Head of People & Culture - Build HR From Ground Up

Orion Placement; Berkeley (CA); On-site; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Dental insurance

Health insurance

Life insurance

Paid time off

Retirement plan

Vision insurance

Job summary

Confidential Employer in Berkeley, CA seeks a hands-on HR leader to build and scale our people practices across multiple Bay Area locations. You will lead the HR function, shape policies, and partner with leadership to drive engagement, performance, and culture.

As a hands-on HR professional, you will own recruitment, employee relations, compliance with California laws, and compensation processes on-site. This is a full-time, on-site role with room to grow as the company expands.

Qualifications

• 4+ years of hands‑on human resources experience, ideally supporting frontline employees.
• Strong employee relations, HR operations, and performance management experience.
• Conversational Spanish required; fluency preferred.
• Practical knowledge of California labor and employment laws.
• Experience developing or improving HR policies, processes, or systems.
• Ability to independently manage HR responsibilities in a growing, multi-location business.
• Comfortable working on-site in Berkeley and traveling to nearby locations.

Responsibilities

• Build, lead, and continuously improve our HR department, systems, policies, and procedures.
• Manage employee relations, conflict resolution, performance management, and workplace concerns.
• Partner with leadership and frontline managers to strengthen workplace culture and employee engagement.
• Oversee recruitment, onboarding, workforce planning, and employee development across multiple locations.
• Ensure compliance with California labor and employment laws, including hiring, discipline, and terminations.
• Manage HR records, employee benefits administration, and compensation processes.
• Support managers with coaching, training, and practical HR guidance.
• Visit our Bay Area locations regularly to develop strong relationships with employees and leadership.

Skills

Hands-on HR experience

Employee relations

HR operations

California labor laws

Policy development

Frontline employee support

On-site work readiness

Spanish language ability

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience

HR certifications (plus)

Job description

Confidential Employer in Berkeley, CA seeks a hands-on HR leader to build and scale our people practices across multiple Bay Area locations. You will lead the HR function, shape policies, and partner with leadership to drive engagement, performance, and culture.

As a hands-on HR professional, you will own recruitment, employee relations, compliance with California laws, and compensation processes on-site. This is a full-time, on-site role with room to grow as the company expands.