Human Resources Jobs in Portland, OR

Human Resources Manager

Owen Gabbert LLC is a real estate development and construction company with a creative and community-oriented focus. Our team offers dedicated, consistent, and knowledgeable service along every step of the way, from predevelopment through construction completion. Our unique expertise in both of these areas allows us to give our clients streamlined results and educated feedback throughout the project.

We pursue projects that we believe are interesting and thoughtful to deliver buildings and spaces that are enduring as well as environmentally sound. All development and construction projects create a lasting impact on the community where they are built. We believe they should be done with consideration as well as innovation.

The Human Resources Manager is responsible for the day-to-day management and administration of the company’s human resources functions. Working closely with managers, employees, and the Operations Manager, this role ensures that HR processes are handled consistently, accurately, and in compliance with applicable laws and company policies.

The HR Manager serves as the primary point of contact for all HR questions and oversees core functions including employee relations, hiring, onboarding and offboarding, benefits, leave administration, performance management, employee records, workers’ compensation, compliance, and other HR systems.

This is a hands-on role for an organized, responsive HR professional who is comfortable working in a construction environment and understands the practical realities of supporting both office and field employees. The HR Manager will oversee the Office and Operations Manager and is responsible for ensuring that the HR function operates reliably day to day, while identifying opportunities to improve processes when needed.

HR Leadership:

● Provide practical HR guidance that balances employee needs, business needs, company values, and legal requirements.

● Establish clear expectations for how HR matters are handled and ensure consistent follow-through.

● Help managers navigate employee issues, workplace concerns, performance challenges, and policy questions.

● Maintain appropriate confidentiality, judgment, and boundaries when handling sensitive information.

● Identify issues that require additional expertise and appropriately escalate.

● Keep leadership informed of significant employee, compliance, or organizational issues.

● Develop strong working relationships with both office and field employees and understand the unique needs of a construction workforce.

● Ensure the company’s HR practices remain aligned with its culture, values, and operating needs.

● Develop strong working relationships with both office and field employees and understand the unique needs of a construction workforce.

● Complete or assist with special projects or new HR initiatives as required.

Employee Relations and Performance Management:

● Help managers address performance and workplace relationship issues effectively and consistently. Identify recurring employee patterns and recommend practical improvements.

● Guide managers through difficult conversations and corrective action when appropriate.

● Manage employee concerns and complaints, including determining appropriate next steps and ensuring issues are resolved and documented. Ensure follow-through on commitments, corrective actions, and resolutions.

● Lead or coordinate workplace investigations when needed.

● Own the company’s annual performance review and feedback processes, planning and engaging in review meetings and ensuring they are consistently administered.

● Create review summaries for all employees that assist in employee/team goal formation.

Compliance, Leave, and HRIS:

● Maintain working knowledge of applicable federal, Oregon, and local employment requirements.

● Monitor changes in employment law and identify when policies, practices, or processes need to be updated.

● Maintain reliable processes for onboarding, promotions, leaves of absence, wage changes, and offboarding.

● Ensure employee records and agreements, insurance, i-9, and HRIS information are complete, accurate, and appropriately maintained. Delegate to the Office and Operations Manager as necessary.

● Maintain useful HR data and reporting to support decisions around headcount, turnover, compensation, hiring, benefits, and employee trends.

● Own all HR compliance requirements for OSHA 300, ERISA, ACA, and other required annual reporting.

● Own administration of protected and company-provided leaves or accommodations, including FMLA, OFLA/Paid Leave Oregon, ADA accommodation, voluntary LOA’s, and other applicable leave programs. Communicate with respect to privacy and confidentiality.

● Maintain required employment notices, records, reporting, and compliance documentation.

● Oversee the HR side of workers’ compensation claims and return-to-work processes in partnership with Operations and Safety. Engage with the Safety Manager to ensure company practices and training are in place to limit future incidents.

● Oversee required HR reporting, notices, postings, audits, and recordkeeping.

● Coordinate annual employee handbook updates and communicate policy changes to employees.

● Ensure policies and employee practices are applied consistently and appropriately.

● Escalate complex or high-risk matters when additional legal or professional guidance is warranted.

● Continuously monitor the employee lifecycle for gaps, inconsistencies, or unnecessary administrative friction.

Recruiting and Talent:

● Partner with hiring managers to define roles, hiring needs, candidate qualifications, and compensation expectations.

● Manage the full-cycle recruiting process from job description and posting through offer and hiring.

● Establish consistent processes for candidate communication, screening, interviewing, reference checks, and hiring documentation.

● Provide compensation and market context to support hiring decisions.

● Offer a strong first impression to new hires by offering a consistent and well-organized onboarding experience.

● Ensure new hires are hitting onboarding milestones. Collaborate with department leadership to identify best practices and basic training needs by role; proactively schedule and facilitate training as needed.

● Help the company build and maintain a strong reputation with candidates and prospective employees.

Compensation and Benefits:

● Manage merit increases in tandem with the annual review process, advising on compensation strategies, pay bands, bonus design, and benchmarking. Ensure internal consistency and pay equity while providing relevant market context.

● Evaluate the impact of other incentive programs, including Cost of Living Increases and shared companywide bonuses. Educate employees on the total compensation package.

● Take ownership of all insurance and 401k benefits; manage enrollment, deductions, qualifying events, renewals, open enrollment, and employee education.

● Ensure benefit plans are competitive and well-designed, advocating to secure plans that best serve our unique population.

● Administer all company benefits, including new hire enrollments, qualifying life events, employee questions, and annual open enrollment.

Operations Oversight and Collaboration:

● Provide direction and accountability for the Office and Operations Manager, and ensure work within the HR function is appropriately coordinated and completed.

● Delegate effectively while maintaining accountability for the overall function.

● Ensure cross-training within the company, providing sufficient knowledge and backup capacity to maintain HR critical processes.

● Partner closely with company Leadership, Division Managers, Finance, Operations, and Safety on matters that intersect with HR.

● Build strong working relationships across both office and field teams and ensure HR remains accessible and responsive to employees.

Qualifications:

● You are comfortable in ambiguity - you quickly understand objectives, gather and analyze facts, know compliance, and make recommendations to managers.

● You have excellent organizational skills and are detail oriented but big picture focused.

● You can meet deadlines, set deadlines for others, and work independently with minimum supervision.

● You’re equally comfortable delegating and implementing and know how to prioritize your time.

● You are not easily derailed by what you haven’t seen before. You figure it out or know when to ask for help.

● You take initiative. If something is not working, including existing systems, you bring it to someone’s attention and present solutions.

● You have a positive attitude, are flexible and dedicated to your work, and you can work effectively as part of a team.

What We Need:

● Bachelor’s degree in Business or Human Resources or other relevant education and experience.

● SHRM-CP, HCRI-PCR, or similar professional certification is strongly preferred.

● 5+ years as a Human Resources professional with experience acting in a supervisory role.

● Experience in the construction industry and/or in small to mid-sized growing organizations is preferred.

● Strong ability to quickly internalize business culture, values, and objectives and manage policy to support growth of the company.

● Computer literate - Proficient with Google Workspace, Microsoft Word, Excel and able to learn new tools quickly.

You must be able to perform all requirements with or without reasonable accommodation.

Owen Gabbert, LLC is an equal opportunity and at-will employer.

Job Type: Full-time

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Professional development assistance
• Referral program
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Education:

• Bachelor's (Required)

Experience:

• Construction administrative: 5 years (Preferred)
• Human resources: 5 years (Required)

Work Location: In person