Human Resources Manager in Saint Helens, Oregon at ADVOCATE ACCESS NW

Join a workplace where HR is about people and good systems.

Advocate Access NW is looking for a People & Culture Advocate to help us continue building a workplace where employees feel welcomed, appreciated, supported, and clear about what is expected of them.

We are a collaborative, growing organization providing services to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities throughout our community. We care deeply about the people we support—and we believe taking good care of our employees is an important part of doing that well.

This isn't an HR role where you'll spend your days tucked away from the rest of the team. You'll work closely with our Directors and administrative team, helping us navigate the everyday realities of employment while making our HR practices clearer, more consistent, and easier for people to use.

Who We're Looking For

You may be a great fit if you're someone who:

• Genuinely enjoys supporting people but isn't afraid of accountability or difficult conversations.
• Can explain complicated information in a way that feels understandable and doable.
• Notices when a process isn't working—and wants to make it better.
• Is organized, dependable, and exceptionally good at following through.
• Can handle sensitive information with excellent judgment and discretion.
• Is comfortable researching an unfamiliar HR question rather than pretending to know every answer.
• Can remain fair and thoughtful when situations are complicated.
• Enjoys being part of a collaborative team and contributing ideas.
• Believes HR can be professional without feeling cold or impersonal.

We're looking for relevant experience in human resources, employee relations, benefits administration, or a closely related area, along with working knowledge of Oregon and federal employment practices. Relevant education or HR certification is welcome, but we also value strong professional experience, judgment, curiosity, and demonstrated ability. Experience in human services or another regulated environment is helpful but not required.

What It's Like to Work Here

Advocate Access NW has worked hard to build a culture where people know one another, collaborate across roles, celebrate successes, ask questions, laugh together, and step in when someone needs help.

We also take our responsibilities seriously. Supporting employees well sometimes means celebrating them, sometimes means helping solve a problem, and sometimes means having a difficult conversation with clarity and respect. We don't see those things as mutually exclusive.

We're looking for someone who can help us preserve what is special about our culture while continuing to strengthen the HR systems needed to support a growing organization.

If you're someone who likes people, problem-solving, practical systems, and meaningful work, we'd love to hear from you.

POSITION SUMMARY:

The People & Culture Advocate (aka HR Manager) supports the people who make Advocate Access NW’s work possible by helping create an employee experience that is welcoming, organized, fair, and consistent. This position serves as a trusted human resources partner to the Directors, administrative team, and Direct Support Professionals, helping employees understand expectations, navigate employment-related needs, and access appropriate support.

The People & Culture Advocate administers employee benefits; coordinates workers’ compensation, unemployment, leave, and accommodation matters; supports employee relations and corrective processes; coordinates employee appreciation and training; and strengthens agency policies and procedures.

A key focus of this position is turning complicated requirements and policies into clear, practical workflows that work in real-life situations. The People & Culture Advocate supervises assigned administrative staff partners with Directors and appropriate team members when employment-related follow-up is needed.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Support Our Employees

• Serve as an approachable and knowledgeable resource for employees.
• Administer employee benefits, including enrollments, changes, employee communication, and coordination with benefit partners.
• Help employees understand available benefits, leave options, workplace policies, and appropriate processes for requesting assistance.
• Coordinate workers’ compensation claims, unemployment claims, applicable leaves, accommodations, and return-to-work processes.
• Maintain accurate and confidential employee and human resources records.
• Protect sensitive employee information and maintain appropriate professional boundaries at all times.

Support Performance and Accountability

• Partner with Directors and appropriate administrative team members when workplace concerns or employee performance issues require human resources involvement.
• Maintain confidentiality and sound professional judgment in all employee and organizational matters.
• Gather and organize relevant information and conduct or support fair and timely workplace investigations.
• Prepare clear, factual, and respectful documentation for coaching, corrective action, and other employment matters.
• Coordinate approved disciplinary and separation processes with professionalism, consistency, and respect.
• Help employees understand expectations, available support, required improvements, and appropriate next steps.
• Balance compassion and flexibility with clear expectations and consistent accountability.

Team Supervision and Leadership

• Directly supervise assigned administrative staff, providing clear expectations, workload coordination, coaching, development, and ongoing support.
• Oversee human resources and employment-related processes, ensuring responsibilities are completed accurately, consistently, and on time.
• Review work for quality, identify training or process gaps, and provide practical guidance and resources to support successful performance.
• Coordinate shared supervisory responsibilities with the Directors during the transition of responsibilities to the People & Culture Advocate.
• Conduct regular check-ins and performance reviews and address performance concerns in partnership with the Directors as appropriate.
• Build team capacity by developing clear workflows, assigning appropriate ownership, and ensuring employees have the knowledge and resources needed to work independently.
• Provide leadership within the administrative team on human resources practices while maintaining a collaborative, cross-functional approach.

Strengthen Our HR Practices

• Review and maintain policies, procedures, forms, job descriptions, and related materials.
• Translate policies and employment requirements into clear, practical workflows for situations employees and leadership encounter.
• Identify gaps, unnecessary complexity, inconsistent practices, and opportunities to simplify human resources processes.
• Monitor applicable Oregon and federal employment requirements and recommend practical updates to agency practices.
• Maintain organized and current resources so employees and administrative team members can easily find and follow established processes.

Training and Employee Development

• Identify training needs based on position requirements, employee questions, workplace trends, policy changes, and organizational needs.
• Develop or coordinate training related to workplace expectations, policies, respectful communication, professional practices, and other employment topics.
• Help ensure employees understand new or revised policies and procedures.
• Partner with appropriate team members to make training practical, accessible, and relevant to employees’ work.
• Oversee the agency’s performance review process including review schedules, coordinating timely follow-up with responsible leaders, and ensuring completed reviews are appropriately documented.

Build a Workplace People Want to Join

• Coordinate employee recognition and appreciation activities that celebrate the contributions of Advocate Access NW employees.
• Support employee engagement and satisfaction efforts, including opportunities for employee feedback.
• Help identify trends affecting employee experience, retention, communication, and workplace culture.
• Recommend practical ways to strengthen the employee experience while maintaining clear expectations and organizational needs.
• Contribute to a workplace where employees feel welcomed, appreciated, supported, and comfortable asking questions.

Systems and Continuous Improvement

• Maintain organized tracking systems and monitor required follow-up, documentation, and deadlines.
• Review practices for consistency, effectiveness, and opportunities for improvement.
• Help clarify responsibilities when employment matters require coordination among team members.
• Provide Directors with timely, factual information regarding significant employee matters, compliance concerns, and recommended improvements.
• Support human resources portions of audits, reporting, and other organizational quality assurance activities as assigned.

ADDITIONAL DUTIES:

• Collaborate closely with Directors, administrative team members, and Direct Support Professionals.
• Represent Advocate Access NW professionally in employment-related communications, meetings, or interactions with outside organizations when assigned.
• Assist with special projects and organizational initiatives as assigned by the Directors.
• Perform other duties consistent with the purpose and responsibilities of the position.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Required

• Relevant experience in human resources, employee relations, benefits administration, or a closely related role.
• Experience handling confidential employee information and sensitive workplace matters.
• Working knowledge of Oregon and federal employment practices, with the judgment to recognize when additional research or professional guidance is appropriate.
• Strong written communication, documentation, organization, and follow-through.
• Ability to interpret complicated requirements and translate them into understandable, practical processes.
• Experience navigating employee concerns and difficult conversations professionally and respectfully.
• Strong technology skills and ability to learn and effectively use human resources and business systems.

Preferred

• Relevant education or professional certification in human resources, business administration, organizational leadership, or a related field is helpful.
• Experience in human services or another regulated environment is helpful but not required.

CORE COMPETENCIES:

• Confidential and Trustworthy: You understand that access to sensitive information carries significant responsibility and always use sound judgment in protecting it.
• Approachable and Supportive: You build trust, listen well, and help employees feel comfortable asking questions or seeking support.
• Fair and Accountable: You approach employment matters consistently, objectively, and respectfully, even when conversations are difficult.
• Practical Systems Thinker: You can take a complicated policy or requirement and turn it into a process people can actually follow.
• Organized and Dependable: You manage details, deadlines, documentation, and follow-up without losing sight of the people involved.
• Clear Communicator: You make complicated information understandable and communicate expectations with warmth and clarity.
• Collaborative: You enjoy working across roles and recognize that strong human resources practices are built in partnership with the rest of the organization.
• Growth-Minded: You notice opportunities to improve systems and employee experiences and are willing to help turn ideas into workable solutions.

BENEFITS:

• Paid personal and sick leave
• Paid holidays
• Medical, vision, and dental insurance and
• 401(k) retirement match
• Bonus