Area Human Resources Manager

First Student is currently hiring an Area Human Resources Manager!

Come join North America's largest school bus transportation team and help us drive our future in providing unmatched care and the safest ride to school! Are you a HR leader with a passion for business strategy? If so, we want to talk to you. In this role, you will partner with managers, supervisors, and employees on policies, procedures, employee relations, labor relations, and compliance initiatives across assigned First Student locations. You will serve as a trusted HR partner to field operations, providing support on employee issues, investigations, workforce planning, recruiting strategies, training, and organizational development. This hybrid role requires regular travel to locations throughout Southern California, Arizona, Colorado, and Utah to support field operations, business objectives, and regional HR initiatives.

This is a great opportunity to enhance your skill set, build strong partnerships with operational leaders, and contribute to a dynamic and growing organization.

We Offer:

• Salary Range: $95,000 - $130,000 annually, depending on experience and qualifications.
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage
• 401(k) with company match
• Paid holidays and paid time off
• Access to earned wages before payday through Chime® MyPay at Work
• Salt® employee rewards and savings program
• Opportunities for professional growth and career advancement

Job Responsibilities:

• Maintains favorable and effective employee and labor relations within the assigned area.
• Ensures effective implementation and administration of corporate and regional HR policies.
• Creates recommendations related to workforce planning and organizational development.
• Provides leadership and guidance to field operations in the areas of dispute resolution, labor contract administration, employee handbook interpretation, and policy compliance.
• Conducts training programs that address First Student needs, including performance management, interviewing, employee relations, and employment law.
• Oversees implementation of HR programs and monitors results.
• Conducts workplace investigations and maintains thorough documentation related to employee relations matters.
• Partners with operational leadership to support staffing strategies, workforce planning, and employee engagement initiatives.
• Acts as recruiting coordinator for the region.
• Visits locations on a periodic and as-needed basis to support field operations and business objectives.
• Builds effective relationships with employees and leaders at all levels of the organization.

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Minimum of five years of diverse Human Resources experience with broad knowledge of recruiting, employment, compensation, organizational planning, employee relations, labor relations, and training and development.
• Strong employee relations experience, including conducting workplace investigations and maintaining thorough documentation, required.
• Experience supporting field operations and partnering directly with operational leaders preferred.
• Multi-facility experience desired.
• Strong administrative, organizational, and time-management skills.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills with the ability to influence and build relationships at all levels of the organization.
• Ability to adapt to changing priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Computer literate.
• Ability and willingness to travel throughout the assigned region.
• Candidates should be located within Southern California or Arizona to effectively support the assigned territory.

Work Environment:

• Hybrid role consisting of approximately two remote workdays and three days of field support per week.
• Regular travel required throughout Southern California, Arizona, Colorado, and Utah.

Apply today, for an exciting and challenging position within the First Family!

We aspire to have a culture where all people are First. We strive to attract and retain a diverse workforce therefore all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status. First is also committed to providing a drug-free workplace. First is an equal opportunity employer and by doing so we will sustain and promote an inclusive culture that supports future growth for all.

Language Requirement
This role requires English proficiency. Federal, state, and local requirements, including U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations, require training, safety communications, company policies, employment documents, and other job-related communications be conducted in English.

First for a reason:

At First Student, we are a family of 60,000+ employees who take pride in safely transporting more than 5 million students and passengers to and from their destinations each day! Our family of brands include Transco, Total Transportation, Maggies Paratransit, and GVC II. Our employees are at the forefront of safety and innovation; they create and implement the most advanced training and technology the transportation industry has to offer.

In the state of Washington, all technician and driving positions, including but not limited to van drivers and any other position requiring employees to drive a company-owned vehicle, are considered safety-sensitive and are therefore subject to drug and alcohol testing, including cannabis.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status. First is also committed to providing a drug-free workplace. First will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories consistent with the requirements of the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, Los Angeles Fair Chance Ordinance, and any other fair chance law. Philadelphia's Fair Criminal Record Screening Standards Ordinance Poster is at this link or upon request https://www.phila.gov/media/0847/Fair-Chance-Hiring-law-poster.pdf.

About us
An industry leader famous for our yellow school buses and service and safety excellence, we’ve provided student transportation services to schools for over 100 years. Continually investing in the services of the future, we’re proud to be part of FirstGroup America – the largest provider of safe, reliable and sustainable surface passenger transportation services in North America.

Industry leader
We safely operate more than one third of all contracted school buses in North America.
Together our 50,000 school buses travel nearly 600 million miles per year the equivalent of 1,200 round trips to the moon.
We operate in around 550 locations throughout 38 U.S. states and 8 Canadian provinces.

Innovation
We were the first school bus company to utilize global positioning systems (GPS), so at any one time we know where all of our buses are and how fast they’re travelling.
Passionate about safety, we’ve installed Safety Crossing Gates on the front of all of our school buses and use the Child Check-MateTM electronic reminder system to make sure no sleeping children remain inside a bus at the end of each route.

Awards & recognition
We won the Occupational Excellence Achievement Award from the National Safety Council two years in a row.
Dedicated to safety, FirstGroup received the National Safety Council’s (NSC) Green Cross for Safety Medal - the highest award for safety in North America.

Teamwork and trust
It takes a diverse team of skilled professionals to provide a safe, effective and efficient student transportation system. From our school bus drivers and location managers to routers, dispatchers and fleet technician mechanics, the work we do every day makes a big impact on the daily lives of students, parents, local communities and school district partners.

We’re very proud of our elite team of over 55,000 dedicated, caring and diverse professionals. And they are the #1 reason we’re trusted by over 1,400 school districts - more than any other provider. Everybody here plays their part in creating a positive school bus experience.

Our culture
We live and breathe our vision and values. They are embedded in our culture and drive our commitment to our customers and communities. Our culture fosters growth and promotes respect, reliability, responsibility and safety. And we recruit people who share these values and will work together to build strong and trusting partnerships in the communities we serve.

Safety – Although our safety record is twice as safe as the industry average, we continually seek out opportunities to enhance our operational and safety initiatives.
Learning – Through our learning culture that spans over 550 locations, we receive and share insight from our people to enhance our service now and in the future.
Making a difference - By doing our job well, we make a positive impact on many lives – including the millions of students who travel with us every school day.
Careers for all – We’re an Equal Opportunity Employer and an Employer of Choice.
By consistently encouraging and supporting an open dialogue with our people and partners, we’re able to share new ideas and develop new ways to meet the needs of our customers and passengers. At First Student, you’ll feel empowered to serve your community. So join the team and start to make a difference.