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Donahue Fitzgerald LLP · 13 hours ago

Sr. HR Specialist

Oakland, CA

Full-time

Onsite

Mid, Senior Level

$85K/yr - $95K/yr

4+ years exp

Donahue Fitzgerald LLP is one of California’s oldest and most respected law firms, providing legal services with a collaborative culture. They are seeking a Senior HR Specialist to manage HR oversight and administration, ensuring high-quality support across their offices and handling various HR functions including employee relations, payroll, benefits, and talent acquisition.

Law EnforcementLegalProfessional ServicesService Industry

Responsibilities

Manage, coach, and oversee legal secretaries in the Oakland and Walnut Creek offices, ensuring high-quality support for our attorneys

Monitor staffing levels and distribute work effectively across offices in coordination with the HR Director

Review and approve timecards and time-off requests for legal secretaries and paralegals, ensuring strict adherence to California wage-and-hour laws

Serve as the first point of contact for staff concerns, providing guidance on firm policies and escalating serious issues to the HR Director when necessary

Maintain all employee and attorney data within ADP Workforce Now, managing the full lifecycle from hire to status changes and compensation adjustments

Lead the annual Open Enrollment process and serve as the firm’s internal expert for benefits questions and 401(k) eligibility/audits

Administer and track all statutory and non-statutory leaves (FMLA, CFRA, PDL, etc.) for the entire firm

Manage full-cycle recruiting for staff and paralegal positions firm-wide, including job description development and background screening

Lead comprehensive orientation sessions to welcome and integrate new hires into the Donahue Fitzgerald culture

Create a monthly HR newsletter to keep all three offices informed on benefits, wellness, and policy updates

Qualification

HR Certification (PHR/SHRM-CP)ADP Workforce NowCalifornia labor lawsFull-cycle recruitmentEmployee relationsProblem-solving skillsNegotiation skillsTeam conflict resolutionCommunication skills

Required

High school diploma/GED required

4+ years of progressive HR experience and 2+ years of supervisory experience (legal or professional services environment preferred)

Expert-level understanding of California labor and wage-and-hour laws, as well as federal regulations (ERISA, ADA, FLSA)

Required proficiency in ADP Workforce Now and MS Office

Prior experience managing full-cycle recruitment for staff positions with expertise in candidate sourcing, writing job descriptions

Proven experience administering health and welfare plans

Experience managing 401k plan administration, including eligibility tracking, employee education, and supporting annual plan audits

Knowledge of the California leaves including FMLA/CFRA, PDL and Healthy Families Act

Ability to travel between the Oakland and Walnut Creek offices at least 1–2 times per month

Exceptional discretion, strong negotiation skills, and a 'can-do' attitude

Proven experience in managing and resolving complex interpersonal and team conflicts, using empathy and assertiveness to address issues quickly and effectively

Comfortable navigating ambiguity and adapting to frequent change with strong problem-solving and decision-making skills

Entrepreneurial spirit

Builds trust, helping to create a positive, collaborative work environment that fosters open communication and mutual respect

Preferred

Bachelor's degree in HR or Business preferred

HR Certification (PHR/SHRM-CP) highly regarded

Familiarity with Document Management Systems (NetDocs/iManage) is a plus

Benefits

Benefits & 401(k)

Company

Donahue Fitzgerald LLP

Donahue Fitzgerald provides comprehensive legal services to business and non-profit entities at every stage of their lifecycle from seed, entity formation, and start-up through growth, expansion, and succession planning.

Founded in 1883

Oakland, California, USA

51-200 employees