Human Resources Generalist

HEAL THE BAY; Santa Monica (CA); Hybrid; USD 72,000 - 82,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Life insurance

Retirement contributions (401k/Simple)

Paid time off

Job summary

Heal the Bay in Santa Monica, CA, is seeking an experienced Human Resources Generalist to support strategy, operations, and culture across ~40 staff.

The role collaborates with Finance, Data, and Admin teams; leads onboarding, performance management, compliance, payroll coordination, and talent development in a hybrid workplace.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5+ years of progressive HR generalist experience with leadership focus.
• Bachelor’s degree in HR, Business Administration, or related field.
• Strong knowledge of federal, state, and local employment laws and compliance.
• Proficiency in MS Office and HR systems; strong communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Serve as HR lead and primary contact for employees on HR issues including hires, leaves, disciplinary actions, terminations.
• Support performance management processes and employee relations investigations as needed.
• Lead onboarding, background checks, and exit interviews; manage transition procedures.
• Collaborate with hiring managers on recruitment, job descriptions, posting, screening, and interview scheduling.
• Develop and support professional development initiatives and retention strategies.
• Ensure compliance with payroll, timekeeping, and wage-hour requirements with Finance.
• Lead special HR projects to improve efficiency and effectiveness.

Skills

HR leadership

Employee relations

Performance management

Onboarding & offboarding

Talent acquisition

Professional development

HR compliance

Payroll & timekeeping

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR or related field

Tools

ADP Workforce Now

MS Office

Job description

If you are unable to complete this application due to a disability, contact this employer to ask for an accommodation or an alternative application process.

Human Resources Generalist

Full Time Professional Santa Monica, CA, US

Salary Range: $34.61 To $39.42 Hourly

About the Organization

Heal the Bay is the most recognized environmental nonprofit group in LA for a reason: we have been keeping Southern California's coastal waters and watersheds safe, healthy, and clean for people and marine life since 1985. Using education, science, advocacy, and community action, we raise awareness and make progress with practical solutions to often complex problems. We conduct hundreds of beach and community cleanups each year, informing people about the root causes of pollution along the shorelines and in their neighborhoods. We advocate for strict water quality regulations that protect the health of both humans and the animals that call local creeks, rivers, and the Santa Monica Bay home. We operate the award-winning Heal the Bay Aquarium at the Santa Monica Pier, inspiring visitors to become stewards for the region’s most important natural resource: clean water. We also educate and inspire the next generation of environmental stewards, with more than 10,000 students joining us each year for school field trips, science-based classroom presentations, and events. Learn more about us at www.healthebay.org/our-impact

About the Role

The Human Resources Generalist is a strategic generalist leadership role that serves as the backbone of Heal the Bay's people, culture, and work environment—empowering our team to focus on protecting Southern California's coastal waters. Reporting directly to the Chief Operations Officer, this position collaborates closely with the Finance, Data, and Administrative teams to lead the HR function for approximately 40 staff across the main office and the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium. This role demands a blend of strategic HR leadership, people-centered service, technical HR expertise, and strong organizational capabilities.

• HR Leadership: Serve as a lead/primary point of contact for employees regarding all HR issues, including general HR inquiries, hiring, disciplinary action, terminations, leaves, workers’ compensation claims, complaints.
• Performance Management: Help support and facilitate performance management for the organization, including disciplinary action.
• Employee Relations: Conduct investigations, as needed, and assist in addressing grievances, facilitating conflict resolution, and guiding disciplinary actions in accordance with organizational policy.
• Onboarding & Offboarding: Lead the onboarding process for new hires, including background checks, orientation and initial training, while also managing exit interviews and transition procedures.
• Talent Acquisition: Collaborate with hiring managers to support recruitment process, including job description development, posting, applicant screening, and interview scheduling.
• Professional Development: Implement and support professional development initiatives and employee retention strategies, ensuring equitable access to training opportunities.
• HR/Employment Compliance: Ensure adherence to federal, state, and local employment laws, including record-keeping, training, and reporting requirements.
• Payroll, Timekeeping & Compliance: Oversee accurate timekeeping, payroll coordination, and employment-related recordkeeping in partnership with Finance, ensuring ADP Workforce Now processes and staff practices comply with federal, California state, and local wage and hour requirements.
• Project Leadership: Lead special projects and operational initiatives as assigned, enhancing overall HR effectiveness and efficiency.

Experience & Skills

Required Qualifications

• Minimum of 5 years+ of progressive HR generalist experience, with a focus on strategic management and leadership.
• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Proficiency and working knowledge of HR systems, operations.
• Strong foundational knowledge of federal, California state, and local employment laws and compliance requirements.
• Advanced proficiency in MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and a strong technical acumen.
• Exceptional interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience or background in a non-profit or similar environment.
• Familiarity with Salesforce or similar CRM systems and their application in HR reporting.

Core Competencies

• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Deep commitment to fostering a respectful, harassment-free, and supportive work environment.
• Ethical Standards: Uphold the highest ethical standards and integrity, consistently maintaining confidentiality and earning trust across the organization.
• Analytical Skills: Strong analytical and data-informed decision-making abilities.
• Problem-Solving: Ability to collaborate effectively across teams with a problem-solving mindset.
• Quality Commitment: Dedication to accuracy, quality, and continuous improvement.
• Professional Development: Commitment to ongoing professional development and knowledge sharing.

Compensation

This position is full-time, non-exempt with an hourly rate of $34.61-$39.42 ($72,000-$82,000) depending on experience with appropriate state and federal taxes withheld.

Comprehensive benefits package, including health, dental, vision, life insurance, retirement contributions, and paid time off. Heal the Bay covers 90 percent of employee medical, dental, and vision insurance premiums. Full-time employees are also eligible for life insurance and participation in the organization’s Simple IRA retirement plan. Employees receive paid vacation and Heal the Bay recognized holidays in accordance with organizational policy. In accordance with California labor law, employees are eligible to accrue and use up to 72 hours of paid sick leave per calendar year after completing 30 days of employment.

Schedule

Participation in some weekend and evening events, as well as county wide travel. Heal the Bay operates in a hybrid manner; typical schedule might be (2) days in the office or field per week.

Location

The employees’ primary work location will be at Heal the Bay Headquarters, with some work at the Heal the Bay Aquarium at the Santa Monica Pier. This position also includes occasional regional or state travel for fieldwork or meetings at off-site locations. Work will take place both indoors and outdoors, depending on needs and scheduled events.

Physical Demands

• Ability to work in variable weather conditions with potential exposure to heat, wind, and inclement weather.
• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer
• Frequent use of hands and fingers to type, handle, or feel
• Regularly required to talk, hear, and reach with hands and arms
• Occasional standing, walking, bending, stooping, kneeling, crouching, twisting, and reaching in various directions
• Ability to lift up to 10-15 pounds occasionally
• Regular standing and walking throughout the workday
• Frequent use of hands for handling objects, tools, or controls
• Ability to lift and/or move up to 20 pounds
• May require pushing or pulling carts or equipment

Heal the Bay is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal-opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status and we strongly encourage applications from individuals that reflect the diversity of Los Angeles County. If you don't meet all of the preferred skills above, you are still encouraged to apply and will be considered based on diverse and equivalent skills and experience.

Heal the Bay complies with AB 1008, the Fair Chance Act, during the hiring process. Once a conditional job offer has been made the candidate will be asked to complete a Live Scan criminal background check. A thorough assessment of conviction history will be considered including the nature and gravity of the criminal history, the time that has passed since the conviction, and the nature of the job the candidate is seeking.