Law Firm — Palm Beach County, Florida

Position Summary

The Human Resources Manager is responsible for the full scope of human resources operations for the firm, including oversight of the secretarial team, payroll administration, recruitment of attorneys and support staff, performance management, benefits administration, and firmwide employee experience initiatives. Reporting to firm management, the HR Manager partners with practice group leaders and administrative management to ensure the firm attracts, develops, and retains high-performing legal and administrative talent while maintaining compliance with all applicable employment laws.

Key Responsibilities

Secretarial & Support Staff Management

·         Directly supervise the secretarial team, including workload assignment, coverage planning, and day-to-day performance oversight.

·         Serve as the primary point of contact for attorney-secretary pairing, reassignments, and escalation of workflow issues.

·         Establish and maintain standards for secretarial support, including timekeeping, attendance, and quality of work product.

·         Coach and develop secretaries on professional skills, firm technology, and client-service expectations.

Payroll Administration

·         Process and oversee semi-monthly payroll for all attorneys and staff, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and compliance with federal and Florida wage and hour laws.

·         Serve as liaison with the firm's payroll provider; reconcile payroll registers, tax filings, and year-end W-2/1099 reporting.

·         Administer PTO accruals, overtime, bonuses, garnishments, and other payroll adjustments.

·         Partner with Accounting/Finance on payroll funding, GL coding, and audit support.

Attorney & Staff Recruitment

·         Lead full-cycle recruitment for associate attorneys, paralegals, legal secretaries, and administrative staff, including sourcing, screening, interview coordination, and offer negotiation.

·         Manage relationships with legal recruiters, law schools, and local sourcing channels across South Florida.

·         Draft and maintain job descriptions, compensation benchmarks, and offer letter templates.

·         Oversee onboarding, including new-hire orientation, credentialing, conflicts clearance coordination, and 30/60/90-day check-ins.

Performance Evaluations

·         Coordinate the firm's annual review cycles for attorneys and staff.

·         Coordinate with partners and supervising attorneys on associate feedback, development plans, and advancement decisions.

·         Track evaluation completion, synthesize themes, and recommend training or performance improvement actions.

·         Maintain confidential personnel files and ensure documentation supports compensation and promotion decisions.

Benefits & Open Enrollment

·         Lead the annual medical, dental, vision, life, and disability benefits renewal process, including RFPs, carrier negotiations, plan design review, and recommendations to firm management.

·         Plan and execute open enrollment, including employee communications, enrollment meetings, and coordination with brokers and carriers.

·         Administer day-to-day benefits including new-hire enrollments, qualifying life events, COBRA, FSA/HSA, and 401(k) eligibility and contributions.

·         Ensure compliance with ACA, ERISA, HIPAA, FMLA, and applicable Florida leave and benefits requirements.

Employee Experience & Culture

·         Design and implement initiatives to improve engagement, retention, and day-to-day experience for attorneys and staff.

·         Conduct stay and exit interviews; analyze trends and recommend actions to firm leadership.

·         Lead recognition programs, firm events, wellness initiatives, and professional development offerings.

·         Serve as a trusted, confidential resource for employee relations matters; investigate and resolve workplace concerns in partnership with firm management and outside counsel as appropriate.

Qualifications

Education & Experience

·         Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field required; SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP or PHR/SPHR certification strongly preferred.

·         Minimum 10+ years of progressive HR generalist or HR management experience, including at least 3 years in a law firm (required).

·         Demonstrated experience managing payroll, benefits renewals, and full-cycle recruitment.

·         Prior experience supervising administrative or secretarial staff.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

·         Working knowledge of federal and Florida employment law, including FLSA, FMLA, ADA, Title VII, Florida Civil Rights Act, and applicable Palm Beach County ordinances.

·         Proficiency with HRIS and payroll platforms (e.g., ADP, Paychex, Paylocity) and Microsoft 365.

·         Excellent judgment and discretion handling highly confidential attorney and staff matters.

·         Strong written and verbal communication skills; ability to partner credibly with partners, associates, and staff at all levels.

·         Service-oriented, organized, and able to manage competing priorities in a deadline-driven legal environment.

Work Environment

·         On-site position based in Palm Beach County, Florida.

·         Standard business hours with additional availability during payroll cycles, open enrollment, and recruiting peaks.

·         Professional law firm setting; occasional travel to other firm offices or recruiting events as needed.

Compensation & Benefits

·         Competitive salary commensurate with experience

·         Discretionary performance bonus

·         Medical, dental, and vision coverage

·         401(k) plan with employer contribution

·         Paid time off and firm holidays

·         Professional development support, including SHRM/HRCI recertification.

This is a confidential search. Interested individuals (no agencies) should email their resumes and salary requirement in confidence to WPB.law.firm.recruiting@gmail.com.