Senior Human Resources Manager

Arboreal Management; Seattle (WA); Hybrid; USD 95,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Arboreal Management, a mission-driven property management firm, seeks a Senior Human Resources Manager to guide people strategy across Washington and Oregon. You will partner with executives, lead a small HR team, and drive programs that support growth, development, and fair compensation for our diverse workforce.

You’ll shape performance, onboarding, and training while ensuring compliance across states, with a focus on supporting both employees and contractors at 130+ properties.

Qualifications

• 7+ years in HR, including leading a function or part of one.
• Built people programs (performance, training, compensation, talent strategy).
• Advised senior leaders and acted as thought partner to executives.
• Supported frontline and multi-site workforces, including employees and contractors.
• Led workplace investigations and ensured compliance across multiple states/cities.

Responsibilities

• Find the right people by clarifying roles with hiring managers and guiding decisions.
• Grow and perform: implement ongoing performance conversations, onboarding, and manager development.
• Design compensation and bonus structures to reward resident experiences and team performance.
• Keep teams connected across properties, employees, contractors, and regions; listen and act on needs.

Skills

HR leadership

Program development

Executive advisory

Multi-site workforce

Workplace investigations

Systems thinking

Executive communication

Education

SHRM/HRCI certification

Job description

Arboreal's mission is to build community, dignity, and opportunity into every home we manage. We are a mission-driven property management company focused on affordable and workforce housing, caring for roughly 8,500 homes across more than 130 properties in Washington and Oregon — and we are growing fast. Our team of about 220 people, a mix of employees and independent contractors in the Pacific Northwest and the Philippines, is what makes that mission real for our residents every day.

Our teams take care of our residents. This role takes care of our teams. As our Senior Human Resources Manager, you'll bring the same care to the people who keep our properties running — our maintenance technicians, leasing associates, property managers, and the teams behind them — so they're hired well, supported well, and given a real chance to grow.

The Role

This is a people leadership role with a seat at the table. You'll be a trusted advisor to our entire executive team on everything people-related: how we organize as we grow, where we need to strengthen leadership, and the people side of our biggest decisions. We promise our people clear roles, regular feedback, and opportunities to level up — and we're looking for someone who can help us keep that promise as we scale.

You'll have a capable team alongside you. Our Recruiter and Payroll Administrator report to you and run the day-to-day of hiring and payroll, so your energy can go toward the bigger picture: shaping the programs and practices that help our people do their best work.

Where You'll Focus

Finding the right people. Partnering with our Recruiter and hiring managers to get clear on what great looks like in each of our key roles, reach the candidates who fit, and make hiring decisions with confidence. Quality of hire matters more to us than speed alone.

Helping people grow and perform. Creating a performance approach that feels like ongoing, honest conversation rather than an annual form — and pairing it with onboarding, training, and manager development that help people succeed.

Rewarding what matters. Taking a fresh look at our bonus program and incentive structures — from leasing commissions to annual bonuses — so they reward great resident experiences, strong teams, and performance. This includes helping shape a clear, fair approach to compensation and keeping our benefits competitive.

Keeping people connected. Our people work across more than 130 properties and two countries, as employees and as contractors. Listening to what they need, acting on what we hear, and making sure great work at a property is seen by leadership.

Being the trusted resource. When a manager or team member needs HR — a conduct concern, a complaint, an accommodation, a difficult conversation — you're the person they call. That includes leading workplace investigations with fairness and care, and giving managers practical guidance they can use right away.

Keeping our foundation strong. Making sure we stay compliant with federal, Washington, and Oregon employment law and the local rules in cities like Seattle and Tacoma; keeping our policies and handbook current;

partnering with Operations on safety for our site teams; and turning our HR data into insight leadership can act on — with help from AI and our own proprietary platform wherever it saves time.

About You

• You have 7+ years in HR, including at least 3 leading an HR or people function or a significant part of one
• You've built people programs from the ground up — performance management, training, compensation, or talent strategy — and can tell us what changed because of them
• You’ve advised senior leaders and are comfortable being a thought partner to an executive team
• You understand frontline and multi-site workforces, and you've supported a mix of employees and contractors
• You’ve led workplace investigations and kept a company compliant across multiple states and cities
• You think in systems but still enjoy rolling up your sleeves
• You can hold your own with executives and still be someone a maintenance tech trusts

Experience in property management, hospitality, healthcare, or retail, a SHRM or HRCI certification, supporting an offshore team, and comfort using AI to reduce manual HR work are all a plus.

How We Work

We hire and operate against six values: inclusion and diversity, teamwork, data-based decision making, questioning conventional wisdom, respect, and ownership and initiative. In practice that means we bring numbers rather than impressions, look for a better way rather than defending the current one, and treat people with dignity — especially in hard conversations.

Good to Know

This role is based in Seattle, working from our Eastlake office roughly 2–3 days a week with flexibility to work remotely otherwise. It reports to our CFO and works closely with the full executive team. Expect regular time at our properties across Washington and Oregon — being visible to site teams is part of the job — and some coordination with our Philippines-based team outside standard Pacific hours.

Compensation is $95,000 – $120,000 per year, depending on experience, plus an annual bonus.

Equal Opportunity

Arboreal Managementis an equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We are committed to providing reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities — let us know if you need one during the hiring process.