Manager of Human Resources

JOB ANNOUNCEMENT

Internal and External Posting

Human Resources Manager

Any Legal Action Office

(Legal Action’s Milwaukee office is preferred but not required)

Date of Posting: November 9, 2025

Available Immediately

SUMMARY: Legal Action of Wisconsin (Legal Action) seeks a full-time Human Resources Manager in our Administrative unit. This position handles private and confidential personnel information and plays a key role in ensuring that Legal Action’s human resources systems are effective, legally compliant, and supportive of our mission.

The Human Resources Manager will bring well-rounded human resources experience to manage day-to-day operations, to support staff and supervisors, and to help implement strategies, policies, and programs that strengthen Legal Action’s workplace culture and enable the delivery of high-quality legal aid to our clients. This position supports — but does not lead — the firm’s overall human resources strategy, working closely with senior leadership to implement approved initiatives and ensure consistency across the organization.

This position is open due to a voluntary resignation.

LEGAL ACTION OF WISCONSIN: Legal Action is a large, vibrant non-profit law firm funded by the Legal Services Corporation, the Wisconsin Trust Account Foundation, and many other sources. Legal Action provides free, critical legal aid to about 10,000–12,000 low-income persons annually in the southern 39 counties of Wisconsin, with offices in Green Bay, La Crosse, Madison, Milwaukee, Oshkosh, and Racine. In addition, Legal Action operates a statewide farmworker project.

Legal Action’s 108 employees—most of whom are full-time—specialize in housing, public benefits, removing barriers to employment, consumer law, and family law. Staff maintain direct service caseloads and engage in structural change advocacy. Four collective bargaining units operate within two of our offices.

Legal Action believes that equal justice under law can only be achieved through the collaboration of a diverse staff. We strongly encourage applications from women, people of color, people who identify as LGBTQIA+, people with disabilities, and people whose life experiences or educational backgrounds add to the firm's diversity and our capacity to provide high-quality legal aid.

OFFICE LOCATION: The Human Resources Manager may be housed in any Legal Action office, but we prefer the Milwaukee office because most of our administrative staff are located there.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: Under the supervision of the Executive Director or the Director of Legal Services, the Human Resources Manager oversees multiple HR functions and ensures that staff, managers, and supervisors receive timely and accurate HR support. The list below is representative and may evolve as the organization develops. Working closely with the Executive Director, Director of Legal Services, Chief Financial Officer, the Directors of Diversity and Inclusion and External Affairs, Managing Attorneys, Project Managers, and Supervisors, the Human Resources Manager:

1. Implements and manages the firm’s goals for supporting employees and fostering a positive, inclusive workplace culture by:

a. Ensuring that all HR functions and systems operate smoothly, comply with applicable laws, and align with best practices. (Note: We will be focusing on implementing the firm’s performance management and feedback systems and contributing to ongoing efforts to define and strengthen workplace culture during 2026);

b. Assisting in assessing the effectiveness of the firm’s compensation and benefits package

c. Serving as the primary contact for external brokers, third-party administrators, and benefits vendors;

d. Monitoring the firm’s workplace climate and supporting initiatives that enhance employee engagement and satisfaction; and

e. Ensuring that personnel policies, the Staff Manual, and related materials remain accurate, updated, and accessible to employees.

2. Implements and manages the firm’s compliance with the Family and Medical Leave Acts (Wisconsin and Federal) and COBRA by working with our leave management company (Guardian) to process, audit, and analyze FMLA and COBRA reports and ensuring accurate data integration between HR, payroll, and leave management systems.

3. Coordinates the firm’s HR work with the Director of Diversity and Inclusion to ensure consistency between HR and DEIB objectives.

4. Supports collective bargaining by contributing data, analysis, and implementation support, and by collaborating with the Madison and Milwaukee Managing Attorneys to maintain productive relationships with the Unions.

5. Supervises HR staff and coordinates with external consultants or project-based contributors, ensuring all work is coordinated and consistent with firm priorities.

6. Assists with developing HR strategies, policies, and programs and implements approved initiatives in partnership with senior leadership.

QUALIFICATIONS: To perform this job successfully, an individual must have the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform each essential duty with excellence.

Required: The requirements that we list below are representative of a candidate’s required knowledge, skill, and/or ability required to perform the position’s essential duties:

1. Bachelor’s degree, preferably in Business Administration or Human Resources, or an Associate’s degree and a minimum of seven years of broad HR experience.

2. Demonstrated commitment to providing responsive and effective HR management and to working collaboratively with others.

3. Strong planning, organizational, and project follow-through skills.

4. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to prepare reports and communicate with confidence and clarity.

5. Experience with UKG or a similar HR information system, proficiency with Microsoft Office, and familiarity with online benefits management platforms.

6. Strong time management and organizational skills.

7. Demonstrated ability to maintain strict confidentiality and respect for privacy.

Preferred: The requirements that we list below are representative of a candidate’s enhanced knowledge, skill, and/or ability required to perform the position’s essential duties:

1. Supervisory or leadership experience.

2. Experience supporting collective bargaining and union relations.

3. PHR or SPHR certification.

4. Experience in a non-profit or advocacy organization.

5. Proficiency in Spanish or Hmong (the two most common languages other than English spoken by our clients).

WORK ENVIRONMENT & PHYSICAL DEMANDS: The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. This position involves sedentary work, including sitting or standing at a desk while working at a computer for extended periods. It also requires occasional lifting (up to 10 pounds), bending, and reaching.

SALARY: Legal Action’s salaries are not negotiable: Our salary scales are based solely on years of experience with each step on the scale equivalent to one full year of experience. We strongly encourage applicants to include detail in their resume about the duties they performed and the months they worked at each employer and in each position so that we can accurately calculate experience and salary. If we make an offer to an applicant, we depend on the resume that the applicant submitted, and we do not allow for revisions after submission. The salary steps for this position range from:

• $67,749 (Step 3, has completed 3 years of experience)

• $76,274 (Step 8, has completed 8 years of experience)

• $87,615 (Step 15, has completed 15 years of experience)

• $99,176 (Step 25, has completed 25 years of experience)

The top step on this position’s salary scale is Step 36 and Step 36 has a salary of $134,818. All employees, including this position, move up one step on their respective salary scales on each anniversary date unless they are on a performance improvement plan. After step 36, employees on this position’s salary scale receive a flat-rate $1,500 stipend that does not compound and that we provide on the payroll following the employee’s anniversary date.

SPANISH OR HMONG LANGUAGE PREMIUM: Employees proficient in Spanish or Hmong receive an additional $2,400 or $4,800, depending on language demands in the position.

FRINGE BENEFITS: Legal Action offers a generous benefits package, including:

• Employer-paid premiums of health and dental insurance for employee, spouse, and dependents, and life and long-term disability insurance;

• A profit-sharing retirement plan;

• Low-cost employee-paid vision and short-term disability insurance;

• Paid time off: 20 vacation days, four personal days, and one sick day per month (accruals increase with tenure); 40 hours of paid service leave every five years; and four weeks of paid parental leave for eligible employees.

MOVING EXPENSES: Up to $1,200 in relocation expenses may be reimbursed.

GOVERNANCE: Legal Action’s personnel policies and other operating policies and procedures (which are subject to unilateral change by our Board of Directors) govern this position. This position is exempt from the FLSA and is not represented for the purposes of collective bargaining. This is a management position. The HR Director handles confidential employee and programmatic information. This position is exempt under the FLSA.

AUTHORITY: The HR Manager has authority to supervise HR staff, assign and monitor tasks, conduct performance evaluations, and recommend corrective or disciplinary actions within Legal Action’s established policies. The Manager ensures that day-to-day HR operations are efficient, compliant, and aligned with organizational policies.

PROBATIONARY PERIOD: This position is subject to a six-month probationary period.

SUPERVISION: This position will be supervised by Deedee Peterson, Executive Director, or by Nicole Zimmer, Director of Legal Services.

HOW TO APPLY: Applicants must submit the following materials via [Orbit link]:

1. Cover letter summarizing experience and education, qualifications, and interest in the position;

2. Resume; and

3. Original writing sample.

We require applicants to submit all three items.

Note about resumes: As we describe above, we strongly encourage applicants to include detail in their resume about the duties they performed and the months they worked at each employer and in each position so that we can accurately calculate experience and salary. If we make an offer to an applicant, we depend on the resume that the applicant submitted, and we do not allow for revisions after submission.

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS: Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. The position will remain open at least through November 20th.

Legal Action of Wisconsin, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer