Christopher Cosme

Recruited to lead the People Operations (HR) function at CCS Fundraising; the leading and most widely recommended fundraising consulting and management firm in the field. For 76+ years, CCS has partnered with nonprofits to deliver meaningful and measurable change, advancing many of the most important causes in history.

• Developed a corporate Compensation strategy; including global job/salary benchmarking. Worked to enhance the "Focal Review" (annual merit) process for employee and leadership levels.
• Optimized all people-oriented systems and supporting protocols, expanding HR software and technology solutions as necessary. Systems include ADP, Jobvite, Leapsome, Netsuite, Qualtrics.
• Streamlined the entire employee journey through the employee lifecycle, from pre-hire/onboarding through offboarding offboarding.
• Designed and monitored employee performance improvement plans (PIPs), employee relations, disciplinary procedures and employee terminations.
• Designed Executive Dashboards for the CEO and partners which enabled key performance metrics in real-time; such as turnover rates, time to hire, time to fill, etc to develop strategies grounded in data.
• Partnered with the Executive Team to effectively implement new and enhanced initiatives; including change management strategies related to overarching business goals, systems, policy changes,
• Managed the multi-state and international Payroll and Benefits functions.

Recruited by the CEO to serve as the department head managing all aspects of the HR function including recruitment, compensation and performance management.

• Established comprehensive programs for whole health benefits, talent retention and compensation, including grading levels and market analysis.
• Developed and managed a full-cycle talent acquisition process with needs ranging from call center representatives to senior leadership vacancies. Crafted strong pipelines for future hiring needs.
• Created the Performance Management function including annual merit cycles, compensation forecasting, performance based bonus structure, etc.
• Managed and refined all aspects of HR Compliance, such as; pre-employment screening, credentialing, and ongoing mandatory training programs.
• Increased morale and reduced turnover by designing and executing an employee engagement strategy comprised of pulse surveys and a comprehensive 360 review process.

Managed the HR department while the organization experienced significant growth; from 100 employees to 750 in just 6 years. Improved or built all processes and systems, including a full implementation of HRIS, ATS, Payroll and Benefits systems.

• Provided progressive HR leadership by guiding, developing and implementing strategic HR programs and initiatives while ensuring alignment between employees, departments and the overall business. Highlights included; a revamped Performance Management Program, our COVID-19 transition plan, and serving as Integra's integration contact during Anthem's acquisition.
• Researched and implemented a full suite of HR systems (UKG) including an HRIS, Applicant Tracking System, Learning Management System, Benefits and Self Service portals, which transitioned the organization from paper processes and spreadsheets. Migrated the payroll function to in-house, offering greater control of the process while reducing costs by over 30%.
• Managed a team of 12 employees responsible for all HR activities including, employee relations, benefits admin, payroll, etc.
• Managed the company-wide talent acquisition function; which helped our headcount grow over 600%.
• Developed and implemented effective employee relations practices that foster a “great place to work”. Conducted investigations when employee complaints were brought forth while creating equitable and appropriate action plans.
• Advised and assisted management on our performance management procedures while continuously evaluating our processes to industry best-practices.
• Responsible for the development of company policies and guidelines to ensure compliance with local, state and federal laws and regulations.
• Managed the whole health benefit and compensation functions including; evaluation, costing, and implementing new plans, conducting market data surveys and updating salary bands, administering benefits enrollments/annual open enrollment, and various leave plans.
• Worked closely with organizational leadership and board of directors to guide operational strategy.

• Established departmental performance goals and provided feedback for underperforming areas.
• Maintained human resources regulatory compliance with local, state and federal laws, in addition to established organizational standards.
• Motivated employees through special events, incentive programs, and constructive feedback.
• Coordinated employee grievances and disputes in timely and professional manner by finding constructive solutions.
• Counseled employees on and administered all leave programs (FMLA, NYPFL, NYD, WC)

• Directly supported the HR Director with any consultations and reports as needed, such as; medical experience reports, cost analysis comparisons, and budget forecasting
• Acted as the primary M&A Specialist focused on Benefits & Compensation integration; including personnel, health and welfare, and salary benchmarking evaluations.
• Acted as the main contact for all billing and vendor inquires from our vendors (Cigna, ADP, MetLife, WageWorks, etc)
• Reviewed and processed all monthly benefit-related invoices.
• Managed the company-wide ‘Benefits Unit' and ‘PTO' mailboxes actively servicing our 8,000 employee population with day-to-day requests.
• Conducted both New Hire and ongoing benefits orientations for all staff.
• Served as the point person and admin for all employee leave plans (Workers Comp, FMLA, PFL, Disability)
• Researched most current job trends and made recommendations to management regarding total compensation.
• Recommended successful approaches to help resolve complaints with salaries and classifications.

• Actively recruited for corporate positions and for vacancies in subsidiary offices across the US. Assisted candidates through the on-boarding and orientation process. Average number of open positions was 22
• One of five team members on the company-wide ‘Career Path Framework' initiative. This ongoing project outlined the natural progression within job silos as well as lateral moves between silos. This framework was created for 350 positions and eventually rolled out to other parts of the organization
• Part of the ongoing ‘Securities and Compliance' team with responsibilities including, managing employee completion, registering new users, continuously updating the Anti-Harassment, Security Awareness, and Incidence Response Trainings
• Transitioned the organization from iCIMS to PeopleFluent Applicant Tracking System. This system was used by all operating units, employees searching for internal mobility, and subsidiaries.

• Supported the Learning & Development department with powerpoint creation, course completion tracking, and other administrative tasks.
• Answered employee inquiries regarding health benefits and 401k options.
• Responded to employee inquiries, questions and complaints and guided and directed employee relations issues to support workforce analysis, performance management and other core HR functions.
• Maintained employee files and processed HR transactions in PeopleSoft.