105102 - Human Resources Manager

About Hotel Valencia Santana Row

Hotel Valencia Santana Row is located in San Jose, California, and is a pillar of the community. Our hotel is unique to the city, and we are looking for outstanding talent to provide exceptional customer service to our guests. We are part of Valencia Hotel Collection, a collection of hotels created for today’s passionate traveler. Each of our hotels is intentionally designed to showcase modern design and classic character. We are looking for team members who are ready to be empowered to go above and beyond.

Job Summary

The Human Resources Manager is responsible for leading, managing, and overseeing all human resources functions at Hotel Valencia Santana Row. This is a hands-on leadership position requiring a seasoned HR professional with extensive knowledge of California employment laws, California payroll and wage-and-hour regulations, employee recordkeeping requirements, and workers’ compensation administration. Salary range for this Human Resource Manager is 160K to 170K.

The successful candidate will take full ownership and accountability for all HR functions, ensuring the hotel maintains compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws, company policies, and established operating standards. This individual must demonstrate sound judgment, strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and the ability to independently manage complex employee relations matters, investigations, benefits, leave administration, payroll compliance, and regulatory requirements.

As a member of the hotel’s Executive Committee, the Human Resources Manager partners with the General Manager and department leaders to develop and maintain a positive workplace culture, minimize employment-related risk, strengthen employee engagement, and support the hotel’s operational and financial objectives.

This position requires demonstrated, hands-on experience applying California employment laws in a hotel or similarly complex operating environment. General HR experience without substantial California compliance experience will not be sufficient.

Physical Requirements

1. Standing/Walking: Constantly. Conducts hotel tours with new hires, visits departments, and interacts with employees throughout the property.
2. Handling: Frequently. Handles phones, paperwork, employee files, keyboards, and other office materials.
3. Grasping: Occasionally. Opens doors and performs routine office-related activities.
4. Talking/Hearing in Person: Constantly communicates with associates and leadership; occasionally interacts with guests or participates in public speaking.
5. Talking/Hearing on Telephone: Constantly communicates with associates, management, corporate contacts, and external agencies.
6. Near Vision: Frequently reviews employee records, documents, computer monitors, reports, and other written materials.

Working Environment

• All interior areas of the hotel.
• Exterior hotel areas with exposure to varying weather conditions.
• Occasional travel for meetings, training, and professional development.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

1. HR Leadership, Accountability, and Compliance

• Assume full ownership and accountability for all human resources functions, ensuring responsibilities are completed accurately, consistently, and within established deadlines.
• Develop, implement, administer, and maintain HR policies, procedures, programs, and practices consistent with Valencia Hotel Group standards and applicable employment laws.
• Partner with the General Manager and Executive Committee to align HR strategy with hotel operations, staffing requirements, employee engagement, retention, succession planning, and business objectives.
• Maintain current knowledge of changes in federal, California, and applicable local employment laws and proactively implement necessary policy, procedural, and operational changes.
• Conduct regular HR compliance reviews and internal audits to identify potential risks, correct deficiencies, and maintain appropriate documentation.
• Serve as the primary on-property resource for HR matters, exercising independent judgment while escalating significant legal, regulatory, employee relations, or risk-management issues to the appropriate corporate resources or outside counsel.
• Maintain the employee handbook, required workplace notices, HR procedures, and compliance documentation.
• Establish clear priorities, deadlines, and follow-up processes to ensure HR responsibilities are completed without unnecessary oversight.

2. California Employment Law and Wage-and-Hour Compliance

• Demonstrate thorough, practical knowledge of California employment laws and their application to hotel operations.
• Ensure compliance with applicable California wage-and-hour requirements, including minimum wage, overtime, meal and rest periods, reporting-time pay, split-shift premiums where applicable, final wage payments, paid sick leave, and other required compensation and leave provisions.
• Understand applicable federal, state, and local requirements affecting exempt and nonexempt employees, including classification, scheduling, timekeeping, and compensation practices.
• Review timekeeping practices and work with department leaders and payroll personnel to identify and correct potential wage-and-hour compliance issues.
• Ensure required wage notices, pay statements, workplace postings, and other employee disclosures are provided and maintained as required by law.
• Provide guidance to managers on compliant scheduling, attendance management, disciplinary action, reasonable accommodations, protected leaves, and other employment matters.
• Monitor applicable California and local requirements affecting hiring, pay transparency, employee privacy, workplace harassment prevention, and other employment practices.
• Proactively identify potential exposure and recommend corrective action before issues develop into formal complaints, wage claims, litigation, or regulatory penalties.

3. California Payroll Compliance and Administration

• Oversee HR-related payroll compliance and work closely with payroll personnel and corporate resources to ensure accurate and timely processing of employee compensation.
• Maintain working knowledge of California payroll laws and requirements, including overtime calculations, applicable regular-rate calculations, meal and rest period premiums, final pay deadlines, wage statements, payroll deductions, and required payroll records.
• Review payroll exceptions, timekeeping discrepancies, employee status changes, pay adjustments, garnishments, and other payroll-related matters for accuracy and compliance.
• Ensure payroll changes are properly authorized, documented, communicated, and processed within established deadlines.
• Investigate and resolve payroll discrepancies promptly, coordinating with the appropriate payroll or corporate personnel.
• Support compliance with applicable federal, state, and local payroll tax withholding, reporting, and recordkeeping requirements in coordination with the responsible payroll function.
• Maintain appropriate controls over payroll-related employee information and confidential compensation records.

4. Employee Records and Regulatory Recordkeeping

• Maintain complete, accurate, secure, and organized employee records in accordance with applicable California and federal recordkeeping requirements.
• Ensure appropriate documentation and retention of personnel files, payroll records, timekeeping records, hiring documents, wage notices, training records, leave documentation, workers’ compensation records, and other required employment records.
• Maintain compliance with applicable record-retention periods, employee access and inspection requests, agency requests, and document-production deadlines.
• Oversee completion and retention of required employment eligibility verification documentation, including Form I-9, within applicable deadlines.
• Maintain confidentiality and appropriate access controls for personnel, medical, leave, investigation, and other sensitive employee information.
• Ensure required workplace postings, notices, reports, logs, and regulatory filings are maintained and submitted when applicable.
• Prepare for and coordinate employment-related audits, inspections, and requests from government agencies.
• Ensure records are accurate, readily accessible to authorized personnel, and maintained in accordance with applicable legal requirements and company policies.

5. Workers’ Compensation, Workplace Safety, and Leave Administration

• Take ownership of the administration and coordination of workers’ compensation claims, including timely reporting, required documentation, communication with the claims administrator, and follow-up with employees and management.
• Maintain working knowledge of California workers’ compensation requirements and applicable reporting, claims-handling, and return-to-work obligations.
• Coordinate modified-duty assignments, work restrictions, and return-to-work plans in consultation with the employee, management, claims administrator, and appropriate medical or legal resources.
• Monitor claims activity and communicate material developments, delays, and potential concerns to the General Manager and appropriate corporate personnel.
• Coordinate applicable federal, California, and local leave programs, including FMLA and CFRA where applicable, pregnancy disability leave, paid sick leave, and other protected leaves.
• Administer accommodation requests and interactive processes in accordance with applicable disability and employment laws.
• Coordinate workplace injury documentation and reporting and support compliance with applicable Cal/OSHA requirements, including injury and illness records where required.
• Identify recurring workplace injury trends and partner with department leaders to recommend preventive measures and improve workplace safety.

6. Employee Relations, Investigations, and Risk Management

• Lead employee relations matters, including complaints, workplace conflicts, performance concerns, disciplinary action, and terminations.
• Conduct or oversee timely, impartial, and appropriately documented workplace investigations involving harassment, discrimination, retaliation, policy violations, and other allegations of misconduct.
• Provide practical guidance to managers regarding corrective action, performance management, documentation, and consistent application of company policies.
• Ensure sensitive matters are handled confidentially and in accordance with applicable laws and company procedures.
• Identify potential employment-related risks and promptly escalate significant concerns to the General Manager, corporate HR, or legal counsel as appropriate.
• Manage unemployment claims, employment verifications, garnishments, and other assigned employment administration responsibilities.

7. Recruitment, Retention, and Talent Development

• Oversee recruitment and selection for exempt and nonexempt positions, partnering with department leaders to meet staffing requirements.
• Coordinate hiring procedures, background checks where applicable, onboarding, new-hire orientation, and employment documentation.
• Support workforce planning, succession planning, internal career development, and employee retention initiatives.
• Develop and coordinate training programs, including required harassment prevention training, supervisory development, and other mandatory or business-related training.
• Monitor training completion and ensure required training records are maintained.
• Partner with leadership to strengthen employee engagement, recognition, communication, and the overall associate experience.

8. Benefits, Compensation, and HR Administration

• Administer employee benefits programs, including enrollment, eligibility changes, claims resolution, employee communications, and coordination with benefit providers.
• Support compensation administration, position changes, salary reviews, performance evaluations, and applicable pay equity and pay transparency requirements.
• Maintain the HR information system and employee data, ensuring information is accurate and updated promptly.
• Prepare HR reports, staffing updates, turnover analysis, training records, compliance reports, and other management information.
• Coordinate applicable EEO-1 reporting and other required regulatory reports based on the hotel's and company's reporting obligations.
• Participate in hotel leadership meetings, daily stand-up meetings, and other operational meetings as required.
• Recommend improvements to HR processes, controls, service delivery, and departmental effectiveness.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Benefits: 

• Medical, Dental, Life insurance
• Paid Time Off 
• Paid Community Service Days
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Valencia Hotel Group (and all its affiliates) is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Valencia Hotel Group provides equal employment opportunities to all persons. The company does not discriminate because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability or ancestry in recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion or any other condition of employment and actively seeks a diverse and representative work force.

Required Skills and Abilities

• Demonstrated ability to take ownership of all HR responsibilities and independently manage priorities, deadlines, and compliance obligations.
• Thorough working knowledge of California employment laws, wage-and-hour regulations, payroll requirements, employee recordkeeping, and workers’ compensation administration.
• Strong understanding of employee relations, investigations, disciplinary procedures, leave administration, benefits, and employment risk management.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, interpersonal, negotiation, and conflict-resolution skills.
• Strong organizational skills, analytical ability, and exceptional attention to detail.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment, maintain confidentiality, and handle sensitive matters with professionalism and integrity.
• Ability to interpret and apply employment laws and translate legal requirements into practical operating procedures.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and the ability to learn and effectively use HRIS, payroll, timekeeping, and talent management systems.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with corporate HR, payroll, benefit providers, claims administrators, government agencies, and outside legal counsel.
• Ability to communicate expectations clearly, hold managers accountable, and follow through to ensure issues are resolved.

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field required.
• Minimum of five years of progressive human resources experience, including at least three years in an HR management or leadership role.
• Demonstrated, hands-on experience managing California employment-law compliance is required.
• Direct experience with California wage-and-hour and payroll compliance, employee recordkeeping requirements, and workers’ compensation administration is required.
• Hotel or hospitality industry experience strongly preferred, particularly in a full-service hotel with multiple departments and a diverse hourly workforce.
• Experience conducting workplace investigations, managing employee relations matters, administering protected leaves, and supporting regulatory audits.
• SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP certification highly desired.