reviews to ensure organizational learning and improvement.
• Work with staff and managers to help foster an environment that is welcoming and centers Ella Baker Centers values.
• Coordinate management training in interviewing hiring terminations performance management safety sexual harassment and other relevant programs.
• Ensure training aligns with organizational policies compliance requirements and best practices
• Assist managers with facilitating employee relations conversations of a sensitive nature helping to resolve conflicts or disputes.
• Provide guidance to managers on handling sensitive employee relations matters in a consistent equitable and legally compliant manner.
• Communicate and ensure that all staff individually and collectively follow and are accountable to Ella Baker Centers policies and procedures (such as Overtime protocols and policies Sick Donation Policy Sabbatical Policy and Unpaid Leave Policy).
• Monitor and address inconsistencies in policy enforcement to reduce organizational risk.

Talent Acquisition and Staffing

• Ensure compliance with all employment laws and continually research and implement best practices for recruitment and hiring processes.
• Evaluate recruitment processes on an ongoing basis report findings and make recommendations for improvements based on data outcome and organizational need.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to hiring managers to support informed recruiting decisions and effective onboarding that promotes long-term staff success.
• Support the development and implementation of onboarding practices that promote staff retention and long-term success.
• Work with the Administrative Team to facilitate recruitment efforts including updating job descriptions posting new positions and scheduling interviews.
• Co-develop and refine performance evaluation processes to further enable managers to provide meaningful and actionable reviews.
• Collaborate with managers to develop systems and strategies to support ongoing staff and professional development that drive continuous learning; create opportunities for training coaching advising and mentoring.
• Collaboratively work with the Administrative Team to identify training opportunities to drive increased impact ensuring that team members have the opportunity to address development needs attend conferences and participate in other courses and convenings.
• Oversee and coordinate onboarding processes to ensure all administrative and system access needs (e.g. email phone technology and account setup) are completed prior to or on an employees start date in partnership with appropriate staff.

Human Resources Administration and Compliance

• Serve as point person for documenting grievances disciplinary processes and internal investigations.
• Ensure compliance with workplace laws claims and regulations including discrimination and employment-related claims
• Serves as the primary contact for benefits providers and supports benefits administration negotiating rates and overseeing payments to insurance carriers.
• Ensure regular review updates and implementation of the Employee Handbook and Onboarding Guide to reflect legal and organizational requirements.
• Serve as a backup administrator with Finance for payroll and retirement plan administration.
• In Collaboration with the Director of Finance support with internal and external audits (workers comp 403b and financial audits).
• Assist the Finance team with processing payroll.
• Works collectively with the Director of Finance to manage the employee Resiliency and Wellness Program.
• Manage and Troubleshoot phone and email access contract renewals administrative contract renewals
• Ensure the functioning ordering and maintenance of office equipment with the support of the Administrative Coordinator.
• Serve as the co-liaison (alongside EBCs Administrative Coordinator) for IT setup and administrative support.

JOB REQUIREMENTS

• Must be able to remain in a stationary position at least 50% of the time.
• Needs to be able to move about inside the office to access file cabinets office machinery etc.
• Constantly operates a computer and other office productivity machinery such as a calculator copy machine and printer.
• This position needs to be able to use a telephone and communicate with staff vendors and other members of the public.
• Nothing in this job description restricts Ella Baker Centers right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.

Key Qualifications

• Bachelors degree in Human Resources Organizational Development or a related field preferred; SHRM-CP PHR or equivalent certification a plus.
• Minimum of 57 years of Human Resources experience including employee relations compliance and HR processes.
• Working knowledge of office productivity software (MS Office Suite) is required.
• Working knowledge of California employment law and employment regulations.
• Experience supporting employee relations matters federal law conflict resolution and performance management.
• Experience with payroll systems preferred-QuickBooks a plus.
• Experience in customer service or account management is a plus.
• Ability to multitask and handle competing demands; prioritize and manage focus and productivity effectively; ability to manage time and meet deadlines.
• Ability to work independently and demonstrate strong initiative and leadership.
• Excellent writing editing proofing and verbal skills.
• Ability to handle confidential and sensitive information with sound judgment and discretion.
• High level of interpersonal skills to handle time-sensitive and confidential situations with professionalism.
• Superior organizational skills and the ability to create implement and maintain systems to improve the efficiency of the office.
• Ability to work independently and demonstrate initiative.
• Proficiency in Mac interfaces and all Microsoft Office applications.
• Familiarity with and commitment to racial and social justice; a clear understanding of EBCs mission and programs.
• Nonprofit experience and bilingual skills are a plus.

Competencies

• Expertise in employment law HR compliance and labor relations
• Employee relations and conflict resolution including the ability to navigate sensitive and complex workplace situations with sound judgment and discretion
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to assess complex issues and make informed data-driven decisions
• Organizational and project management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and ensure follow-through
• Clear and effective communication skills both written and verbal with the ability to communicate across all levels of staff
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive information with professionalism and integrity
• Relationship-building and collaboration skills with the ability to work effectively across teams and support managers
• Adaptability and comfort working in a fast-paced evolving nonprofit environment

REPORTING RELATIONSHIP

This is a full-time salaried exempt position. The Senior Human Resources Manager reports directly to the Managing Director.

SALARY AND BENEFITS

Salary range: $100000-$112000K depending on professional and lived experience. The Ella Baker Center for Human Rights offers a competitive benefits package to its full-time employees which includes employee health vision dental chiropractor acupuncture LTD life insurance EAP paid holidays vacation and sick time and the option to enroll in a 401k program. We cover 100% of the employee-only premiums for all medical coverage. Medical coverage begins the 1st of the month after the date of hire.

EVERYONE WELCOME

The Ella Baker Center is an equal opportunity employer. Individuals of color 2SLGBTQIA people individuals with past involvement in the criminal legal system or who have loved ones currently or formerly impacted by the criminal legal system are strongly encouraged to apply. We do not require candidates to have a degree and we welcome candidates with nontraditional backgrounds. We believe in both the necessity in building a broad diverse movement to effectuate change and the importance of centering the experiences and leadership of those most impacted by the legal system. We are committed to investing in the leadership of people of color and formerly incarcerated people. If you are wondering if you are qualified to apply please do.

COVID VACCINATION

The Ella Baker Center for Human Rights recommends vaccinations to prevent the spread of communicable diseases. Fully vaccinated is determined two weeks after completing a primary immunization with a COVID-19 vaccine with if applicable at least the minimum recommended interval between doses. All newly hired employees are requested to report their vaccination status and to provide proof of vaccination. The Ella Baker Center for Human Rights requires all employees to wear a mask when working within the building and at EBC-sponsored gatherings. Employees may be legally entitled to a reasonable accommodation if they cannot be vaccinated and/or wear a face covering (as otherwise required by this policy) because of a disability or if the provisions in this policy for vaccination and/or testing for COVID-19 and/or wearing a face covering conflicts with a sincerely held religious belief practice or observance.

Nothing in this job description restricts Ella Baker Centers right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time. Please note that this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Required Experience:

Manager