Director of Human Resources

Job Description

About the Company

MCRES / Meissner is a commercial real estate company focused on asset performance, client services, and portfolio objectives across its commercial property portfolio. The company emphasizes professionalism, integrity, collaboration, and a team-first mindset while supporting clients through multiple service lines including asset management, leasing, development, construction, and financial analysis.

About the Role

The Director of Human Resources leads the Company's HR function across the full employee lifecycle, including recruitment, onboarding, employee relations, benefits, payroll, leave and workers' compensation, training, performance management, health and safety, employment law compliance, and Company culture and core values. In this hands-on “player/coach” role, the Director manages the payroll and office operating budgets, directs and develops the HR Generalist, and represents the Company externally in the industry. As the Department Head for HR, the Director partners with the President and advises department leaders on staffing and workforce planning, so they can stay focused on clients. A major focus of the role is sustaining and strengthening the Company's client service-oriented culture by keeping the core values central to hiring, performance reviews, and corrective action. The Director brings a practical, business-minded perspective, keeping HR decisions and spending right-sized for the Company.

Responsibilities

Title: Director of Human Resources

Reporting Relationship: CEO & Founder, with a dotted-line reporting relationship to the President.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Legal & Compliance:

• Maintain expert knowledge of California and federal employment law and ensure Company compliance, working with the PEO HR Business Partner (currently ADP).
• Manage employment-related legal matters and report on them to the CEO and the President; engage outside counsel only when directed by the CEO and the President.
• Own the Employee Handbook and Company policies, keeping them current with California and federal law and DRE standards, and ensure they are applied consistently.
• Ensure wage and hour compliance, including meal and rest breaks, overtime, exempt/non-exempt classification, and timekeeping.
• Lead the ADA/FEHA interactive process, workers' compensation claims, and return-to-work coordination, working with the HR Business Partner as needed.
• Oversee protected leaves, including CFRA/FMLA and pregnancy disability leave, following PEO guidance, and handle questions about eligibility, leave length, and extensions.
• Conduct workplace investigations, including interviews and documentation.
• Oversee required California workplace training, the HR compliance calendar, and real estate license tracking, and manage annual workplace postings for all offices, including client property sites.

Financials & Office Operations:

• In collaboration with the Controller, manage the HR, payroll, office, events, and equipment budgets; submit big-ticket purchases through the Company's approval process; and report spending to the CEO and the President.
• Oversee the semi-monthly payroll process with the Controller, and learn it well enough to serve as backup when needed.
• Oversee office functions and direct the Project & Systems Administrator on IT matters that affect office management.
• Lead workforce planning and HR reporting, including metrics on retention, open positions, engagement, and training.
• Lead total compensation strategy, including salary surveys, market benchmarking, and internal pay equity analyses, in compliance with California pay equity and pay transparency requirements.
• Lead benefits strategy and renewal negotiations with the PEO, in collaboration with the Controller and subject to approval by the CEO and the President, and oversee Open Enrollment and benefits administration.
• Lead the evaluation and transition to a new PEO or payroll provider, and ensure HR systems and self-service tools are used effectively.

Talent Acquisition:

• Manage the Company's hiring process and actively recruit for all positions alongside the HR Generalist, leading senior-level and executive searches as first-cut interviewer.
• Fill positions through direct sourcing, including networking, industry relationships, LinkedIn, and referrals, using outside recruiters only as a last resort and with approval from the CEO and the President.
• Ensure the Company's core values are part of every hire.
• Partner with hiring managers on the staffing strategy for each position, including whether to promote from within, and coach them on interviewing and selection.
• Review and approve all offer letters.

Employee Relations & Leadership:

• Own HR strategy and change management, translating business priorities into practical HR plans scaled to the Company.
• Serve as the escalation point for staff on HR matters, and support department leaders, Senior Team Leaders, and Managers with personnel matters.
• Lead high-risk employee relations matters and corrective action, and recommend terminations to the CEO and the President, who make the final decision. Once a termination is approved, partner with the HR Generalist on the process and conduct termination meetings for senior-level employees.
• Own the annual performance review process, including goal setting and manager training, with the core values built into every review.
• Maintain the organizational chart and lead organizational planning and restructuring.
• Own the HR file system and personnel records.

Culture, Retention & Development:

• Serve as the Company's culture leader, modeling the core values of integrity, excellence, teamwork, and personal growth and keeping them central to every stage of employment, from hiring and onboarding through performance reviews, corrective action, and termination decisions.
• Lead employee engagement, including surveys and follow-up action planning, recognition programs, team and holiday events, and volunteer activities.
• Own the event planning calendar and approval process, partnering early with the President and, as needed, other members of leadership to finalize location, format, and budget, so the HR Generalist and Office Administrator have the time and direction they need to carry out each event.
• Lead retention efforts and track turnover trends, and decide case by case who conducts exit interviews for senior-level employees, training the HR Generalist to conduct them.
• Lead succession planning, internal career development, and an annual talent review with department leaders, with the goal of promoting from within.
• Own onboarding and staff training and development, ensuring employees are trained in their roles and Company policies and managers are equipped to develop their teams.
• Establish HR best practices and standard procedures across the Company, and keep job descriptions current.

Outward Facing / Business Community:

• Engage with IREM, BOMA, CREDA (formerly NAIOP), and the USD Burnham-Moores Center for Real Estate to build candidate pipelines.
• Promote the Company culture and brand internally and externally through communications, staff meetings, and website content, including AEO (answer engine optimization).
• Manage the Company's relationships with the PEO (currently ADP), benefit providers, and HR and office vendors, serving as the escalation point.

Other:

• Uphold the highest standards of professionalism and confidentiality, and adhere to MCRES policies on ethics and professional conduct.
• Directly supervise, train, and develop the HR Generalist, and cross-train so each can cover the other's core responsibilities when needed. The Director stays current on HR administration, while the HR Generalist gains exposure to selected higher-level work under the Director's guidance, with the Director retaining ownership of that work.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• Seven or more years of progressive Human Resources experience, including at least three years in an HR leadership role, preferably in commercial real estate or a professional services firm.
• Expert knowledge of California and federal employment law, including wage and hour, CFRA/FMLA, pregnancy disability leave, ADA/FEHA accommodations, pay equity, and pay transparency.
• Experience leading workplace investigations, accommodation and leave matters, and disciplinary and termination processes.
• Experience working with a PEO, preferably ADP, including benefits renewals, payroll oversight with commissions, and HRIS and payroll systems. Experience evaluating or transitioning to a new PEO or payroll provider is a plus.
• Experience developing and managing budgets in collaboration with finance leadership.
• A proven record of building and sustaining a strong workplace culture, including making company values part of hiring, performance management, and recognition.
• Hands-on recruiting experience, including direct sourcing through networking and LinkedIn, with little or no reliance on outside recruiters.
• Experience supervising, training, and developing HR staff.
• Ability to build trust with senior leaders and provide sound HR recommendations, knowing when to advise and when to hold firm on compliance and HR best practices.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including presenting to executive leadership, with sound judgment and the discretion to handle confidential and sensitive information.
• SHRM-SCP or SPHR certification preferred; familiarity with California Department of Real Estate (DRE) licensing requirements a plus.