Senior People & Culture Business Partner
College Track | Hybrid – Oakland, CA | Full-Time, Exempt | Full Range: $115,000–$165,000
Help Us Build the Culture Behind the Change
College Track has spent nearly 30 years proving what's possible when talent meets opportunity. What started with 25 students in East Palo Alto in 1997 has grown into a national movement of more than 5,400 scholars and alumni — leading on 300+ college campuses, graduating at three times the national rate for first-generation students, and going on to out-earn the national median by age 30.
None of that happens without the people behind the people. That's where you come in.
We're looking for a Senior People & Culture Business Partner to be a strategic right hand to our leaders — someone who can translate business goals into people strategy, coach with credibility, and help us scale a culture worthy of the scholars we serve. If you love the mix of high-trust relationship building, sharp employee relations instincts, and hands-on program building, this role was built for you.
What You'll Actually Do
- Be the go-to HR partner for staff and managers — coaching through conflict, performance, complaints, leaves, accommodations, and the fine print of employment law (with a lens toward California specifically).
- Lead investigations that are thorough, fair, and trusted.
- Partner with leaders on organizational design, talent planning, and workforce strategy — working closely with our Managing Director, VP, and Talent Acquisition Manager.
- Shape the big-picture initiatives: performance management, succession planning, equity & inclusion, and employee experience.
- Bring the data: analyze People trends and metrics to recommend programs that actually move the needle.
- Champion our values — Commitment, Passion, Joy, Authenticity, and Excellence — and help build an inclusive, high-performing environment where they show up daily.
- Stay plugged into what's next in workforce dynamics, DEIB, and the future of work, and bring that thinking back to the team.
What You Bring
- 7+ years as a strategic HR Business Partner or HR Director — nonprofit experience is a big plus.
- Bachelor's degree required; SHRM-SCP or SPHR preferred.
- Expert-level chops in employee relations and a genuine comfort with ambiguity and change.
- Solid grounding in federal, state (California included), and local employment law.
- The influence, judgment, and resilience to coach senior leaders — and the warmth to make people actually want that coaching.
- Strong writing, presentation, and project management skills.
- Most importantly: a real belief in College Track's mission and the scholars we serve.
Why College Track
- Compensation: $115,000–$165,000 full range; new hires typically start around $127,500–$139,999 to balance internal equity with room to grow.
- Time off: Up to 23 discretionary days off in year one, plus 23 paid holidays and office closures.
- Full wellness benefits spanning health care, work-life balance, and financial security. See the full benefits overview.
- A hybrid role based in Oakland, 3 days in-person, with occasional travel to connect in person across our 13 sites nationwide.
- A mission you can feel good about — every day, in a very literal sense, you'll be helping build the internal culture that helps scholars go on to build their own futures.
We especially encourage first-generation college graduates to apply. College Track is an equal-opportunity employer committed to a diverse workforce, and does not discriminate on the basis of race, age, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, sex, gender, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, or gender identity or expression.
Ready to help write the next chapter of College Track's culture? We'd love to hear from you.
