Human Resources Business Partner

AppleOne; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 80,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

AppleOne Employment Services is seeking an experienced Human Resources Business Partner for a full-time temp-to-hire role in San Diego, CA. You will partner with executive leadership to provide strategic guidance on California employment law, HR compliance, employee relations, and workforce decisions.

This role is for a senior HR professional who can step in quickly, assess practices, identify risks, and advise on investigations, performance management, and documentation.

Qualifications

• 8 to 10+ years of progressive human resources experience, preferably in a senior HR leadership or HR business partner role.
• Strong working knowledge of California employment law and applicable federal regulations.
• Experience advising executives and senior leaders on complex HR matters.
• Experience in employee relations, investigations, performance management, and disciplinary processes.
• Ability to assess situations, identify risk, and provide actionable recommendations.

Responsibilities

• Partner with executive leadership on sensitive employee relations, compliance, and workforce matters.
• Advise on California wage and hour, leave regulations, employee classifications, and termination practices.
• Guide investigations, performance management, discipline, and documentation.
• Review policies and handbooks to identify gaps and compliance risks.
• Propose practical, compliant HR solutions to improve consistency and decision-making.
• Support organizational changes and personnel decisions with strategic insight.

Skills

Executive HR advisory

California employment law

HR compliance

Employee relations

Discretion & confidentiality

Stakeholder communication

Job description

Job Summary

We are seeking an experienced Human Resources Business Partner for a full-time temp-to-hire opportunity in San Diego, CA. This role is ideal for a senior HR professional who can step in quickly, partner closely with executive leadership, and provide strategic guidance on California employment law, HR compliance, employee relations, and workforce-related decisions.

This Human Resources Business Partner position offers the opportunity to make an immediate and meaningful impact in an education environment where sound HR judgment, discretion, and practical problem-solving are highly valued. The role is well suited for someone who enjoys serving as a trusted advisor to leadership, evaluating current HR practices, identifying compliance risks, and helping strengthen employee relations processes.

The work environment is collaborative, leadership-focused, and mission-driven, with the opportunity to influence important HR decisions and support a positive, consistent, and compliant workplace. For the right person, this temporary assignment is expected to extend into a permanent role.

Key Responsibilities

• Partner directly with executive leadership and senior management on sensitive employee relations, compliance, and workforce matters.
• Provide expert guidance on California employment law, HR compliance, wage and hour requirements, leave regulations, employee classifications, and termination practices.
• Advise leaders on employee complaints, investigations, disciplinary actions, performance management, documentation, and workplace conflict resolution.
• Review HR policies, employee handbooks, procedures, and internal practices to identify gaps, risks, and improvement opportunities.
• Recommend practical, compliant, and business-focused solutions to improve HR consistency, documentation, and decision‑making.
• Support organizational changes, personnel decisions, and employee‑related initiatives with discretion, sound judgment, and strategic insight.

Compensation and Benefits

• Salary range: $80,000 to $95,000 per year.
• Employment type: Full-time, temp-to-hire.
• Initial duration: Approximately 6 weeks, with potential to extend permanently for the right person.
• Start date: ASAP.
• Location: San Diego, CA.
• Must currently reside in California.

Required Qualifications and Skills

• Provide senior‑level HR advisory support to executive leadership and management.
• Evaluate HR compliance, employee relations practices, policies, and procedures.
• Guide workplace investigations, performance management, employee discipline, and documentation.
• Recommend practical HR solutions that support legal compliance, consistency, and organizational effectiveness.
• 8 to 10+ years of progressive human resources experience, preferably in a senior HR leadership or HR business partner capacity.
• Strong working knowledge of California employment law and applicable federal employment regulations.
• Prior experience as an HR Director, Senior HR Manager, Senior HR Business Partner, or comparable senior‑level HR professional.
• Demonstrated experience advising executives and senior leaders on complex HR matters.
• Strong background in employee relations, workplace investigations, performance management, employee complaints, and disciplinary processes.
• Thorough understanding of California wage and hour laws, meal and rest periods, overtime, final pay, leave administration, employee classifications, CFRA, FMLA, ADA, FEHA, and related employment regulations.
• Experience reviewing employment policies, employee handbooks, HR documentation, and internal procedures.
• Ability to independently assess situations, identify risk, exercise sound judgment, and provide actionable recommendations.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to communicate effectively with executives, managers, and employees at all levels.
• High level of professionalism, discretion, confidentiality, and confidence when handling sensitive employee and organizational matters.
• Ability to step into an organization quickly, operate with minimal direction, and deliver immediate value.
• Must currently reside in California.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting HR functions within an education, nonprofit, public sector, or mission‑driven environment.
• Prior interim, consulting, or project‑based HR leadership experience.
• Experience refining HR policies, improving internal workflows, and strengthening compliance practices.
• Comfortable working as a strategic advisor rather than in a traditional HR department management role.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disabled / Protected Veterans

The Know Your Rights poster is available here: https://www.eeoc.gov/sites/default/files/2023-06/22-088_EEOC_KnowYourRights6.12.pdf

The pay transparency policy is available here: https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ofccp/pdf/pay-transp_%20English_formattedESQA508c.pdf

For temporary assignments lasting 13 weeks or longer, AppleOne is pleased to offer major medical, dental, vision, 401k and any statutory sick pay where required.

We are committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please contact your staffing representative who will reach out to our HR team.

AppleOne participates in the E‑Verify program in certain locations as required by law. Learn more about the E‑Verify program. https://e-verify.uscis.gov/web/media/resourcesContents/E-Verify_Participation_Poster_ES.pdf

We also consider for employment qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements, including, if applicable, the City of Los Angeles' Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance. Pursuant to applicable state and municipal Fair Chance Laws and Ordinances, we will consider for employment‑qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records, including, if applicable, the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance. For Los Angeles, CA applicants: Qualified applications with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act.