Job Title: Human Resources Associate

Pay Rate: $17.00 per hour, non-exempt

Temporary, Part-time: 15-20 hours per week

Start and End Date: August 2026 - August 2027

Benefits: Professional Development and Career Coaching, CA Sick Time Off

Organization size: 50+ employees

Reports to: Director of People & Administrative Operations

Location(s): This is an in-person role based in Watsonville, CA. This position is not eligible for remote work.
Age requirements: Associate positions are reserved for young adults ages 18 - 24 years of age.

ORGANIZATION OVERVIEW:

Digital NEST is an innovative workforce development center that has welcomed thousands of youth from working-class, farmworker communities to develop the technical and professional skills they need to achieve their dreams. It is an exciting time for the NEST. We are focused on growth and expansion to five communities across The Monterey Bay (MBR) and San Joaquin Valley (SJVR) Regions in Northern California. Digital NEST has Centers in the heart of Watsonville, Salinas, Gilroy, Modesto and Stockton.

JOB OVERVIEW:
The Human Resources Associate will be a part of the BizzNEST career accelerator annual cohort, which provides young adults 18-24 with one-year paid job experience to help them develop in their careers. As the in-house digital agency of Digital NEST. BizzNEST offers Associates the opportunity to work on real-world projects with external and internal clients. Associates gain essential technical and professional skills, and also have access to mentorship, career support, and professional development coaching.

bizzNEST is looking for a motivated Human Resources Associate to support the daily operations of the People Operations department at Digital NEST. This position balances essential administrative tasks with frontline employee support, ensuring our team members are cared for and our organizational processes remain compliant, organized, and efficient. The ideal candidate is highly organized, possesses strong communication skills, exhibits impeccable discretion with confidential information, and has a passionate interest in launching a career within Human Resources or related fields.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Human Resources Support (75%)

• Schedule appointments, coordinate team meetings, book conference rooms.
• Draft, edit, and proofread communications, memos, reports, and presentations.
• Maintain and organize physical and digital filing systems, ensuring files are accurate and confidential.
• Perform regular audits of physical and digital personnel files to ensure compliance with labor laws and company regulations.
• Assist with drafting and posting job posts on various career sites and applicant tracking systems (ATS).
• Screen resumes, coordinate interviews, send calendar invites, and communicate with applicants regarding their application status.
• Assist with new-hire orientation, prepare training materials, and process new-hire paperwork.
• Schedule departmental meetings, training seminars, and assist in organizing organization-wide employee engagement events.
• Answer general questions from employees regarding company policies, benefits, and payroll issues, escalating complex matters to the People Operations Director.
• Assist the HR team with compiling data, drafting reports, and preparing HR communications.

Other (25%):

• Attend HR and Administrative team meetings.
• Attend HR industry events.
• Log work and progress on project management (PM) software such as Asana.
• Communicate regularly and across-teams through email, chat and in-person.
• Engage in continuous learning and training opportunities related to Human Resources.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Interest in administrative, clerical, or HR work experience.
• Good time management with the ability to multitask and prioritize varying daily tasks.
• Professional verbal and written communication skills with a focus on customer service.
• Fluency in standard office software (e.g., Google Workspace).
• Ability to handle sensitive and confidential corporate or client information with strict tact.

Professional Skills:

• Demonstrates self-awareness of one’s strengths, biases, and growth areas, and can apply self awareness in their work.
• Takes the initiative to learn, and independently seek resources for personal and professional growth. 
• Demonstrates strong organizational and time management skills, including the ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines, and maintain attention to detail and quality work.
• Strong collaboration and teamwork skills. Uses empathy and communication to build positive working relationships with colleagues.
• Effective oral, written, and non-verbal communication skills. Employs active listening, is open to receiving feedback, and can communicate ideas in a clear and organized manner. 
• Confident in engaging with the public through verbal communication and presentations.
• Strong critical thinking skills. Must be able to critically analyze their work, and assess their work from the client’s perspective.
• Strong problem solving skills. Identifies problems, and reviews related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
• Demonstrates adaptability to new working environments, processes, tasks and systems.
• Demonstrates leadership capacity and is eager to grow as a leader in their work and community.
• Demonstrates creativity and curiosity to develop new approaches to communicating ideas to clients.

PREFERRED-BUT-NOT-REQUIRED:

• Currently pursuing or recently graduated with a Degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Proficiency in project management tools such as Asana, Trello, Monday, etc.

REQUIREMENTS:

• Passion for the mission of Digital NEST and belief in upholding organization’s core values.
• Understanding of and sensitivity to issues of culture/ethnicity/race, gender, sexual identity, class/SES and immigration status. 
• Ability to be an ally to people of color, women and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, queer, questioning and intersex individuals and their allies (LGBTQIA).
• Ability to meet the minimum amount of hours required. 
• In-person participation at one of the Digital NEST sites.
• Ability to  to perform essential job functions (such as extended time at a computer).

*The job offer will be contingent upon the successful completion and passing of a background check.

We understand that no candidate is perfectly qualified for any job. Experience comes in different forms; many skills are transferable, and passion goes a long way. Even more important than your resume is a clear demonstration of dedication, impact, and the ability to thrive in a fluid and collaborative environment. We want you to learn new things in this role and encourage you to apply if your experience is close to what we’re looking for. We also know that diversity of background and thought makes for better problem-solving and more creative thinking, so we're dedicated to adding new perspectives to the team. We look forward to hearing from you.

Digital NEST, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Digital NEST is committed to an inclusive experience for all applicants and will endeavor to make reasonable accommodations in the interview process, to the known physical or mental limitations of qualified employees with disabilities unless the accommodation would impose an undue hardship on the operation of our business.  

Please refer to our career page for more information on how to apply for reasonable accommodations.