Human Resources Manager

Pad; Makawao (HI); On-site; USD 110,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Aura is seeking an HR Manager to oversee HR services, policies, and programs across the Center. You will partner with leaders, guiding managers and employees through the full lifecycle while advancing scientific discovery in Maui, Hawaiʻi.

You will lead talent strategies, develop workforce plans, and foster an engaging, compliant workplace. This role emphasizes strategic partnership and operational excellence in HR practices.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; experience or training may substitute if applicable.
• 10+ years of progressively responsible HR experience.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong interpersonal, negotiation, mediation, and conflict resolution skills.
• Excellent time management and organizational skills.

Responsibilities

• Strategic HR partnership with leaders to align people solutions with business priorities.
• Talent acquisition and workforce planning, onboarding, and recruitment support.
• Employee development and engagement to strengthen capability and organizational effectiveness.
• Employee relations and performance management, including guidance and investigations.
• Compensation and HR operations, policy guidance, and HRIS reporting.
• Organizational stewardship, ensuring compliance and non-discrimination.

Skills

Strategic thinking

HR policy guidance

People leadership

Stakeholder management

Data analysis

Education

Bachelor's degree in related field

SHRM-SCP or SPHR certification

Job description

Help Shape The Employee Experience Behind World-Class Science

Are you an experienced HR leader who enjoys partnering with leaders, solving complex people challenges, and building high-performing organizations? Do you thrive in an environment where your work directly supports a meaningful mission?
We are seeking an HR Manager to oversee the planning, development, implementation, and administration of human resources services, policies, and programs across the Center. In this role, you will serve as a trusted strategic partner to managers, leaders, and employees, providing expert guidance and operational support across the full employee lifecycle. You will help foster an effective, high-performing workplace while supporting an organization dedicated to advancing scientific discovery.
This is an opportunity to make a lasting impact while living and working in beautiful Maui, Hawaiʻi, supporting one of the world's premier scientific organizations.

What You'll Do

As the HR Manager, you will partner with leaders across the organization to develop people strategies that support business priorities while ensuring employees receive exceptional HR support throughout their careers.

Key responsibilities include:

Strategic HR Partnership

• Partner with business leaders to understand their mission, priorities, and objectives and align HR solutions and services accordingly
• Provide trusted guidance to managers and employees on a broad range of human resources matters
• Deliver HR improvement projects aligned with the Human Resources planning process
• Collect, track, analyze, and report relevant data to provide performance insights and communicate key findings

Talent Acquisition & Workforce Planning

• Partner with hiring managers and Recruiting to support recruitment activities, including position development, job description review, workforce planning, and onboarding
• Help attract and retain exceptional talent that supports organizational success

Employee Development & Engagement

• Partner with leaders to identify employee and organizational development needs
• Support talent growth and career development efforts while collaborating with Learning & Development to strengthen employee capability, engagement, and organizational effectiveness
• Work closely with management and employees to cultivate positive and respectful work relationships, build morale, increase productivity, and improve retention

Employee Relations & Performance Management

• Provide consultation and guidance on employee relations matters including performance management, workplace concerns, conflict resolution, corrective action, policy interpretation, and employee conduct
• Conduct workplace assessments, investigations, and fact-finding activities while recommending appropriate resolutions consistent with organizational policies and practices
• Coach leaders on goal setting, performance feedback, employee development, and performance improvement
• Administer the performance review program to ensure effectiveness, compliance, and equity across the organization

Compensation & HR Operations

• Partner with Compensation to review market data, evaluate internal equity considerations, and provide compensation recommendations that support organizational objectives
• Provide HR policy guidance and interpretation while assisting in the development and implementation of new HR policies and procedures
• Maintain Human Resource Information Systems and prepare reports from HR databases
• Maintain current knowledge of federal, state, and local employment laws and regulations to ensure compliance and support sound employment practices

Organizational Stewardship

• Support organizational compliance with government award terms and conditions assigned to the position
• Promote expectations for non-discrimination, a drug-free workplace, and effective workforce planning, recruitment, hiring, employment, and evaluation
• Ensure proper management and control of AURA property within assigned work areas

Requirements

What You Bring

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a related field; experience or other training may substitute for a bachelor's degree
• At least 10 years of progressively responsible experience within or related to the human resources field
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Excellent interpersonal, negotiation, mediation, and conflict resolution skills
• Excellent time management and organizational skills
• Ability to multitask, prioritize, and manage competing demands
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• High level of initiative, dependability, efficiency, accuracy, and attention to detail
• Ability to exercise good judgment while acting with integrity, professionalism, and confidentiality
• Demonstrated diplomacy, self-composure, and emotional intelligence in challenging situations
• Thorough knowledge of federal, state, and local employment laws and regulations
• Knowledge of affirmative action, ADA, ADEA, EEO, COBRA, ERISA, FLSA, FMLA, IRCA, sexual harassment laws, unemployment benefits, and workers' compensation laws
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite and related software
• Ability to quickly learn HRIS, learning, and talent management systems
• Demonstrated professionalism while consistently promoting a positive image of the organization
• Exceptional resourcefulness, initiative, and problem-solving ability

Preferred Qualifications

• SHRM-SCP, SPHR, or similar HR certification
• Supporting scientific, research, higher education, government-funded, matrixed, or other complex organizations
• Supporting distributed or geographically diverse workforces
• Utilizing HR metrics and workforce analytics to support decision-making and organizational storytelling
• Conducting workplace investigations

Why Join Us?

You’ll join a collaborative team where Human Resources is viewed as a strategic partner to leadership. Your expertise will influence organizational effectiveness, employee engagement, leadership capability, and the employee experience across the Center.
If you're passionate about helping organizations thrive through exceptional people practices while supporting a mission that advances scientific discovery, we’d love to hear from you.

Salary Range

Salary Range: $110,000-$130,000. The final salary will depend on skills, qualifications and experience.

Physical Requirements

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; and talk; or hear
• The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; reach with hands and arms and stoop; kneel; crouch; or crawl
• The employee must regularly lift and /or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus
• Must possess - sufficient mobility, strength, or dexterity in both arms and hands and both legs to a) reach upward, sideways, downward to work with paper files; b) sufficient mobility and dexterity to utilize computer systems, fax machines, copiers, and other office machines
• Must possess - 1) ability to read and understand instructions, drawings, safety guides, and other written materials necessary to perform job; 2) sufficient visual capacity to perform the applicable functions without assistance of visual aids other than eye contacts or eye glasses; 3) sufficient spoken aural capacity to hear and understand instructions, warning bells, fire alarms, or shouted instructions without assistance of auditory aids other than a hearing aid; and 4) ability to impart information orally so that others understand and can respond appropriately
• Must be able to work at high elevations on a regular basis, including at summit sites that could be between 6,800 to 14,000 feet

Benefits

AURA offers an excellent benefits package including paid time off and retirement plan contributions, competitive salary commensurate with experience, and a very attractive work environment. Details on benefits can be found at Benefits by Location - Aura Human Resources