Director of Human Resources

Merit HR (Merit Resource Group); California (MO); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Merit Resource Group in Marin County, CA, seeks a Director of Human Resources to own the people function with a focus on culture, accountability, and long-term health. The role blends strategic leadership with hands-on execution across talent, performance, compensation, and compliance.

You will lead the HR team, partnering with leadership to translate people issues into practical business solutions that support sustained organizational growth.

Qualifications

• 7–10+ years of progressive HR experience with leadership responsibility.
• Broad knowledge across employee relations, talent acquisition, performance management, compensation, benefits, compliance, and organizational development.
• Strong knowledge of federal, state, and local employment laws.
• Demonstrated experience being a trusted advisor to leaders and helping managers become more effective people leaders.
• The ability to assess complex HR or organizational issues and turn them into practical business recommendations.

Responsibilities

• Lead, coach, and develop the HR team with clear priorities, expectations, and accountability.
• Build relationships with leaders and employees and become a credible resource on day‑to‑day people matters and longer‑term organizational needs.
• Advise leaders on employee relations, performance, organizational challenges, and effective people management.
• Develop talent acquisition and workforce strategies to ensure the organization has the right capabilities for current and future needs.
• Strengthen onboarding and the first 90‑day employee experience.
• Lead succession planning and workforce‑readiness efforts.
• Evolve performance management, feedback, and accountability practices for practical use by managers and employees.
• Develop initiatives that strengthen employee engagement, communication, and connection to the organization.
• Oversee compensation practices, benchmarking, benefits strategy, and vendor relationships.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Employee relations

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree or equivalent

Tools

HRIS familiarity

Job description

We are leading a search for an experienced Director of Human Resources to take ownership of the people function for an established organization with a strong emphasis on culture, accountability, and long-term organizational health.

This is a meaningful leadership role for an HR professional who sees the function as more than policies, programs, and transactions. The organization is looking for a trusted advisor—someone who can understand the business, build credibility with leaders and employees, bring sound judgment to difficult situations, and translate people issues into practical business solutions.

The role is both strategic and hands‑on. You will lead and develop the HR team while remaining close enough to the work to understand what is happening across the organization and where HR can have the greatest impact. The scope spans talent acquisition, employee relations, performance management, compensation and benefits, compliance, workforce planning, engagement, and organizational development.

What You’ll Do

You will serve as a senior people partner to leadership while providing direction and consistency across the full HR function. Key areas of responsibility include:

• Lead, coach, and develop the HR team, establishing clear priorities, expectations, and accountability.
• Build strong relationships with leaders and employees and become a credible resource on both day‑to‑day people matters and longer‑term organizational needs.
• Advise leaders on employee relations, performance, organizational challenges, and effective people management.
• Develop talent acquisition and workforce strategies that help ensure the organization has the right capabilities in place for both current and future needs.
• Strengthen onboarding and the first 90‑day employee experience.
• Lead succession planning and workforce‑readiness efforts.
• Evolve performance management, feedback, and accountability practices so they are useful to managers and employees—not simply administrative exercises.
• Develop initiatives that strengthen employee engagement, communication, and connection to the organization.
• Oversee compensation practices, benchmarking, benefits strategy, and external vendor relationships.
• Partner with leadership on retirement and other programs designed to support employees' long‑term financial well‑being and participation in the value created through the organization's success.
• Build learning, training, manager‑development, and career‑development programs.
• Maintain sound HR systems, records, policies, and operating practices.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local employment requirements and provide thoughtful guidance in both routine and complex situations.
• Identify emerging workforce issues and translate them into clear, actionable recommendations for the business.

The Person We’re Looking For

The right person will bring broad HR expertise, but just as important will be how they operate. You are likely someone who can move comfortably between a leadership discussion about workforce strategy and a practical conversation with a manager who needs help navigating a difficult employee situation. You listen before prescribing solutions, understand that credibility is earned, and can balance employee experience with the realities of running a business.

We are particularly interested in candidates who bring:

• Approximately 7–10+ years of progressive HR experience, including meaningful leadership responsibility.
• Broad knowledge across employee relations, talent acquisition, performance management, compensation, benefits, compliance, and organizational development.
• Strong knowledge of federal, state, and local employment law.
• Demonstrated experience being a trusted advisor to leaders and helping managers become more effective people leaders.
• The ability to assess complex HR or organizational issues and turn them into practical business recommendations.
• Experience improving HR programs, processes, and systems rather than simply maintaining what already exists.
• Strong judgment, discretion, and the ability to operate effectively in situations that may not have an obvious answer.
• A Bachelor's degree, Master's degree, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Experience with a unionized workforce and/or construction preferred by not required.

Why This Opportunity

• This is an opportunity to have genuine influence over how an organization attracts, develops, support, and retains its people.
• The organization values performance and accountability while also placing importance on its employees and culture. There is an opportunity for the incoming Director to build on what is working, identify where HR can operate more effectively, and help create the people practices and leadership capabilities the organization will need for its next chapter.
• For someone who enjoys being close to the business, trusted by leadership, accessible to employees, and accountable for making HR work in practice, this role offers considerable breadth and impact.
• The total rewards philosophy is designed to support employees both today and over the longer term, with programs that reinforce the connection between individual contribution, organizational performance, and enduring value creation.

Location

Hybrid, 4 days/week onsite in Marin County