HR Manager

ROLE PURPOSE

The HR Manager serves as the highest internal HR authority at Mendoza Companies, reporting directly to Ownership. This role leads all people operations functions across the Mendoza Companies ecosystem — including compliance, culture, hiring, performance management, policy enforcement, benefits, and HR systems — spanning California-based operations, Nevada, and remote employees across multiple entities.

As Mendoza Companies scales toward Mission 2040, disciplined HR infrastructure is not optional — it is essential. This role exists to protect the company legally, strengthen the culture operationally, and build a leadership pipeline that enables the organization to grow without Ownership dependency in day-to-day people decisions.

This role currently inherits a team of HR staff operating without senior leadership. The HR Manager is expected to step in immediately, establish authority, and build the systems and team trust required to operate at a high level from day one.

This is not a generalist support role. This is a decision-making seat. The person in this chair leads, moves fast, makes sound calls, and protects the Mendoza name through every people decision they make.

EDUCATION & CERTIFICATIONS

Education

Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Organizational Development, or a related field — required.

Equivalent experience in a construction or trades environment may be considered in lieu of degree for candidates with 7 or more years of directly relevant HR leadership experience.

Certifications — Required or Committed Within 12 Months of Hire

PHR (Professional in Human Resources) or SHRM-CP (SHRM Certified Professional) — one required, or demonstrated commitment to obtain within 12 months of hire.

Certifications — Strongly Preferred

California HR compliance certification or demonstrated working knowledge of California-specific employment law.

OSHA 10 or OSHA 30 — preferred given construction and field site environment.

Additional Requirements

Bilingual — English and Spanish, written and verbal — required.

Ability to travel to job sites, company offices, and out-of-state locations (Nevada) as needed.

Valid driver's license and reliable transportation required.

THE MENDOZA WAY –  LEADERSHIP STANDARD.

The HR Manager is the culture carrier of the organization. This role does not wait to be told what the standard is — it defines it, enforces it, and models it every day across every entity and location.

This seat leads with discipline and directness. Difficult conversations are not deferred. Compliance gaps are not ignored. Cultural misalignment is addressed in real time. The Mendoza Way is not a poster on the wall — it is the standard this seat is responsible for protecting and scaling.

Precision, follow-through, decisiveness, and respectful candor define success in this seat.

ACCOUNTABILITY ROLES.

1. HR Leadership, Team Management & Ownership Partnership

The HR Manager owns the HR function entirely and leads all HR staff across the organization. This seat establishes clear expectations, builds team accountability, and ensures daily HR operations run without Ownership involvement in routine decisions. Where HR staff currently operate without senior leadership structure, this role steps in immediately to provide direction, cadence, and authority.

This role operates in direct partnership with Ownership. For field and non-management employees, this seat has full authority to make and execute people decisions — Ownership is informed, not required to approve. For managers and above, this seat prepares the recommendation and presents it to Ownership for final sign-off before execution. The HR Manager knows when to act, when to advise, and when to escalate — and does not require direction to make that call. This dynamic requires maturity, judgment, and the confidence to engage Ownership as a trusted strategic partner, not a decision backstop.

2. Recruitment, Talent Pipeline & Job Architecture

The HR Manager leads all hiring activity across all entities. This includes developing and maintaining job descriptions for every role in the organization, building structured screening frameworks, coordinating interviews, and managing offer and onboarding workflows. For field and lower-level roles, hiring decisions are made and executed by this seat. For management and above, Ownership provides final approval.

Job description ownership is a standing responsibility of this seat — not a one-time task. As the organization scales, adds roles, or adjusts structure, this role ensures every position is accurately defined, properly classified, and legally sound. Pipeline thinking and proactive sourcing are core expectations — the organization is never left in a reactive hiring position.

3. Performance Management, Employee Relations & Disciplinary Standards

The HR Manager initiates, manages, and enforces all Performance Improvement Plans across the organization. For field and non-management employees, this seat has authority to execute corrective action — up to and including termination — with Ownership informed. For managers and above, termination requires Ownership approval prior to execution.

This seat owns the full progressive discipline framework: verbal warnings, written warnings, documented counseling, PIPs, and separation — with accurate documentation at every step. In California, documentation discipline is not a best practice; it is a legal requirement. Employee relations issues are handled with directness, fairness, and speed. This role does not defer difficult conversations — it leads them.

4. Compliance, Risk & Leave Management

The HR Manager maintains full compliance across all employment law requirements, including California and Nevada labor law, multi-state regulations, I-9 and E-Verify, FMLA, CFRA, PDL, and California's expanded leave statutes. Workers' compensation claims are administered through this seat — including injury reporting, carrier coordination, and return-to-work management. Unemployment claims are monitored, responded to, and contested where appropriate.

This role also carries working knowledge of applicable Collective Bargaining Agreements. While the HR Manager does not negotiate union contracts, this seat interprets CBA language, advises Ownership on approach and application, and supports the resolution of employee grievances in alignment with contractual obligations. The company operates across multiple states and entities; this seat understands and applies the appropriate regulatory framework for each jurisdiction — not a one-size approach.

5. Policy, Handbook & Benefits Administration

The HR Manager develops, updates, and enforces all company policies and the employee handbook across all entities. As the legal and operational landscape evolves — employment law changes, multi-state obligations, union requirements, and organizational growth — this seat keeps all documentation current, compliant, and reflective of actual company standards. Policy gaps are closed proactively, not reactively.

This role also owns benefits administration: health insurance, retirement plans, open enrollment, carrier and vendor coordination, and employee communication around benefits. Benefits are not a passive function — they are a retention and compliance tool, and this seat treats them accordingly.

6. Culture Standards & Mendoza Way Enforcement

The HR Manager owns the cascade and enforcement of the Mendoza Way Culture Standards (TOL-HRE-001) across all entities and locations — field, office, and remote. Culture alignment evaluations — Green, Yellow, and Red — are conducted, coached, and documented through this seat on a consistent cadence. Cultural misalignment is addressed immediately and directly, not deferred or softened.

This role coordinates with department leaders to ensure cultural expectations are integrated into onboarding, performance reviews, and daily operations. Culture is not declared — it is enforced through consistent behavior, coaching, and accountability at every level of the organization.

7. HR Systems, AI Integration & Technology

The HR Manager administers the company's current HRIS platform (BambooHR) and owns HR system integrity — including personnel records, documentation workflows, and reporting. The organization is evaluating a potential platform transition; the HR Manager plays a direct role in assessing options, providing input to Ownership, and managing any transition that takes place. This is a systems participation role, not just end-user administration.

This role is also responsible for building and scaling AI-assisted processes within HR operations. The company is integrating AI into cultural calibrations, re-interview frameworks, and training workflows. The HR Manager is expected to help develop these tools, implement structured workflows around them, and expand their use across the organization. Comfort with emerging HR technology is a core expectation of this seat — not an optional skill.

8. Onboarding, Training, Workforce Development & Offboarding

The HR Manager designs and owns the full employee lifecycle experience — from structured onboarding through compliant offboarding — for all employees across all locations. Onboarding includes Mendoza Way immersion, policy orientation, benefits enrollment, and role-specific setup, executed consistently regardless of work arrangement or geography. Remote and out-of-state employees receive the same standard of HR engagement as on-site staff, with jurisdiction-specific compliance requirements applied appropriately.

Offboarding is owned end-to-end: final pay compliance under California's strict timelines, system access removal, benefits continuation (COBRA), separation agreements where applicable, and exit interview administration. This role also coordinates training certification management — tracking employee training records, identifying certification renewal requirements, sourcing development opportunities, and supporting leadership development initiatives aligned with Mission 2040.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

Lead and develop all HR staff; establish accountability and operational cadence across the HR team.

Own all hiring activity; execute field and lower-level decisions independently; coordinate management-level hires with Ownership for final approval.

Initiate and manage all PIPs, corrective actions, and terminations; own the full progressive discipline framework and documentation standards across all entities.

Maintain compliance across California and Nevada labor law, multi-state regulations, I-9/E-Verify, FMLA/CFRA/PDL, workers' compensation, prevailing wage, and unemployment claims.

Interpret CBA language, advise Ownership on union matters, and support grievance resolution.

Develop, update, and enforce the employee handbook, all company policies, and job descriptions across all entities.

Administer employee benefits, manage open enrollment, and coordinate with carriers and vendors.

Cascade and enforce the Mendoza Way Culture Standards conduct and document cultural alignment evaluations across all entities and locations.

Administer BambooHR; lead HRIS platform evaluation and any transition; develop and implement AI-assisted HR workflows for calibrations, re-interviews, and training.

Design and execute onboarding and offboarding for all employees; manage training certification tracking and all HR needs for remote and out-of-state workforce.

MENDOZA CULTURE. CORE VALUES EXPECTATIONS

Driven by Legacy, Guided by Purpose

Understands that every hiring decision, corrective action, and cultural enforcement moment either builds or erodes the Mendoza legacy. Makes people decisions with long-term organizational health in mind — not short-term convenience.

Disciplined — Expects and Delivers Excellence

HR processes are executed with precision and consistency. Deadlines are not missed. Documentation is not left incomplete. Standards are not negotiated down under pressure. Compliance is not treated as a checkbox — it is treated as a foundation.

Optimistic & Beginner's Mindset

Approaches evolving employment laws, new HR technology, AI integration, CBA interpretation, and complex employee situations with curiosity and confidence. Welcomes feedback from Ownership and adjusts without defensiveness.

Serving with Integrity & Commitment

Handles sensitive employee matters with dignity and confidentiality. Communicates difficult truths directly and respectfully. Protects both the company and the individual by doing the right thing — especially when it is uncomfortable.

Embrace Change & Enjoy the Ride

This role inherits a people function in active transition. New systems, new technology, new jurisdictions, and new organizational demands are embraced as part of the work — not as obstacles to it. The HR Manager moves with the company's growth, not behind it.

COMPETENCIES

Soft Skills

High decisiveness — comfortable making difficult people decisions independently and under pressure.

Strong bilingual communication — fluent in English and Spanish, written and verbal.

Leadership presence — earns trust and respect from staff, field teams, and Ownership.

Conflict resolution — leads difficult conversations without avoidance or delay.

Coachability — receives feedback from Ownership and adjusts without defensiveness.

Organizational discipline — manages multiple priorities across entities without losing control of the details.

Hard Skills

California employment law expertise — required.

HR compliance — California, with ability to expand as the organization grows into Arizona and Nevada.

Union environment experience; CBA interpretation and grievance support.

PIP design, progressive discipline execution, and termination documentation.

Recruitment, structured screening frameworks, and job description development.

Employee handbook development, policy writing, and policy enforcement.

Benefits administration — open enrollment, carrier coordination, and employee support.

Workers' compensation administration and leave management (FMLA/CFRA/PDL).

I-9 and E-Verify compliance and audit readiness.

HRIS administration — BambooHR proficiency; platform evaluation experience a plus.

AI tools familiarity and interest in developing AI-assisted HR workflows.

Training certification tracking and workforce development coordination.

Remote and distributed workforce management.