Job Title: HR Associate
Classification: Part-Time (20 hours per week), Non-Exempt, Work authorization is required
Compensation: $39.04 - $42.16 /hour
Location: Hybrid, work must be performed in one of our 3 geographies in California
Travel Requirements: 5% of time (includes local travel)
Reports To: HR Manager
Direct Reports: This role does not have supervisory responsibilities
The Asian Pacific Environmental Network (APEN) is an environmental justice organization with deep roots in California’s Asian immigrant and refugee communities. Since 1993, APEN has built a membership base of Laotian refugees in Richmond and Chinese immigrants in Oakland, and more recently, Asian Americans in South Bay LA. Together, we have fought and won campaigns to make our communities healthier and just places where all people have the resources we need to live full, dignified lives. We are growing our local roots and building power to make decisions at the state level that have real local impact. By building an organized movement, we’re leading a transition away from an extractive economy based on profit and pollution and toward local, healthy, and life-sustaining economies that benefit everyone.
Position Summary
The HR Associate at APEN will provide essential support to the organization’s HR functions, with responsibilities spanning personnel administration, recruitment, payroll, and benefits. This role helps to ensure a consistent and supportive employee experience while maintaining compliance with internal policies and external requirements. The HR Associate will play an active role in processing employee lifecycle activities—from recruitment and onboarding to leave coordination and offboarding—while supporting staff with training and policy implementation. In collaboration with the HR Manager and Operations team, the HR Associate helps administer payroll, track timekeeping, and benefits programs, including insurance and retirement plans. This position requires strong organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills, and is critical in helping APEN maintain an equitable, values-aligned, transparent, and legally compliant workplace.
Roles and Responsibilities
Finance and Benefits Administration (Approximately 50% of the role):
Payroll and Timekeeping:
- Administer payroll changes and create staff memos (salary/time adjustments, deductions, etc) including special withholding info (garnishments, 401k, etc).
- Process payroll with payroll vendor per payroll schedule; update payroll with employee contributions to 401k accounts to appropriate vendors.
- Liaison to payroll company to address any questions, adjustments to staff payroll.
- Support implementation and tracking of lobbying rules and regulations to maintain APEN’s legal compliance with lobbying timekeeping.
- Create an annual payroll calendar for staff.
- Maintain secure payroll company and staff adjustments files.
- Collect timesheets and track vacation/sick time balance; maintain time codes for earned revenue contracts; submit reports to bookkeeper.
Benefits Administration:
- Under the direction of the HR Manager, implement benefits administration.
- Work with HR Manager for annual 401k renewals and benefits open enrollment.
- Process paperwork and reports as needed for the HRA plan.
Personnel (Approximately 20% of the role):
- Reporting: Process IRS and EDD reporting (W-2 form, unemployment verifications, tax registration, provide employee/salary verification requested by outside parties).
- Work with HR Manager to train supervisors and staff on personnel policies.
- With consultation and direction from the HR Manager, manage various staff leaves (medical, unpaid, parental, etc) Follow up with verification from state entities as needed.
- Ensure compliance with Employee Handbook and Collective Bargaining Agreement.
- Maintain personnel files.
- Support with staff offboarding procedures.
Recruitment and Selection (Approximately 15% of the role):
- Post and Review job announcements, creating emails for the hiring committee to receive.
- Provide training for hiring managers. Work with the Operations team as needed.
- Lead new hire paperwork processes.
- Support in HR orientation for new staff members.
- Support integration of APEN’s performance management system with the HR Manager.
Organization Wide (Approximately 10% of the role):
- Strategy and Planning: Contribute to overall organizational coordination and planning processes, including strategic planning, yearly workplan and budgeting, annual board + staff meeting, bi-weekly staff meetings and component meetings
- Organizational Culture: Contribute to the APEN culture of team-building, emotional intelligence, feminisms, and leadership development
- Manage volunteers and interns when needed
- Develop personal and professional growth and leadership
- Support for other APEN components by supporting member meetings, signature gathering, voter engagement, and other APEN-wide support needs
APEN Action c4 management (Approximately 5% of the role):
- Coordinate and support our sister organization APEN Action
Qualifications
- Two or more years experience in human resources - preferably in social justice movements or liberatory movement spaces and organizations.
- Commitment to working with immigrant and refugee communities of color
- People-oriented and strong interpersonal skills, with an ability to connect with a diverse range of people as individuals and in large groups
- Commitment to a culture of feedback; comfortable giving/receiving feedback across power differentials
- Excellent project management skills and the ability to handle complex, multifaceted projects
- A multitasker and self-starter with the ability to work in a fast-paced environment who is agile, iterative, and flexible
- Ability to manage details, meet deadlines, and produce high-quality materials.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, ability to communicate complex information effectively
- Strong decision-making skills and good judgment
- Ability to maintain confidentiality with sensitive information
- Technology savvy with the ability to learn and adopt new tech tools
Preferred Experience
- Experience conducting HR investigations and/or managing compliance with local/state/federal HR laws and policies
- Experience working with multi-entity non-profits (c3s, c4s, and PACs)
- Experience working in a unionized work environment
Salary And Benefits
Competitive hourly rate range of $39.04 to $42.16, commensurate with experience. APEN offers a generous benefits package that includes the following:
- Prorated medical, dental, vision and life insurance/AD&D coverage for employee, spouse, and/or dependents
- Healthcare and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
- Prorated Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA)
- Prorated vacation and sick time
- Paid holidays
- Paid 2 week winter holiday
- 401k with 5% employer contribution
- Professional development funds
- Mass Transit/parking benefits
- Prorated Paid Sabbatical opportunity
- APEN is also a family-friendly employer
Accessibility And Working Conditions
This position will require applicants to work on a computer daily for long periods of time, and collaborate with colleagues and coalition partners through Zoom, email, and other digital platforms. APEN will provide a computer and other equipment needed to fulfill basic job responsibilities.
This position will be a hybrid (remote/in-person) position. Candidates will need to be able to work in-person at one of our offices located in Oakland, Richmond, or South Bay Los Angeles. This position will follow APEN’s COVID safety policies and protocols regarding in-person work. Masks are required to be worn in APEN offices and indoor events, with the exception of eating and drinking. All employees also are required to be vaccinated as part of our safety policy or be subject to weekly testing.
APEN will continue to closely monitor local and state health officials guidance around COVID and any additional guidelines around safety for people to return to offices and gather in-person as needed.
This position will not require carrying or moving heavy equipment, regularly ascending or descending a ladder, or standing or sitting for long periods of time. This position will not require working in hazardous or unusual conditions such as outdoors in inclement weather.
We provide reasonable accommodations for the application, interview, or any other aspect of the internship selection process to applicants with disabilities. Please email hiring@apen4ej.org to request an accommodation.
Application Process
Applications will be accepted through March 19, we will be holding interviews in March and April, and our target candidate start date is early to mid May. Applications are due electronically by clicking “Apply Now” on the APEN website. Incomplete applications will not be accepted.
The application must include the following:
- Resume
- Cover letter describing interest in the position and qualifications
APEN is an equal opportunity employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type and affords equal employment opportunities to employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, caste, or any other characteristic protected by law. APEN conforms to the spirit as well as to the letter of all applicable laws and regulations. Queer, transgender, intersex, gender non-conforming, disabled, black and indigenous people of color are strongly encouraged to apply.
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