Human Rights Advocate Internship Jobs in Berkeley, CA

JOB DESCRIPTION
April 2026
SENIOR HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER
ELLA BAKER CENTER
FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
OAKLAND, CA
ORGANIZATIONAL BACKGROUND
The Ella Baker Center for Human Rights (EBC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Oakland, California, organizing to shift resources away from prisons and punishment towards opportunities that make our communities safe, healthy, and strong. Named after civil rights hero Ella Baker, we mobilize Black, Brown, and low-income people to build power in our communities. For over 25 years, we have worked from the community to the legislative level to free our people from state violence. We are currently working to end mass incarceration and mass criminalization in the United States through Truth and Reinvestment-moving resources away from failed criminal legal policies and into creating opportunities, also known as "books not bars, jobs not jails, healthcare not handcuffs." Through our programs, such as successful organizing in Alameda County, a robust state policy platform, and national leadership in the movement to end mass incarceration, EBC is building a culture of care to replace cages and cops.
The Ella Baker Center Action Fund (EBCAF) is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization and a separate but affiliated organization with the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights. EBCAF mobilizes our communities - current and formerly incarcerated people, their loved ones, people who are low income, and Black and Brown communities - to exercise their full political power and hold institutions accountable. Like our namesake Ella Baker, we understand that true power lies within the people. EBCAF was born out of the vision to further build power amongst those most impacted by incarceration and criminalization. We mobilize these communities to ensure that our elected officials are focused on addressing the root causes of harm in our communities instead of investing in failing institutions, such as prisons and policing, that exacerbate that harm.
OUR VALUES
At Ella Baker Center, we win by doing our liberation work in alignment with and guided by our core values:

1. Prioritize people most impacted by policing and prisons
2. Accountability
3. Black Liberation
4. Interconnection
5. Transformation
6. Culture of Care and Healing
7. Self-Determination

The ideal candidate at EBC understands that our work uplifts the leadership and strategies of those most impacted by the criminal system: working-class people of color. Our primary aspiration is Black liberation, as these communities are the most harmed by policing and prisons. We practice accountability to our communities and each other by giving and receiving feedback, communicating directly, and building a culture of restorative justice.
We seek staff who are looking to not only transform the world but are themselves excited to be personally transformed by organizing for liberation while caring for ourselves or each other. Transformation means that we do not turn anyone away who seeks our advocacy or support based on what the state has charged them with. Inherent in collective liberation work - we ask our staff to do the personal work of organizing to dismantle white supremacy and cisheteropatriarchy, and practice anti-oppression in everyday relationships. Our values mean we are building a leaderful movement, with an emphasis on those who have been systematically denied leadership and power.
ABOUT THE ROLE
Reporting directly to the Managing Director, the Senior Human Resources Manager is a high impact position that will support the development and implementation of HR strategies. This position will play an instrumental role in ensuring that we promote a workplace culture that centers EBC's mission, vision, and values while promoting an optimal experience for all employees. The Senior Human Resources Manager will be responsible for building strategies, systems, and processes that drive growth and that centers the mission, vision and values of the Ella Baker Center. As a member of the Administrative Team, the Senior Human Resources Manager will support the leadership in ensuring that the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights has the right people, systems, and processes to meet its goals and drive impact. The Senior Human Resources Manager will support and coordinate the execution of key people and culture functions such as recruitment, retention, performance management, professional development, compensation and benefits, and employee engagement.
This role serves as an internal expert in California employment law and labor relations, ensuring full compliance and the consistent application of policies and practices across the organization, while leading post-collective bargaining agreement implementation by translating contract provisions into clear, compliant, and consistently applied organizational systems, policies, and practices.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
HR Strategy and Implementation

• Manage the administration of human resource programs including, but not limited to, HRIS, compensation, benefits, and leaves.
• Provide proactive leadership and professional expertise in all areas of human resources management, including benefits, payroll, employee relations, compliance, and performance across full-time employees and contractors.
• Maintain knowledge of trends, best practices, regulatory changes, and new technologies in human resources, talent management, and employment law to keep the organization in regulatory compliance.
• Research, develop, and implement periodic competitive compensation, benefits, performance appraisal, and employee incentive programs, including compensation benchmarking.
• Audit, review, refine and ensure individual as well as collective accountability to Ella Baker Center's policies, procedures and processes.
• Support organizational leaders and managers with training and organization-wide staffing strategy, ensuring the recruitment function has clear hiring goals and varied recruitment strategies.
• Work with managers throughout the organization to help define, establish, and communicate annual goals for team members, and ensure that managers are tracking progress against goals.
• Support the organizational strategic planning process around human resource management, talent acquisition, compliance, risk management and fiscal accountability.
• Collaborate with the Administrative Team to Identify and manage consultants to support organizational initiatives focused on culture, wellness, and engagement (restorative justice, wellness program, training plan).
• Serve as the primary internal advisor to leadership on complex HR, compliance, and employee relations matters.
• Lead the implementation of collective bargaining agreement provisions across organizational systems and practices.
• Identify gaps between current practices and legal or contractual requirements and implement solutions to ensure alignment.

Employee Engagement

• Formulate and recommend personnel policies, procedures and objectives for the organization to the senior management team.
• Determine and recommend employee engagement practices necessary to establish a positive employer-employee relationship and promote a high level of staff engagement.
• Create systems to collect and review staff feedback and conduct internal reviews to ensure organizational learning and improvement.
• Work with staff and managers to help foster an environment that is welcoming and centers Ella Baker Center's values.
• Coordinate management training in interviewing, hiring, terminations, performance management, safety, sexual harassment, and other relevant programs.
• Ensure training aligns with organizational policies, compliance requirements and best practices
• Assist managers with facilitating employee relations conversations of a sensitive nature helping to resolve conflicts or disputes.
• Provide guidance to managers on handling sensitive employee relations matters in a consistent, equitable, and legally compliant manner.
• Communicate and ensure that all staff individually and collectively follow and are accountable to Ella Baker Center's policies and procedures (such as Overtime protocols and policies, Sick Donation Policy, Sabbatical Policy, and Unpaid Leave Policy).
• Monitor and address inconsistencies in policy enforcement to reduce organizational risk.

Talent Acquisition and Staffing

• Ensure compliance with all employment laws and continually research and implement best practices for recruitment and hiring processes.
• Evaluate recruitment processes on an ongoing basis, report findings and make recommendations for improvements based on data, outcome and organizational need.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to hiring managers to support informed recruiting decisions and effective onboarding that promotes long-term staff success.
• Support the development and implementation of onboarding practices that promote staff retention and long-term success.
• Work with the Administrative Team to facilitate recruitment efforts including updating job descriptions, posting new positions, and scheduling interviews.
• Co-develop and refine performance evaluation processes to further enable managers to provide meaningful and actionable reviews.
• Collaborate with managers to develop systems and strategies to support ongoing staff and professional development that drive continuous learning; create opportunities for training, coaching, advising, and mentoring.
• Collaboratively work with the Administrative Team to identify training opportunities, to drive increased impact, ensuring that team members have the opportunity to address development needs, attend conferences, and participate in other courses and convenings.
• Oversee and coordinate onboarding processes to ensure all administrative and system access needs (e.g., email, phone, technology, and account setup) are completed prior to or on an employee's start date, in partnership with appropriate staff.

Human Resources Administration and Compliance

• Serve as point person for documenting grievances, disciplinary processes, and internal investigations.
• Ensure compliance with workplace laws, claims and regulations, including discrimination and employment-related claims
• Serves as the primary contact for benefits providers and supports benefits administration, negotiating rates and overseeing payments to insurance carriers.
• Ensure regular review, updates and implementation of the Employee Handbook and Onboarding Guide to reflect legal and organizational requirements.
• Serve as a backup administrator with Finance for payroll and retirement plan administration.
• In Collaboration with the Director of Finance, support with internal and external audits (workers comp, 403b, and financial audits).
• Assist the Finance team with processing payroll.
• Works collectively with the Director of Finance to manage the employee Resiliency and Wellness Program.
• Manage and Troubleshoot phone and email access - contract renewals, administrative contract renewals
• Ensure the functioning, ordering, and maintenance of office equipment with the support of the Administrative Coordinator.
• Serve as the co-liaison (alongside EBC's Administrative Coordinator) for IT setup and administrative support.

JOB REQUIREMENTS

• Must be able to remain in a stationary position at least 50% of the time.
• Needs to be able to move about inside the office to access file cabinets, office machinery, etc.
• Constantly operates a computer and other office productivity machinery, such as a calculator, copy machine, and printer.
• This position needs to be able to use a telephone and communicate with staff, vendors and other members of the public.
• Nothing in this job description restricts Ella Baker Center's right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.

Key Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Organizational Development, or a related field preferred; SHRM-CP, PHR, or equivalent certification a plus.
• Minimum of 5-7 years of Human Resources experience, including employee relations, compliance, and HR processes.
• Working knowledge of office productivity software (MS Office Suite) is required.
• Working knowledge of California employment law and employment regulations.
• Experience supporting employee relations matters, federal law, conflict resolution and performance management.
• Experience with payroll systems preferred-QuickBooks a plus.
• Experience in customer service or account management is a plus.
• Ability to multitask and handle competing demands; prioritize and manage focus and productivity effectively; ability to manage time and meet deadlines.
• Ability to work independently and demonstrate strong initiative and leadership.
• Excellent writing, editing, proofing and verbal skills.
• Ability to handle confidential and sensitive information with sound judgment and discretion.
• High level of interpersonal skills to handle time-sensitive and confidential situations with professionalism.
• Superior organizational skills, and the ability to create, implement, and maintain systems to improve the efficiency of the office.
• Ability to work independently and demonstrate initiative.
• Proficiency in Mac interfaces and all Microsoft Office applications.
• Familiarity with and commitment to racial and social justice; a clear understanding of EBC's mission and programs.
• Nonprofit experience and bilingual skills are a plus.

Competencies

• Expertise in employment law, HR compliance, and labor relations
• Employee relations and conflict resolution, including the ability to navigate sensitive and complex workplace situations with sound judgment and discretion
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to assess complex issues and make informed, data-driven decisions
• Organizational and project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and ensure follow-through
• Clear and effective communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to communicate ac