26-27 Human Resources & Benefits Lead

Caliber Public Schools; Richmond (CA); On-site; USD 80,000 - 107,000; Full time

Job summary

Caliber Public Schools in Richmond, CA seeks a Human Resources and Benefits Lead to partner with the Managing Director of People in leading HR functions across Caliber affiliates. You will drive onboarding, offboarding, background checks, policy compliance, benefits administration, and leave management, while ensuring accurate records, audits, and data integrity.

This role requires California credentials, strong communication, and the ability to thrive in a dynamic, startup-like school

Qualifications

• Legal authorization to work in the U.S.
• Conversational Spanish required
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Experience in HR operations/compliance in a school setting preferred

Responsibilities

• Oversee onboarding and employee lifecycle processes to ensure smooth integration and retention.
• Maintain HR records, rosters, and personnel files with data accuracy and audit readiness.
• Coordinate compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws; support CALPADS and OSHA reporting.

Skills

Legal work authorization

Spanish fluency

Communication skills

Google Apps

Microsoft Office

Education

BA or BS degree

Masters degree or higher preferred

Tools

Google Apps

Microsoft Office

Student data systems (Illuminate)

Job description

Salary Scale:

$80,000-$107,000 (based years of experience and expertise)

*Scales are competitive with other charter school organizations and local districts

About Caliber Schools

Our mission at Caliber Schools is to shift the experiences, expectations, and outcomes for students in historically underserved communities. We provide students with a challenging and engaging personalized education that equips them with the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in competitive colleges, careers, and communities. Caliber graduates will be academically college ready; have emotional intelligence or ‘EQ’; be critical thinkers, and have the skills and desire to be changemakers in their communities and the world.

Caliber’s four graduate pillars--Heart, Smart, Think, Act--guide our work. We are a community-based organization and celebrate the diversity of the communities we serve. Our parents are active partners; frequently engaging through school events, restorative practices, and academic support.

We are looking for educators and leaders who want the opportunity to use their voice to build something new; to be a part of a team that's building something from the ground up. Our first school, Beta Academy in Richmond, CA, opened in 2014 and ChangeMakers Academy in Vallejo, CA opened in fall 2016.

Position Summary

The Human Resources and Benefits Lead is responsible for supporting the Managing Director of People in leading all routine functions involving Human Resources at Caliber Public Schools and all of its affiliates.

While this job description is comprehensive, due to the dynamic nature of the work it is not exhaustive. Your responsibilities might be revised based on school needs or additional opportunities/needs that arise, or aligned to individual development goals.

Essential Job Functions

Human Resources:

Onboarding & Employee Lifecycle

• Lead New Hire Onboarding: Oversee the end-to-end onboarding experience—welcoming new employees, serving as their primary point of contact for questions, following up on pre-hire materials, and executing seamless role transitions to drive early engagement and long-term retention.
• Streamline Offboarding: Develop, communicate, and execute standardized employee termination and offboarding processes to ensure smooth exits and institutional security.
• Background Checks & Mandatory Trainings: Process Certificates of Clearance through the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC), manage background checks, and track required mandatory staff trainings.

HR Operations & Personnel Records

• Maintain Record Integrity: Ensure employee rosters and personal files are thorough, accurate, and up-to-date, including offer letters, employee change notifications, and Form I-9 employment eligibility records.
• System Administration & Auditing: Manage and routinely audit HR systems to guarantee data accuracy and operational efficiency across all platforms.

Compliance, Reporting & Audit Support

• Legal & Regulatory Compliance: Help ensure organizational compliance with all federal, state, and local employment laws, regulations, and recommended best practices.
• Mandatory State & Federal Reporting: Partner with the Data and People Teams to complete required reporting, including CALPADS and OSHA submissions.
• Audit Preparation: Support the collection, organization, and submission of HR documentation requested by authorizers, auditors, or regulatory agencies.
• Benefits & Retirement Plan Management: Coordinate annual evaluations of benefits plans and support the annual 401(k) plan audit.
• Workers’ Compensation: Manage workers’ compensation claims, track active cases, and support injury prevention/safety program development.
• Strategic Workforce Planning: Collaborate with the Talent Team to design and administer competitive compensation, benefits, and staff development programs that attract and retain top talent.

Accommodations, Interactive Process & Case Management

• Interactive Accommodation Process: Serve as the primary point of contact for employees requesting workplace accommodations under the worker’s compensation claims, ADA, PWFA, or medical needs, leading the interactive process to assess needs and identify reasonable solutions.
• Supervisor Support: Train and guide supervisors on navigating accommodation requests.
• Accommodation Execution & Tracking: Maintain a centralized tracking system to monitor ongoing effectiveness of accommodations.

Leave Management & Case Administration

• Leave Administration: Manage and oversee the end-to-end leave process, including FMLA, CFRA, and other state/federal leave requirements, ensuring compliance and accurate documentation.
• Case Management: Serve as the primary point of contact for employees requesting or on leave, facilitating communication and providing support throughout their leave duration.
• Return-to-Work Coordination: Coordinate the return-to-work process, ensuring seamless transitions, verifying clearance, and addressing any necessary accommodations.
• Stakeholder Communication: Proactively communicate with relevant stakeholders regarding leave status updates, impact on team operations, and return-to-work timelines while maintaining confidentiality.
• Staff Retention Initiatives: Support the People Team in developing and implementing programs designed to boost morale, engagement, and staff retention.
• Cross-Functional Guidance: Provide actionable HR insights and strategic support for Caliber-wide priorities, leadership initiatives, and organizational projects.
• Flexible Support & General Duties: Support the People Team with daily operations to meet employee needs, maintain compliance, and perform any and all related duties or special projects as assigned by evolving organizational needs.

This job operates in an office/school environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment. Position requires work at a computer/video display terminal and desk for periods of time. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions of this position.

Physical Abilities:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. This position classification involves sitting with some walking and standing for extended periods of time. Staff may be required to lift, pull or push objects approximately 50 pounds or less. The employee will encounter exposure to ill students. The position requires mobility to climb, kneel, stoop, crawl, reach and bend, and accurate perceiving of sound; near and far vision with the ability to read small print; depth dexterity; and the providing of oral information and direction. The position is primarily located at a school site with outside supervision and some district office visits. The employee will frequently work independently with high work volume and tight deadlines.

Qualifications

Required:

• Legal authorization to work in the U.S.
• Within 60 days of hire, provision of TB (tuberculin) clearance, as mandated by the California Education Code
• CA DOJ and FBI fingerprint (Livescan) clearance prior to the first day of school

Preferred:

Education

• BA or BS degree
• Masters degree or higher preferred

Experience

• 5–10 years of dedicated HR operational or school based experience
• Demonstrated expertise in benefits administration and HR compliance.
• Prior professional experience in a school or educational setting is preferred.

Skills

• Demonstrated ability to effectively support a number of team members simultaneously
• Ability to work with an ethnically and socioeconomically diverse team
• Strong project and task prioritization skills required to ensure that projects are completed on time in a fast-paced and dynamic “start‑up” working environment
• Strong written and oral communication skills
• Flexible and adaptable to shifting needs and work cycles throughout the school year
• Conversational Spanish ability required, Spanish fluency required
• Strong Google Apps (Docs, Sheets, Slides, etc.) and Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Powerpoint) skills required
• Experience with student data systems (e.g., Illuminate) a plus

Mindsets

• Strong customer-service orientation and understanding of the support needs of a school environment
• Deep commitment to Caliber Public Schools’ educational mission and strong desire to make a difference in a high-performing organization

Values

• Are committed to a culture of feedback, development and continuous improvement,
• Validate and affirm the identities, strengths and passions of each person,
• Know that It is everyone’s collective responsibility to work in service of and alongside our school communities, and
• Approach situations and people with empathy and kindness

Caliber Schools provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, marital status, or status as a covered veteran in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws.

If you need assistance or accommodation due to a disability, you may contact us at [e-mail]