Human Resources / Talent Manager

Human Resources / Talent Manager

Position Title: Human Resources & Talent Manager

Department: Administration

Reports To: Chief Executive Officer

Direct Reports: None at this time

FLSA Classification: Exempt - Administrative

Employment Type: Full-time, regular

Work Location: 900 Court Street, Martinez, CA - on-site, with travel to program sites

Travel: Regular local travel within the East Bay; periodic travel to the Santa Cruz office

Salary Range: $85,000–$105,000 annually, depending on experience

HR & Talent Manager Position Summary

The HR & Talent Manager leads Thrive Support Services' in-house human resources function. The position owns the full employee lifecycle at Thrive: attracting and hiring staff, onboarding and credentialing them, keeping their required training and certifications current, maintaining audit-ready personnel records, supporting supervisors through performance and conduct matters, and administering the policies that govern all of it.

Thrive engages a Professional Employer Organization (PEO) and an outside HR Consultant for payroll administration, benefits administration, workers' compensation, and legal interpretation of employment law. The HR & Talent Manager is not a processor of PEO transactions. The position exists to do the work the PEO cannot: work that requires knowing Thrive's employees, Thrive's programs, and the training, clearance, and documentation requirements that apply to a California Regional Center-funded provider of services to adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

The position exercises independent judgment on significant matters affecting the workforce and is expected to identify problems, design solutions, and bring recommendations rather than await direction.

About Thrive Support Services

Thrive operates five program lines - Supported Living Services, Independent Living Services, Coordinated Family Support, Respite, and Tailored Day Services - across the East Bay, with an expansion underway into the Santa Cruz Regional Center catchment area. Direct support staffing is the single largest determinant of service delivery capacity and of compliance standing with the Department of Developmental Services and the Regional Centers.

Two consequences follow, and they shape this role. First, recruiting and retention are operational priorities, not administrative ones. Second, training currency, background clearance documentation, and personnel file completeness are audit-tested items. This position owns both.

Division of Responsibility with the PEO and Outside Counsel

PEO and HR Consultant: Payroll processing and tax filing, benefits administration and carrier relationships, workers' compensation claim administration, leave eligibility determination, and interpretation of wage‑and‑hour, leave, and classification law.

HR & Talent Manager: Everything requiring knowledge of Thrive's people, programs, and regulatory requirements - recruiting, onboarding, credentialing, training, records, employee relations intake, policy administration, and people analytics.

Outside Employment Counsel: Legal advice, investigations at the Director level and above, and review of separation agreements.

The full allocation is set out in the HR & Talent Manager Decision Rights and Responsibility Matrix, which is incorporated into this job description by reference.

HR / Talent Manager Essential Duties & Responsibilities

Percentages are approximate and will vary with hiring volume and the compliance calendar.

1. Talent Acquisition - Approximately 25%

• Manages the full recruiting cycle for all Thrive positions: intake with the hiring manager, requisition routing, posting, sourcing, and applicant screening.
• Writes and maintains job descriptions across the organization, including review of exempt and non-exempt classification with the HR Consultant.
• Screens applicants and conducts initial phone screens; recommends candidates for panel interview.
• Coordinates interview panels and maintains the interviewer materials, including structured question sets and evaluation forms.
• Recommends starting rates against the approved starting‑rate matrix and obtains required approval.
• Generates offer letters from approved templates and manages acceptance and start‑date logistics.
• Coordinates background clearances, including Live Scan submissions and results tracking, DMV record checks, driving insurance verification, and professional references.
• Maintains recruiting metrics, including time‑to‑fill, source‑of‑hire, and requisition aging, and flags any requisition open more than 45 days with a written plan.
• Owns employer branding and recruitment marketing, including the careers page, job board presence, and social media hiring content.

2. Onboarding, Credentialing, and Compliance Records - Approximately 20%

• Delivers new hire orientation and manages the onboarding checklist through completion.
• Completes and maintains Form I‑9 verification and reverification, and issues all required California new‑hire notices in coordination with the PEO.
• Builds and maintains personnel files to an audit‑ready standard, including the separate confidential files required for medical information, I‑9 documentation, and investigation records.
• Owns credential tracking for all staff: CPR and first aid certification, tuberculosis clearance, background clearance status, driver record and insurance, and any training or qualification required for a specific service code under Thrive's Regional Center vendorization.
• Runs standing self‑audits of personnel and training records against Department of Developmental Services and Regional Center requirements so that files are continuously audit‑ready rather than assembled reactively.
• Coordinates system and access provisioning with the operations team, including the client documentation system, email, and site access.
• Conducts 30‑, 60‑, and 90‑day check‑ins with new hires and reports early‑attrition signals to the supervisor and the CEO.

3. Training and Development - Approximately 20%

• Administers the learning management system: curricula, assignments, user records, and completion reporting.
• Builds and maintains the annual mandatory training calendar, including harassment prevention, mandated reporter, HIPAA and confidentiality, electronic visit verification, and any program‑specific requirement.
• Tracks completion, escalates delinquency to the responsible supervisor, and reports training compliance by program and supervisor on a monthly basis.
• Designs and delivers internal training where an external course does not exist or does not fit Thrive's practice.
• Administers the leadership development program and coordinates the manager training track.
• Administers the performance review cycle: schedule, templates, supervisor support, completion tracking, and escalation of overdue reviews.

4. Employee Relations and Supervisor Support - Approximately 15%

• Serves as the first point of intake for employee complaints, concerns, and questions, and documents each matter on receipt.
• Routes and escalates matters in accordance with the written escalation matrix, including matters that must bypass the normal supervisory chain.
• Conducts or coordinates workplace investigations at the direction of the CEO for matters below the Director level, and prepares written investigation records.
• Coaches supervisors on documentation quality before corrective action is taken, not after.
• Drafts corrective action notices and performance improvement plans for supervisor and CEO review.
• Conducts exit interviews, analyzes turnover by program and supervisor, and reports themes and recommended interventions.
• Administers employee engagement measurement, including the employee net promoter score, and reports results with response rates.

5. Leave, Accommodation, and Injury Coordination - Approximately 10%

• Receives and tracks all leave requests and maintains the leave calendar; coordinates administration with the PEO.
• Schedules and documents the interactive process for accommodation requests, with the HR Consultant or counsel advising on the substance of any determination.
• Coordinates injury reporting, first aid referral, and return‑to‑work logistics with the PEO and the responsible supervisor.
• Ensures that no commitment regarding leave eligibility, accommodation, or classification is communicated to an employee before the HR Consultant has confirmed it.

6. Policy Administration, Records, and People Analytics - Approximately 10%

• Maintains Thrive's policy suite under the established numbering convention: drafting, revision, version control, distribution, and acknowledgment tracking.
• Supports employee handbook maintenance in coordination with the HR Consultant and counsel.
• Maintains the records retention and destruction schedule for personnel and training records.
• Produces the monthly people report: headcount and vacancy by program, turnover, early exits, time‑to‑fill, training completion, review completion, and overtime concentration.
• Administers the employee referral and sign‑on bonus program.
• Supports open enrollment logistics and serves as the employee‑facing point of contact during enrollment.

Independent Judgment and Discretion

The position regularly exercises discretion and independent judgment with respect to matters of significance, including the following:

• Determines recruiting strategy and sourcing approach for each open position, including where to invest recruiting spend.
• Evaluates candidates against position requirements and recommends selection.
• Recommends starting compensation within the approved structure.
• Determines how personnel and training record systems are designed, organized, and audited.
• Determines the content, sequence, and delivery method of internal training.
• Assess employee relations matters on intake and determines routing, urgency, and escalation.
• Formulates and recommends policy, including new policy where a gap is identified.
• Identifies workforce trends from people data and recommends interventions to the CEO.
• Represents Thrive with applicants, employees, the PEO, and vendors on human resources matters.

HR & Talent Manager Qualifications:

Required

• Bachelor's degree in human resources, business administration, or a related field; or an equivalent combination of education and directly relevant experience.
• Three or more years of progressively responsible human resources experience covering at least recruiting, onboarding, and employee relations.
• Demonstrated experience maintaining personnel records in a regulated environment subject to external audit or inspection.
• Working knowledge of California employment law as it applies to day‑to‑day practice, including wage‑and‑hour basics, protected leave, and the interactive process. Legal interpretation is not required; recognizing when a question requires counsel is.
• Demonstrated ability to handle confidential and sensitive information with discretion.
• Proficiency with human resources information systems, applicant tracking systems, and learning management systems.
• Valid California driver's license, reliable transportation, and insurance meeting Thrive's requirements.
• Ability to pass Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation background clearance.

Preferred

• Experience in a Regional Center‑funded provider, community‑based services, home care, behavioral health, or another Department of Developmental Services or Department of Social Services regulated setting.
• Familiarity with Title 17 vendorization requirements and Regional Center quality assurance review.
• Experience working alongside a Professional Employer Organization or outsourced HR partner.
• PHR, SPHR, SHRM-CP, or SHRM‑SCP certification.
• Experience recruiting for high‑turnover, hourly, geographically distributed workforces.
• Conversational Spanish.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Writes clearly and precisely. A substantial share of this role's output is written: policies, investigation records, corrective action documents, and reports.
• Organizes and sustains recurring compliance processes without prompting.
• Handles conflict directly and calmly, including with employees who are upset.
• Reads data and identifies what it indicates, rather than only reporting it.
• Works effectively with staff at every level, from direct support professionals to the executive level.
• Knows the boundary of the role and routes questions accordingly rather than improvising an answer.

Performance Measures

• Mandatory and regulatory training completion: 100% - Monthly
• Learning management system records current: 100% - Monthly
• Required certifications current (CPR, first aid, clearances): 100% - Monthly
• Personnel file audit‑readiness self‑audit findings closed: 100% - Quarterly
• Performance reviews completed, of those eligible: 100% - Year to date
• New‑hire orientation completed on time: 100% - Monthly
• Exit interviews completed, of departures: 100% - Monthly
• Time‑to‑fill, roles closed in the period: 30 days or fewer - Monthly
• Vacancy rate: Below 9% - Monthly
• Turnover, rolling 12‑month: Below 45% - Monthly
• Early exits - departures within six months: Below 30% - Monthly Employee net promoter score: Above 67 - Per survey cycle

Physical Requirements and Working Conditions

Primarily an office environment with regular travel to program sites and to the Santa Cruz office. The position requires the ability to communicate clearly in person, by telephone, and in writing; to operate standard office equipment and computer systems; to remain at a workstation for extended periods; and to occasionally lift and move materials weighing up to 20 pounds. Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position.

Supervisory Responsibility

This position has no direct reports at present. It exercises functional authority across the organization for human resources processes, meaning that supervisors and managers are required to follow the processes this position administers, and it may direct their compliance with training, documentation, and records requirements.

General Provisions

This job description describes the general nature and level of work performed. It is not an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, or requirements, and it does not constitute a contract of employment or alter the at‑will employment relationship. Thrive Support Services, Inc. may assign additional duties or revise this description at any time.

Thrive Support Services, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.

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