Hr Manager

Position Title: Human Resource Manager

Cowlitz Economic Authority (CEA)
Location: Cowlitz Reservation (Hybrid)
Type: Regular Full-time, Exempt
Reports to: CIT HR Director, CEA CEO, and CEA Chief of Staff

Salary Range: $80,000-$120,000 (DOE)

About CEA

The Cowlitz Economic Authority (CEA) builds a diversified, resilient economy for the Cowlitz Indian Tribe through growth and management of enterprises. This role supports CEA’s holding company structure and non-gaming businesses (e.g., Q’anápsu LLC and Cowlitz Tobacco Outlet) by leading people operations for the business and finance function across entities ensuring great talent, strong culture, and compliant, efficient HR processes that enable accurate payroll, benefits, and financial controls. Gaming operations managed by CTGA are out of scope for this role.

Position Summary

The CEA HR Manager supports CEA’s executive office and subsidiary businesses. This role combines strategic vision with hands-on leadership to build a strong HR infrastructure aligned with organizational objectives and tribal sovereignty.

Core responsibilities include

• Designing and executing HR programs that enable monthly close, audit readiness, and enterprise reporting.
• Leading workforce planning, recruiting, job architecture, compensation & benefits, performance management, employee relations, HRIS administration, and HR process controls.
• Driving compliance with federal, state, and tribal employment laws while fostering a culturally respectful workplace.
• Developing pathways for enrolled Cowlitz Tribal members into business and finance careers.
• Collaborating with the CIT HR team during initial onboarding and maintaining ongoing alignment with Tribal HR practices, policies, and values.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic HR Planning & People Strategy for Business and Finance

• Develop and implement HR strategies and policies aligned with CEA’s Annual Plan and investment roadmap.
• Build multi-year workforce plans for business finance teams across entities.
• Define job architecture (titles, levels, job families) for business, accounting/finance roles; maintain role descriptions and competency models.

Talent Acquisition & Tribal Member Development

• Lead recruiting, hiring and onboarding.
• Implement Tribal Member Preference and design mentorship/cohort programs for career progression into business and finance leadership roles.

Compensation, Benefits & Payroll Enablement

• Create market-based salary pay practices; oversee annual compensation cycle.
• Coordinate payroll and benefits administration to ensure accurate, timely, and compliant processing; design HR controls supporting monthly close and audit trails.

HRIS, Policy & Compliance

• Oversee HRIS data integrity and reporting integrations for headcount and cost analytics.
• Ensure compliance with GAAP impacts on HR processes and all applicable federal, state, local, and Tribal requirements.
• Develop and audit store-level (or business unit level) compliance with wage & hour laws, break/meal requirements, and timekeeping practices.
• Draft, update, and maintain HR policies and employee handbook sections relevant to CEA operations.

Performance, Culture & Employee Relations

• Implement performance management for CEA teams (goal setting, reviews, coaching).
• Guide leaders on employee relations, investigations, corrective actions, and respectful workplace practices.
• Guide career development initiatives and implement training and education support.

Business Partnering & Decision Support

• Provide ready executive insights connecting people metrics (capacity, attrition, cost) to financial outcomes (close timeliness, audit findings, unit economics).
• Support organizational design and change management for new ventures and intercompany staffing moves.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business, Accounting/Finance, or related field OR equivalent combination of education and substantial HR experience.
• 5–8+ years of progressive HR experience, including 2+ years in a managerial or senior generalist role.
• Prior experience supporting business/finance/accounting or shared services in multi-entity environments.
• Expertise in recruiting business and finance talent, compensation/benefits, HRIS administration, employee relations, policy development, and HR process controls that support audit readiness.
• Strong communication skills; able to brief executives and Boards with clarity and nuance.

Preferred

• HR leadership experience within Tribal business, or mission-driven organizations.
• Familiarity with GAAP impacts on HR processes, ERP/HRIS tools, and people analytics/reporting.
• Proven success designing mentorship pathways for early-career business and finance professionals, with emphasis on Tribal member development.
• Advanced HR certifications (SPHR, SHRM-SCP) or change management experience.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Knowledge of traditional form of government and tribal customs and traditions.

• Knowledge of applicable human resources federal, state, county and local laws, regulations, and requirements.
• Knowledge of human resources principles, practices; record-keeping systems; and performance management and evaluation systems.
• Skill in operating various word-processing, spreadsheets, and database software programs in a Windows environment.
• Skill in preparing, reviewing, and analyzing operational and financial reports.
• Skill in supervising, training, and evaluating assigned staff.
• Skill in making effective decisions in emergency situations.
• Skill in coaching and consulting management and executive level employees.
• Skill in analyzing problems, projecting consequences, identifying solutions, and implementing recommendations.
• Ability to interact and maintain good working relationships with individuals of varying social and cultural backgrounds.
• Ability to communicate efficiently and effectively both verbally and in writing.
• Ability to exercise independent judgment.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and professionalism in all interactions.
• Ability to work independently and meet strict timelines.
• Ability to be persuasive and tactful in controversial situations.
• Ability to work onsite as needed and successfully engage and communicate with staff
• Ability to demonstrate and uphold cultural alignment with CEA’s mission and values
• Ability to apply systems thinking to evaluate, improve and integrate HR processes that support business and finance operations and enterprise effectiveness

Working Conditions

• Hybrid work on the Cowlitz Reservation with periodic travel to enterprise sites.
• Initial 3–6 month training cadence with CIT HR; ongoing collaboration thereafter.

Background Investigation Requirements

• Reference checks, education and employment verification.
• Federal, state, and/or tribal criminal history and sanction checks including fingerprint verification