Human Resources Business Partner (EAP)

Description

HUMAN RESOURCES BUSINESS PARTNER

Department: Corporate

Division: Human Resources

Location: Corporate Office - Cerritos, CA

Classification: Full-Time, Exempt, Onsite

Schedule: Monday to Friday - 0800-1700

Pay Range: $135,000.00 - $165,000.00 / year

Reports To

Chief Operating Officer (w/ dotted line to Chief Financial Officer)

Position Summary

Ecology Auto Parts, Inc. is seeking an experienced Human Resources Business Partner to lead human resources operations, employee relations, payroll governance, and employment compliance across the company's affiliated entities. Reporting directly to the Chief Operating Officer, with a dotted-line relationship to the Chief Financial Officer, this position serves as the organization's lead HR advisor and is accountable for the integrity, accuracy, and timely completion of company-wide payroll operations.

The HRBP provides direct oversight of the Payroll & Benefits Administrator and assigned support resources, retaining full operational accountability for payroll processing, internal controls, reconciliations, reporting, and compliance. The position requires demonstrated hands-on payroll expertise and the ability to personally execute payroll through Paylocity when operationally necessary, while delegating routine processing and benefits administration to designated personnel.

The ideal candidate must demonstrate strong California employment-law knowledge, sound independent judgment, executive-level communication, and the ability to lead employee relations, workplace investigations, performance management, benefits oversight, HRIS governance, and HR policy administration. Professional fluency in English and Spanish is mandatory; experience with prevailing-wage and certified-payroll requirements and transportation or logistics operations is strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

Payroll Governance & Operational Accountability

• Maintain ultimate operational accountability for the accuracy, integrity, compliance, and timely execution of payroll across all affiliated business entities.
• Direct and oversee the Payroll & Benefits Administrator and assigned support personnel responsible for recurring payroll preparation, processing, validation, reconciliation, and employee benefits administration.
• Maintain hands-on proficiency with Paylocity and personally perform payroll processing, validation, corrections, or reconciliation when necessary to maintain business continuity or resolve escalated issues.
• Establish and enforce payroll approval protocols, processing calendars, segregation-of-duties controls, audit procedures, and corrective-action standards.
• Review significant payroll exceptions, overtime and wage-and-hour compliance concerns, compensation adjustments, final-pay obligations, and payroll-related financial or regulatory risks.
• Oversee prevailing-wage and certified-payroll compliance, including rate validation, required reporting, record retention, and audit readiness.
• Partner with Finance on payroll funding, general-ledger reconciliation, tax reporting, financial controls, and resolution of material discrepancies.

HR Leadership & Business Partnership

• Advise executives and operational leaders on employee relations, workforce planning, organizational effectiveness, performance management, and consistent application of company policy.
• Build credible working relationships with leaders and employees across corporate, transportation, field, and operational environments.
• Translate business needs into practical HR actions, communicate risk clearly, and provide timely recommendations supported by policy, documentation, and applicable law.
• Promote consistent HR practices across affiliated business entities while identifying and addressing entity-specific operational, regulatory, and workforce requirements.
• Provide clear, professional HR guidance and employee support in both English and Spanish, including during investigations, payroll and benefits matters, policy discussions, and workplace communications.
• Partner with Talent Acquisition on workforce needs, selection processes, offer alignment, onboarding, and staffing transitions without duplicating recruiting ownership.
• Support organizational change, job and reporting-structure reviews, succession planning, retention efforts, employee engagement, and management development.

Employee Relations & Employment Compliance

• Lead prompt, objective, and well-documented workplace investigations involving complaints, conduct, policy violations, retaliation, harassment, discrimination, and other employee-relations concerns.
• Guide managers through coaching, corrective action, performance improvement plans, separations, and other employment decisions with consistent documentation and appropriate escalation.
• Maintain working knowledge of California and federal employment requirements, including wage and hour, leaves of absence, reasonable accommodation, equal employment opportunity, and recordkeeping obligations.
• Develop, interpret, maintain, and communicate HR policies, procedures, forms, and practices; monitor consistent application throughout the organization.
• Coordinate with executive leadership and legal counsel on sensitive employee matters, claims, audits, agency inquiries, and significant compliance risks.
• Administer leave-of-absence and accommodation processes in coordination with employees, managers, providers, carriers, and legal resources as appropriate.

Benefits Administration & HRIS Governance

• Provide strategic and compliance oversight of employee benefits programs, directing the Payroll & Benefits Administrator's day-to-day administration and resolving escalated eligibility, coverage, vendor, and regulatory matters.
• Direct HRIS governance, data-integrity controls, system access, approval workflows, reporting standards, and periodic audits within Paylocity, while overseeing routine personnel transactions performed by designated support personnel.
• Maintain appropriate controls over confidential employee records and ensure accurate workforce, payroll, benefits, and compliance reporting for leadership.
• Evaluate benefits administration, HRIS workflows, and vendor performance to identify compliance risks, operational deficiencies, and opportunities for improvement.

HR Operations & Organizational Development

• Develop and maintain HR and payroll procedures, controls, service standards, and continuity plans; identify process gaps and implement sustainable improvements.
• Direct, supervise, and evaluate the performance of the Payroll & Benefits Administrator and assigned HR support personnel, including establishing priorities, assigning responsibilities, providing coaching and development, and recommending or implementing personnel actions within delegated authority.
• Manage the performance-review cycle and support leaders in setting expectations, documenting performance, recognizing contributions, and addressing performance gaps.
• Deliver or coordinate manager training on interviewing, hiring, documentation, performance management, respectful workplace expectations, leaves, wage-and-hour compliance, and other HR practices.
• Oversee company-wide compliance training programs, including California-mandated sexual harassment prevention training, ensuring timely completion, accurate documentation, and appropriate tracking of employee and supervisory training requirements.
• Use payroll, turnover, attendance, employee-relations, and workforce data to identify trends and recommend practical corrective or preventive action.
• Perform other related duties consistent with the position's HR leadership and payroll-accountability responsibilities.

Requirements

 Qualifications/Knowledge/Critical SkillsRequired

• Professional fluency in English and Spanish, including the ability to conduct sensitive employee discussions and communicate complex HR, payroll, benefits, and compliance information verbally and in writing in both languages.
• Demonstrated hands-on, end-to-end experience with payroll preparation, processing, validation, and reconciliation for a complex, multi-site or multi-entity      workforce.
• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Organizational Leadership, Accounting, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and directly relevant experience.
• Seven or more years of progressive human resources experience, including substantial responsibility for employee relations, HR operations, and advising organizational leadership.
• Strong command of California wage-and-hour, leave, accommodation, employee-relations, and employment-record requirements.
• Direct experience overseeing employee benefits administration and resolving complex payroll and benefits discrepancies.
• Demonstrated ability to lead workplace investigations, advise management on sensitive employment matters, and implement sound, consistent HR practices.
• Experience establishing or improving payroll controls, HRIS workflows, administrative procedures, and operational accountability.
• Demonstrated discretion, independent judgment, sound decision-making, attention to detail, and ability to manage confidential and time-sensitive matters.
• Strong business and financial judgment, executive communication, investigative skills, operational urgency, and follow-through.
• Ability to direct administrative support resources, manage competing priorities, and maintain operational continuity across multiple entities and locations.

Preferred

• Direct hands-on experience with Paylocity payroll and HRIS functionality.
• Working knowledge of prevailing-wage and certified-payroll requirements and processes.
• HR certification such as SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, SPHR, or equivalent.
• Payroll certification such as Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) or Fundamental Payroll Certification (FPC).
• Prior HR and payroll experience supporting transportation, trucking, logistics, or another distributed operational workforce.

Physical Demands/Environmental Factors

• Regularly sits, uses a computer and standard office equipment, and communicates verbally and in writing.
• Occasionally stands, walks, bends, reaches, and lifts or moves items weighing up to 25 pounds.
• Must be able to review detailed electronic and printed information and perform the essential functions of the position with or without reasonable accommodation.
• Occasional local travel to company locations may be required.

Work Environment / Position Structure

• Full-time, exempt, onsite position based at the Corporate Office in Cerritos, California.
• Regular business hours are Monday through Friday, 0800-1700, with attendance and availability during established business and payroll-processing hours required.
• Scheduling flexibility and occasional work outside normal business hours may be necessary to meet payroll deadlines, address urgent employee matters, or fulfill essential HR leadership responsibilities.
• The position operates primarily in a professional office setting and may periodically visit transportation, field, or operational locations.
• The HRBP reports directly to the Chief Operating Officer, with a dotted-line relationship to the Chief Financial Officer.
• This position serves as the organization's lead HR business partner, with direct oversight of the Payroll & Benefits Administrator and coordination of additional HR and payroll support resources as assigned.
• The role maintains independent responsibility for significant HR decisions, employee-relations matters, policy interpretation, and payroll governance within delegated authority.
• Although routine payroll processing and benefits administration are performed by designated personnel, the HRBP retains operational accountability and must be capable of personally executing payroll when necessary.

Compensation

The Human Resources Business Partner position offers an anticipated base salary of $135,000.00 to $165,000.00 per year. Final compensation will be determined based on relevant experience, demonstrated payroll and HR expertise, education, certifications, and other lawful job-related considerations. In addition, Ecology Auto Parts, Inc. provides a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, and vision insurance, a 401(k) plan with employer matching, generous paid time off, and life insurance coverage, subject to applicable plan terms.

PLEASE NOTE: This job description is not exhaustive and is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee.

Ecology Auto Parts Inc. is committed to providing a workplace and culture of respect, diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. We are dedicated to ensuring equal employment opportunity without regard to race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity, or Veteran status. Should you have a disability or specific needs requiring accommodation, please inform us.

Thank you for your interest in opportunities with Ecology Auto Parts, Inc. We appreciate the enthusiasm and professionalism demonstrated by individuals seeking to join our team.Please be advised that Ecology Auto Parts, Inc. does not engage with or entertain solicitations from third-party recruiting firms for our hiring needs. We have a dedicated internal recruitment team managing our talent acquisition process. We kindly request that third-party recruitment firms refrain from submitting candidates for our open positions. Ecology Auto Parts, Inc. will not consider or entertain candidates represented by headhunter agencies for our current requisitions. Our commitment to fair and equitable hiring practices includes working directly with candidates who apply through our official channels. We believe in fostering a transparent and direct relationship with potential team members.

We appreciate your understanding and compliance with this policy. If you are interested in joining Ecology Auto Parts, Inc., please visit our official careers page here: EAP, Inc. | Career Center for a list of our current job opportunities and application instructions.

Acknowledgement

Employee signature below constitutes employee's understanding of the requirements, essential functions and duties of the position.

Candidate/Employee Name (Print): ________________________________________________________

Candidate/Employee Signature: ___________________________________________________________