HR & Payroll Specialist (Workforce Operations & Compliance)Position Summary
River of Life Transportation is seeking an experienced, highly organized, and detail-oriented HR & Payroll Specialist to oversee workforce operations throughout our Northern California service area. This position plays a critical role in supporting company growth, maintaining regulatory compliance, recruiting and retaining quality employees, ensuring payroll accuracy, and serving as a trusted resource for both employees and clients.
The ideal candidate is a self-starter who thrives in a fast-paced environment, possesses exceptional organizational and communication skills, and can effectively manage multiple priorities with minimal supervision. This individual will serve as a champion of employee success, regulatory compliance, operational excellence, and customer satisfaction.
This position reports directly to executive leadership and is expected to exercise sound judgment, professionalism, confidentiality, and accountability in all matters.
Essential Duties and ResponsibilitiesTalent Acquisition & Recruiting
- Lead full-cycle recruitment efforts for drivers, dispatchers, managers, and administrative personnel.
- Source candidates through Indeed, company websites, referrals, social media, community outreach, and other recruitment channels.
- Review applications and resumes.
- Conduct phone screenings and interviews.
- Coordinate hiring manager interviews.
- Manage applicant tracking systems and recruitment pipelines.
- Maintain staffing forecasts and workforce planning initiatives.
- Develop recruiting strategies to support rapid regional growth.
Pre-Employment Verification & Credentialing
Manage and verify all pre-employment requirements including:
- Employment applications
- Driver's license verification
- DMV Pull Notice enrollment
- Social Security verification
- Criminal background screenings
- Sex offender registry checks
- OIG exclusion checks
- SAM.gov exclusion screenings
- DOT physical examinations
- Drug and alcohol testing
- Tuberculosis testing
- Vaccination documentation
- Driver qualification files
Ensure all required documentation is completed before employees are cleared for work.
New Hire Onboarding & Orientation
Coordinate and facilitate all onboarding activities including:
- New hire orientation
- New hire packets
- Employee handbook review
- Policy and procedure training
- HIPAA training
- Compliance and Fraud, Waste & Abuse training
- Defensive driving training
- Emergency preparedness training
- Bloodborne pathogen training
- Wheelchair and gurney safety training
- Transportation of persons with disabilities training
- Payroll enrollment
- System account setup
- Scheduling field training assignments
Track completion of all onboarding and training requirements.
Payroll Administration
Administer payroll processes with a high degree of accuracy.
Responsibilities include:
- Timecard review and auditing
- Payroll corrections
- Payroll data entry
- Overtime tracking
- Labor reporting
- Payroll processing support
- Payroll reconciliation
- Employee wage inquiries
- Attendance monitoring
- Leave tracking
Audit time records using GPS, routing, dispatch, and payroll systems to ensure accuracy and compliance.
Employee Relations & Performance Management
Serve as the primary HR resource for employee concerns and workplace issues.
Responsibilities include:
- Employee coaching and counseling
- Conducting investigations
- Performance management
- Progressive disciplinary action
- Verbal warnings
- Written warnings
- Performance Improvement Plans (PIPs)
- Suspension documentation
- Termination documentation
- Conflict resolution
- Employee education and development
Maintain professional and legally compliant documentation practices.
Compliance & Regulatory Oversight
Ensure compliance with:
- Federal labor laws
- California labor laws
- DOT regulations
- HIPAA requirements
- Wage and hour laws
- Harassment prevention requirements
- Credentialing requirements
- Contractual obligations with healthcare partners
Conduct monthly compliance audits of:
- Employee files
- Credential files
- Licenses
- Insurance records
- Training records
- Vehicle registrations
- Business licenses
Monitor document expiration dates and coordinate renewals.
Client Relations & Service Recovery
Act as a liaison between River of Life Transportation and clients, facilities, health plans, and healthcare partners.
Responsibilities include:
- Investigating complaints and grievances
- Conducting service recovery follow-up
- Maintaining VIP client relationships
- Responding professionally to facility concerns
- Managing customer satisfaction surveys
- Escalating operational issues to leadership
- Strengthening client partnerships
Serve as a professional representative of the company in all interactions.
Workforce Training & Development
Coordinate and monitor:
- New hire training
- Annual compliance training
- Quarterly retraining programs
- Safety meetings
- Skills evaluations
- Ride-alongs
- Driver competency assessments
- Continuing education initiatives
Maintain accurate training records.
Operational Support
Support daily operations by:
- Monitoring workforce attendance
- Reviewing route performance metrics
- Monitoring safety camera alerts
- Reviewing call recordings for professionalism and compliance
- Tracking inspection form completion
- Coordinating employee schedules
- Supporting management reporting functions
- Participating in leadership meetings and stand-down meetings
Systems & Software
Experience with the following is strongly preferred:
- Paychex Flex
- HireRight
- MediRoutes
- RingCentral
- Lytx
- Microsoft Office Suite
- Microsoft Teams
- OneDrive
- Google Workspace
- Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)
Required Qualifications
- Minimum 5 years of Human Resources experience.
- Minimum 3 years of payroll administration experience.
- Experience managing high-volume recruiting.
- Experience conducting workplace investigations.
- Experience administering employee disciplinary actions.
- Strong understanding of California employment law.
- Strong understanding of wage and hour compliance.
- Excellent written communication skills.
- Excellent verbal communication skills.
- Exceptional organizational skills.
- Ability to prioritize multiple projects simultaneously.
- Ability to maintain confidentiality.
- Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
- Valid California Driver's License.
- Ability to travel throughout Northern California as needed.
Preferred Qualifications
- Bachelor's Degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Public Administration, or related field.
- SHRM-CP certification.
- PHR certification.
- Transportation industry experience.
- Healthcare industry experience.
- NEMT experience.
- Multi-location workforce experience.
- Experience supporting 100+ employees.
Competencies
The successful candidate will demonstrate:
- Leadership
- Professionalism
- Accountability
- Integrity
- Critical Thinking
- Problem Solving
- Attention to Detail
- Emotional Intelligence
- Conflict Resolution
- Time Management
- Adaptability
- Customer Service Excellence
- Strong Follow-Through
Physical Requirements
- Ability to sit, stand, and walk for extended periods.
- Ability to travel between company locations.
- Ability to occasionally lift up to 25 pounds.
- Ability to work in office, field, and operational environments.
Compensation & Benefits
River of Life Transportation offers:
- Competitive salary based on experience
- Paid Time Off
- Paid Holidays
- Health benefits (if applicable)
- Professional development opportunities
- Career advancement opportunities
- Mileage reimbursement for approved travel
- Company-issued equipment as needed
Why Join River of Life Transportation?
Our mission is to provide safe, compassionate, and reliable transportation services to the communities we serve. We are seeking a dedicated HR professional who shares our commitment to excellence, compliance, employee success, and customer satisfaction. This role provides a unique opportunity to make a significant impact on a growing healthcare transportation organization while helping shape the future of our workforce throughout Northern California.
Pay: $70,304.00 - $85,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Dental insurance
- Flexible schedule
- Health insurance
- Vision insurance
Education:
Experience:
- Human resources: 5 years (Required)
- Payroll: 5 years (Required)
- Employee orientation: 5 years (Required)
- Employee relations: 5 years (Required)
- Employee evaluation: 5 years (Required)
- Employee retention: 5 years (Required)
- Compliance management: 5 years (Required)
Language:
Work Location: In person
