Head of HR (Remote)

Location : 3707 Old Highway 395, Fallbrook, CA
Job Type: Full Time
Remote Employment: Flexible/Hybrid
Administrative Services
Human Resources
Bargaining Unit: EEG

Water is essential to public health. For over 70 years, Rainbow Municipal Water District has provided safe drinking water and wastewater services to the residents and workers within our 82-square-mile service area in northern San Diego County.
We are proud to be a five-time San Diego Union-Tribune Top Workplace , reflecting a culture where employees feel trusted, supported, and motivated to do their best work.

is hiring a to lead human resources, labor relations, safety, and risk management for a 59-person District with three bargaining units and an elected Board. As a small and agile agency, we need someone who can set the direction for people and culture, then do the hands-on work of building the programs and seeing them work. You will report directly to the General Manager with no layers in between, supervise a small but mighty HR and risk management team, and join a strong leadership team that isn't afraid to move fast and fix things.
You report to the General Manager and sit at the leadership table, so your recommendations reach the decision-maker the same day you make them.
In a 59-person workforce, when career pathways, recognition, and safety programs work, people feel it immediately, and so does the community they serve.
Rainbow Water has been named a San Diego Union-Tribune Top Workplace five years running because people here care about and show up for each other, and the Human Resources Manager is central to keeping it that way.
The position is eligible for a hybrid remote work arrangement, with the understanding that the District's HR leader stays visible to the workforce.
This position will remain open until filled, with applications reviewed as they are submitted.

The work spans several crucial functions, each with established programs to run and defined early priorities, from redesigning performance management to standing up on-the-job training programs, to preparing for negotiations in 2028. Leadership and Strategic Partnership
• Advise the General Manager, Board, and managers on people, policy, and risk; Administer the HR and risk budgets and confer with legal counsel on employment, workers' compensation, and liability matters.
Work with the General Manager and leadership team to sustain a workplace where employees are recognized, heard, and proud of their work.
• Track workforce needs and engagement through surveys, stay interviews, and recognition programs, and turn what you learn into action.
Talent Management

• Quality of hire. Lead employment branding, recruitment, and selection, and screen candidates so hiring managers see only the best-qualified applicants.
• Performance and growth. Redesign performance management around the District's strategic focus areas, then build career pathways, succession plans, and individual development plans.
• Build a documented on-the-job training program for Construction with clear learning objectives, uniform readiness assessments, and video how-to guides in the LMS.

Employee and Labor Relations

• Be directly involved in negotiations, including research, cost analysis, and a seat at the table, with the next renegotiation in 2028.
• Employee relations. Conduct investigations, manage accommodations, advise supervisors on employment law, and update the handbook and policies for new MOUs and legislation.

Safety and Risk

• Safety and claims oversight. Direct safety, injury prevention, and workers' compensation and liability claims through the Safety and Risk Management Officer, and manage insurance and risk transfer.
• Lead a full Emergency Action Plan evaluation and a cross-departmental Emergency Operations Center exercise.

Compensation, Benefits, and HR Technology

• Run open enrollment, calculate annual employee contribution rates under each MOU, set up changes in the HRIS, and brief leadership on cost trends.
• HR technology and AI. Align the HR technology stack with operational needs, from FLSA-compliant time and attendance to a fully adopted LMS, and partner with IT to bring AI into HR work responsibly.

A bachelor's degree in human resources, business, or public administration, or equivalent; California public-sector labor relations training is strongly preferred; if not held at hire, it will be required within 12 months.
Five years of progressively responsible professional HR experience across recruitment, labor relations, benefits, classification, and performance management.
Hands-on HRIS and learning management system administration is required; California public agency and/or water utility experience is strongly preferred.
You bring private-sector urgency to public-sector work and are comfortable bringing fresh ideas to the table and building something from nothing.
You use surveys, stay interviews, and open relationships with teams and labor, and you act on what you hear.
Career pathways, on-the-job training, succession plans, and cross-training programs that outlasted the launch.
Do your own analysis. You can handle jFLSA ob analysis, comp and benefits analysis yourself and know when a consultant adds value.
Deliver unparalleled service. You help managers hire the best, then keep their teams engaged throughout the employee lifecycle.
Comp and financial analysis in Excel, HRIS configuration, evaluating new technology, and adapting to how AI is impacting how work gets done.
Investigations, discipline, reasonable accommodations, and bargaining-unit negotiation issues land on your desk, and people trust how you handle them.
Can speak in boardroom and to the field crew. You present to the Board with the analysis behind your recommendation, and can explain a comp study adjustment to a field crew just as clearly.
See HR as transactional or compliance-driven. Here, you are directly involved in daily HR operational work along with the strategic stuff.
Aren't used to a lean operation. If you need a big budget, a consultant for every project, or a long lead time before showing results, you will have an adjustment here. At Rainbow Water, we move fast and fix things, often with a bootstrap budget.
Prefer HR behind the scenes. Here, HR is visible, connected to the workforce, and part of every major decision.

Fallbrook, CA (beautiful North San Diego County), with driving to District facilities, job sites, and off-site meetings. Requires mental agility to pivot between strategy, hands-on HR operations, and confidential personnel matters, often under deadline pressure. Hybrid remote work eligibility after the initial onboarding period, with the understanding that the District's HR leader stays visible to the workforce and some weeks will require full onsite presence to meet operational demands.
Mostly office and remote work: a workstation, meetings, and a lot of conversations in person, on video, and by phone. Occasionally, you'll walk job sites, lift up to 25 pounds (50 with help), and meet crews where they work.
Emergencies: All District employees are disaster service workers under Government Code Section 3100. In a wildfire, earthquake, or major outage, you'll likely have a role in the incident command structure and report to the Emergency Operations Center.
Positions may close earlier than the posted closing date if a sufficient number of applications is received. To be considered, select the Apply button at the top of this page and submit a complete online application. Resumes may be attached but are not accepted in lieu of a fully completed application and any required supplemental materials.
Applications will be reviewed, and candidates whose qualifications most closely match the position requirements may be invited to participate in the selection process. Rainbow Municipal Water District is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants who need a reasonable accommodation to participate in the application or selection process should contact Human Resources to request assistance.
We endeavor to support all of our team members to thrive at work and at home, so our full-time employee benefits include not only medical care, but a variety of mental health resources, fertility benefits, same-sex family-building options, adoption assistance, gender-affirming care, tuition assistance and student loan repayments, and generous retirement plans.
Health and welfare insurance benefits include:
Medical Insurance -- Five health plans to choose from, including one free for family coverage.
Cash-in-Lieu of Benefits -- Exempt employees who choose not to enroll in medical coverage receive a stipend of $600 per month.
Vision and Dental Care -- 100% for employees and dependents.
Life, AD&D, Short Term and Long Term Disability Insurance -- 100% District-paid for employees.
Programs to help you save money and become retirement-ready:

• CalPERS (Public Employees Retirement System) -- 2.5% at 55 for Classic Members and 2% at 62 for New Members - employee contributions required.
• 457 Deferred Compensation Matching -- A tax-deferred retirement savings plan with the District matching up to $150 of employee contributions to the plan per pay period.
• Computer Purchase Program - The District offers interest-free loans to help employees purchase computer equipment.

Enhance the quality of your work-life balance with these programs:
Flexible Scheduling: Enjoy a hybrid/partially remote schedule after onboarding, and a 9/80 schedule with alternating Fridays off.
Generous Paid Time Off (PTO): Six weeks of PTO to start, and an option to cash out unused PTO once per year.
Paid Holidays -- RMWD offers 12 paid holidays per year.

How much total experience do you have in human resources?

• 1-3 years in the private sector only
• 1-3 years for a public water/wastewater utility
• 3-5 years in the private sector only
• 3-5 years at a public water/wastewater utility
• More than 5 years in the private sector only
• More than 5 years at a public water/wastewater utility

What type of education, training or certifications do you have related to this position? (No advanced training or certification
Bachelor's Degree in HR, business, or public administration, or a similar field.
Master's degree in public adminstration, HR or similar
Professional in Human Resources (PHR)
Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR)
Society for HR Management Certified Professional (SHRM-CP)
Society for HR Management Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP)
Other training, but no certification

In which of the following areas do you have management-level HR experience (select all that apply):
My experience in these areas is not at a management level
Talent Acquisition
Employee Relations
Performance Management
Data and financial analysis
Department budget management
Vendor relationship management
Workforce and Succession Planning
Learning and Development
Safety & Risk Management

In which of the following office software or HRIS systems are you fully proficient? Microsoft Office 365
Sharepoint
NEOGOV Recruit
ADP Performance Management
Learning Management Systems
Other Human Resources Information Systems
Other Applicant Tracking Software