Human Resources Specialist

About the Company

ABA Therapy Partners (ATP) is a fast-growing ABA therapy provider operating in CA, primarily the Los Angeles region, serving hundreds of clients and families through a team of approximately 200 clinicians and staff. Named to the Inc. 1000 list for rapid growth, we are scaling toward 500 employees over the next several years. Our culture is built on a simple principle: We take care of our people, and they take care of our clients. Our mission is to empower all persons to live their purpose with dignity and joy. We are looking for a tech-savvy, hands-on HR Director to build and lead a modern, scalable HR function that supports our next phase of growth, without losing the culture that got us here.

About the Role

This is a foundational hire. You will be HR leader for the organization, responsible for the full scope of people operations, compliance, risk management, and culture. You'll own HR strategy and execution, leverage technology (Rippling is our HRIS) to drive efficiency, and build the processes and infrastructure needed to scale from 200 to 500 employees across CA and potentially multiple states. You'll work closely with leadership, clinical operations, and our offshore support team to build a lean, high-performing HR organization. This role requires someone who is equally comfortable drafting policy and running payroll - a builder, not a bureaucrat. You'll also own all the day-to-day HR administrative tasks that keep an organization running smoothly.

Responsibilities

• Payroll & Compensation
• Own end-to-end payroll administration and compliance, ensuring 100% accuracy and timeliness
• Manage wage garnishments, expense reimbursements, mileage, sick time, and overtime tracking
• Deliver weekly payroll reporting to leadership covering total payroll, overtime, expenses, sick time, and mileage
• Respond to payroll issues with urgency. CA law requires prompt resolution to all employee pay concerns
• Lead salary and wage benchmarking across all employee classes (BTs, BCBAs, administrative staff) to understand local market dynamics and ensure competitive positioning, leveraging existing offshore research processes and supplementing as needed
• Compliance & Risk Management
• Serve as the organization's primary compliance resource on all employment matters
• Maintain expertise in employment laws across all operating states (currently only CA) and proactively monitor regulatory changes
• Ensure I-9 compliance and hiring documentation standards via Rippling
• Manage workers' compensation administration, unemployment claims, EDD filings (disability insurance, paid family leave), hearings, and related state agency matters
• Own the disciplinary action process and employment separations, ensuring all actions protect the organization from legal exposure
• Maintain incident reporting processes and documentation standards
• Research and recommend additional states favorable for business expansion from an employment and regulatory perspective
• Own all employee handbooks and company policies — draft, update, distribute, and enforce across all jurisdictions
• Talent & Performance Management
• Design and manage a consistent, structured performance review process across all employee classes, including salary and wage adjustments tied to review cycles
• Own the full performance management lifecycle: expectation-setting, coaching, performance improvement plans (PIPs), and accountability standards for all roles — BTs, BCBAs, supervisors, and administrative staff
• Track and report on key workforce metrics: turnover, retention, conversion rates, and call-offs
• Design and administer employee engagement surveys and/or other listening strategies; translate results into actionable improvement strategies
• Develop and implement employee retention strategies grounded in data
• Partner with clinical leadership to ensure performance management aligns with margin targets and service quality standards
• Onboarding & Training
• Own our technology-enabled onboarding process tailored to each employee class (BTs, BCBAs, administrative staff)
• Ensure all required training is completed and documented: Sexual Harassment Prevention, HIPAA, CPI, and role-specific clinical onboarding
• Continuously improve the onboarding experience to reduce time-to-productivity and early attrition
• Benefits & Leave Administration
• Guide employees through benefits enrollment and manage ongoing benefits administration
• Coordinate with finance to ensure payroll deductions are accurate and current
• Collaborate with leadership on benefits strategy and plan decisions
• Administer 401(k) program management
• Manage all leave of absence processes including FMLA, maternity/parental leave, and ADA accommodations
• Assist with insurance renewals and coordinate with brokers on changing requirements
• Employee Relations
• Serve as the primary point of contact and escalation path for all HR matters, employee relations issues, and workplace grievances
• Conduct investigations and resolve workplace conflicts with fairness and sound judgment
• Balance employee advocacy with organizational needs — support people while protecting the business
• Culture
• Amplify and protect ATP's existing culture as the organization scales
• Champion the "treat people right" philosophy in every HR process, policy, and interaction
• Ensure that growth does not dilute the environment that makes ATP a place people want to work

Qualifications

• 5 years of progressive HR experience, with at least 2 years in a senior or solo HR leadership role
• Deep knowledge of California employment law required; multi-state HR experience strongly preferred
• Demonstrated ability to build HR infrastructure in a scaling organization (200 employees)
• Proficiency with modern HRIS platforms — Rippling experience is a strong plus
• Comfortable leveraging technology, automation, and offshore support teams to build a lean, scalable HR operation
• Strong working knowledge of payroll administration, benefits management, and employment compliance
• Experience in healthcare