Director, HR Business Partner

AAA Mountain West Group; Walnut Creek (CA); Hybrid; USD 159,000 - 199,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401k Matching

Medical, Dental, Vision

Wellness program

Paid Holidays

Paid Time Off with volunteer time

AAA Classic Membership

Product Discounts

Tuition Reimbursement

Job summary

AAA Mountain West Group is seeking aDirector of HR Business Partners in Walnut Creek, CA. You will serve as a strategic advisor to senior leaders, shaping people strategies to align with business objectives and oversee cross‑functional People & Culture initiatives.

You will lead talent strategy, workforce planning, and executive coaching while managing complex employee relations cases and IT-enabled HR transformations. Hybrid work with 3 days onsite weekly in Walnut Creek.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources or a related field.
• HR Certification (SHRM-CP or PHR) required.
• MBA or Master’s degree in HR/Business preferred.
• Senior-level certifications (SHRM-SCP or SPHR) preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic guidance to directors and senior leaders on organizational health and talent needs.
• Lead talent strategy, development plans, succession planning and workforce planning.
• Coach leaders and manage change initiatives, including organizational design and work redesign.
• Oversee sensitive Employee Relations matters and ensure policy compliance and effective resolution.

Skills

Executive coaching

People analytics

Organizational design

Change management

Stakeholder management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in HR or related field

SHRM-CP or PHR certification

MBA or Master’s in HR/Business

SHRM-SCP or SPHR (preferred)

Job description

Why Work For Us?

• Great Pay - opportunity to participate in AAA discretionary annual incentive plan or other incentive plans depending upon position 401k Matching – $1 for $1 company match up to 6% of eligible earnings per pay period
• Benefits – Medical, Dental, Vision, wellness program and more!
• Paid Holidays
• Paid Time Off – Team Members accrue paid time off monthly. Depending on position, an additional 24 hours per year are earmarked for volunteer activities.
• Collaborative Environment – AAA will value your contribution to providing exceptional service to our members
• Free AAA Classic Membership
• AAA Product Discounts
• Tuition Reimbursement Program

At AAA, our Team Members strive to deliver amazing service and help our Members live life more confidently by delivering to them amazing service and a portfolio of outstanding products that benefit them. In doing so, we align with our True North vision of creating Members for life.

NOTE: This role is hybrid and requires 3 days a week in our Walnut Creek, CA office.

The Director, HR Business Partners serves as a strategic advisor to business leaders, shaping people strategies that directly support business objectives. This position manages complex talent issues, organizational design, and workforce planning. As a pivotal leader and liaison within the organization, the Director provides proactive consultation to empower leaders through transformative change management, handles executive coaching, and oversees cross-functional People & Culture initiatives. This ensures that people's decisions are strategically aligned, fact‑based and promote an exceptional Team Member and Member experience.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Business Partnership & Consultation

Offers strategic guidance to directors and senior leaders within a specific business function, providing custom workforce strategies and anticipating talent challenges before they escalated. Serves as a thought partner and trusted advisor on organizational health, capabilities, and evolving digital and AI‑operating model needs, while actively coaching leaders on effectiveness and work redesign, performance, team dynamics, and cultural expectations. Translates people analytics and AI‑driven workforce insights, guiding leaders on data‑informed talent decisions that result in actionable business plans. Drives change management planning and execution for major initiatives. Supports a high‑performance culture by partnering with business line leaders, cultivating a responsive environment that facilitates open communication. Provides guidance and coaching on sensitive workplace and people issues; oversees the resolution of highly complex Employee Relations (ER) cases with significant business impact.

Strategic Talent Strategy & Deployment

Leads the development and deployment of talent strategies aligned to specific business functions, focusing on talent management and development plans, leadership quality, workforce upskilling, and succession pipeline strength. Influences functional Centers of Excellence (COEs) to shape enterprise programs based on business needs and data insights. Partners with finance and business leaders to forecast talent investments and productivity needs, managing talent reviews, succession planning, and workforce planning. Analyzes engagement survey results to create and lead targeted action plans for specific departments. Defines and leads cross‑functional talent projects, utilizing project management skills to oversee HR technology implementations and large‑scale process or program changes. Engages in agile work cycles and proactively identifies best practices to scale across the team translating business goals into people initiatives that advance performance, engagement and workforce solutions.

HR Team Leadership

Develops a team of professional HR Business Partners ensuring they effectively coach managers on people issues, handles performance management, and maintains consistent policy application across the organization. Builds HR team capability through coaching, training, and feedback on consulting skills, people analytics interpretation, and business acumen, enabling HR managers to elevate their strategic contribution beyond transactional work. Balances strategic advisory with operational oversight, ensuring day‑to‑day HR execution (employee relations, performance coaching, policy compliance) runs smoothly while dedicating 60‑70% of your time to strategic business partnership and talent planning.

KNOWLEDGE / SKILLS / ABILITIES

Demonstrated ability to diagnose performance gaps within a business unit and deploy targeted operational actions to resolve them. Proven experience anticipating upcoming talent risks and proactively delivering preventive workforce solutions to business leaders. Solid understanding of executive coaching and sensitive people matters, with the ability to tailor communication, align stakeholders, and drive program adoption. Demonstrated ability to synthesize internal and external data to define operational problems, present recommendations, and measure project ROI. Solid understanding of emerging technologies and generative AI; proven ability to optimize HR operations and manage responsible, compliant tool implementation.

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE / COMPETENCIES / CERTIFICATIONS / LICENSES

• Minimum Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in Human resources or a relevant field (or an equivalent combination of advanced education and relevant experience).
• Minimum Qualifications: 8+ years of progressive HR leadership experience serving as a strategic people advisor to executive leaders.
• Minimum Qualifications: 5+ years of experience successfully leading, coaching, and developing high‑performing HR teams.
• Minimum Qualifications: HR Certification required (SHRM-CP or PHR) Budget management experience.
• Preferred Qualifications: Senior‑level certification (SHRM-SCP or SPHR) MBA or Master's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration or a related field.
• Preferred Qualifications: Certifications: Change Management (Prosci), Project Management (PMP, Agile), Organizational Design (CODP).

DISCLAIMER

The job functions listed describe the general nature and level of work being performed by team members assigned to this job. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list and may be subject to change based on business needs.

WORKING ENVIRONMENT

Works in an office environment sitting at a desk, table or computer workstation for extended periods of time. May travel by car, plane or other form of transportation to attend business meetings or conferences. Approximately 50-80 percent of the time spent on the job involves the use of a personal computer.

We target between minimum and midpoint of the range, and all offers are subject to a fair pay analysis - Compensation Range: Min: $158,958.00 - Mid: $198,697.00

Welcome to AAA Mountain West Group (MWG), serving Northern California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Alaska, Wyoming, and Montana. We believe our team should make their mark: over every mile and at every moment, we pride ourselves at helping our Members outsmart life’s obstacles. We are a not-for-profit, membership-based organization that has served our Members for over a century: from our legendary roadside assistance and award-winning insurance products to free travel planning and new innovations.