POSITION : Director of Human Resources (California)
ORGANIZATION : Urban Alchemy
LOCATION : San Francisco, California
WEBSITE :
ORGANIZATION : Urban Alchemy hires individuals who were once incarcerated and trains them to transform people and places through love and respect. They provide services that heal communities challenged by the intersection of extreme poverty, mental illness, addiction and homelessness. When individuals are suffering in our public spaces, Urban Alchemy offers solutions. When a neighborhood, street, or intersection earns a reputation as a place to avoid, they turn it around. Urban Alchemy staff, known as Practitioners, create a peaceful and supportive presence, helping our communities rebuild a sense of pride one person at a time.
Urban Alchemy is a nonprofit organization founded in 2018. They quickly grew from a small program in San Francisco to a thriving social enterprise with over 1,300 staff and an approximate $110 million annual budget. They currently have operations in California, Alabama, Oregon, and Texas and continue to expand nationally. Over 95% of Urban Alchemy employees, including leadership, have experienced incarceration and/or homelessness.
REPORTING RELATIONSHIP : The Director of Human Resources reports directly to the Chief Human Resources Officer.
POSITION SUMMARY : The Director of Human Resources is a senior leader responsible for managing and optimizing the organization's HR operational functions for California (Bay Area and Greater Los Angeles Area). This role oversees a team of HR Managers, Generalists, Coordinators and Benefits Specialists across two regions, ensuring the effective delivery of human resources services. The ideal candidate will have a strategic mindset, strong leadership skills, and extensive experience in management, HR operations, process improvement, and compliance. This position plays a key role in shaping HR strategy, building systems for a growing HR team and execution of the HR strategy.
The Director of Development will be a trusted and valued professional partner to the CHRO, both in the strategy and executive of HR. The Director of Human Resources will build, lead and develop a talented team of HR professionals.
SCOPE AND RESPONSIBILITIES : Key responsibilities for the Director of Human Resources include:
Strategic Leadership
• Lead and develop the HR Operations team in the California region (SF and LA), providing supervision, mentoring and coaching to the HR Managers, HR Generalists and Benefits
Specialists.
• Collaborate with the CHRO and the second Director of Human Resources to define and implement HR strategies that align with organizational goals.
• Optimize HR processes for efficiency and scalability.
• Serve as a key liaison between HR and other departments, fostering strong working relationships and ensuring alignment on organizational priorities.
HR Service Delivery
• Manage and ensure quality control and consistency within the day-to-day HR services, including onboarding, offboarding, record-keeping and employment-related requests.
• Act as a senior escalation point for complex HR issues and provide guidance on resolution.
• Partner with other HR leaders (Employee Relations, Payroll) to deliver comprehensive HR solutions.
• Partner with Operations leaders to understand and anticipate business needs and provide tailored HR support.
Benefits Administration
• Oversee the processing of workers' compensation claims and leave of absence cases, ensuring timely and accurate handling, including accommodations.
• Support with the annual open enrollment process.
Compliance & Risk Management
• Ensures the HR Ops team is in compliance with local, state, and federal employment laws and regulations.
• Manage the mandatory reporting requirements calendar and year-end compliance reporting for federal, state and local agencies.
• Lead the organization’s safety committee.
• Lead HR audits, policy updates, and implementation of best practices to mitigate risks.
• Monitor HR metrics and use data-driven insights to inform decision-making and reporting to senior leadership.
• Maintains knowledge of trends, best practices, regulatory changes, and new technologies in human resources, HR technologies and employment law.
Quality Assurance & Standardization
• Lead quality assurance initiatives across the HR Operations team, ensuring consistency, accuracy, and compliance in all HR processes and documentation, including job descriptions,
policies, and employee communications.
• Regularly review and update job descriptions and HR documentation, collaborating with HR leaders to ensure alignment with organizational needs, legal requirements, and industry best practices
• Implement standardized templates and guidelines for the HR Ops team to maintain high-quality, consistent deliverables.
QUALIFICATIONS :
• Ten plus years of HR experience, with at least five years in a leadership role managing multi-state HR operations teams.
• Proven experience leading a team of HR professionals, including direct management of managers.
• Proven track record of leading process improvement initiatives and driving operational efficiency on an HR team.
• Strong data analysis skills with the ability to interpret HR metrics and trends to inform strategic decisions.
• Exceptional people skills and excellent judgment that allows you to remain neutral in the face of confidential, challenging, and sensitive information.
• Outstanding follow-through skills. Self-directed and highly motivated with a strong sense of urgency.
• Ability to be a genuine team player with an interest in building community and authentic relationships.
• Ability to be comfortable in startup environment with high ambiguity.
• Ability to establish and monitor priorities, maintain flexibility and meet deadlines with limited direct supervision.
• Works well under pressure in a demanding, fast paced work environment. Ability to operate with purpose, urgency and accuracy.
• Values being kind to teammates, employees, guests, and others.
• Ability to engage and motivate groups of diverse individuals.
• Lived experience with incarceration and/or homelessness strongly preferred.
• Passion for and experience working directly with underserved, diverse communities a plus.
• Strong knowledge of California and federal labor law (FMLA, CFRA, wage, and hour, EEO, ADA, employment laws, etc.).
• Excellent computer skills and knowledge of how to use office software programs, including HRIS systems, Google Suite and Microsoft Office.
PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS: The Director of Human Resources should embody the following personal characteristics:
• A deep commitment to goals and mission of Urban Alchemy.
• A personable, flexible, diplomatic, and respectful demeanor.
• Proven ability to serve as a team player, mentor, and leader to motivate and inspire staff and colleagues.
• Transparency in all work.
• A well-organized and focused individual that is capable of and interested in increasing the effectiveness of the HR team.
• Extremely proactive approach to work. Someone that is solutions oriented.
• Must have a growth mindset. Comfortable with startup situations with high ambiguity and bringing about organizational structure.
• A good listener and strategist. Comfortable receiving input from many sources and able to analyze and formulate disparate information to a sound, well-organized plan.
• Intrepid yet tactful. Determined yet respectful of others’ concerns. A skilled negotiator who is open to other viewpoints.
• Ability to work both independently with minimal supervision and cooperatively in a team environment.
• Self-starter with ability to quickly create a positive network of relationships.
• A hard worker with a high energy level. A ‘doer’ with a willingness to work hands-on in developing and executing a variety of HR related activities.
• Ability to work well under pressure and adapt easily to changing situations and priorities. Good judgment and consensus building skills.
• Willingness to accept additional responsibilities as requested by the CHRO.
• Impeccable integrity, entrepreneurial spirit and a sense of humor.
EDUCATION : Bachelor’s degree in human resources, Business Administration, or related field preferred. HR certification (e.g., PHR, SPHR, SHRMCP) preferred.
COMPENSATION : The target compensation range for this position is $120,000 to $150,000, which will be based upon background and experience.
CONTACT : Scott E. Miller
Direct: (415) 613-1354
Scott Miller Executive Search
3041 Baker Street
San Francisco, CA 94123
Urban Alchemy shares a special bond with society’s most vulnerable because they see themselves in their struggle. When doing their work, they recognize the humanity in those who are struggling and treat them how they once wished others had treated them. People who have been incarcerated, experienced homelessness and/or come from marginalized communities are
strongly encouraged to apply because they believe they have unique skills and abilities to engage with people who are struggling. Urban Alchemy provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. Urban Alchemy prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type.