G-Suite and MS Office 365
Cindy Velez
Strategic HR Compliance/EEO Leader
Goleta,CA
Summary
Strategic and innovative HR leader with 13+ years in HR Compliance (global and national). Documented success in building, implementing, and evaluating company-wide HR policies and processes related to wage and hour, recruitment, leaves and accommodations, federal contracting, training, and other HR-related functions. Advanced knowledge of AAPs, EEO compliance, and pay equity principles with a proven track record of partnering with executives and business leaders to identify, prioritize, and develop solutions for vulnerabilities that balance risk with business needs. Highly skilled at leading/building cross-functional teams and leveraging data analytics to support recommendations and drive decision making. Team player who is a problem-solver with exceptional presentation and communication skills.
Overview
19
19
years of professional experience
1
1
Language
Work History
HR Compliance Manager/EEO Officer
Rady Children's Healthcare (10,000+ Workforce)
08.2021 - Current
- Responsible for the organization-wide HR Compliance Program that plans, implements, evaluates, and improves, as necessary, systems that keep abreast of pertinent legal, regulatory, and accreditation developments related to HR functions (recruitment, compensation, wage and hour, time and attendance, LOAs, accommodations, health and welfare benefit plans, remote work, privacy, records management, I-9/immigration, non-discrimination/non-harassment, EEO, and federal contractor requirements); audit essential processes and ensure effective corrective action is implemented when indicated.
- Manage the HR Compliance function and HR Compliance Analysts; lead the HR Compliance Committee to address compliance matters and develop strategies to operationalize compliance; prepare and present comprehensive presentations to executive committee and board members on HR compliance matters such as privacy event data trends, identified risk(s), remote work compliance, internal/external audit findings, future initiatives, and legislative news.
- Administer and oversee Affirmative Action Plans and serve as the primary POC for external audits by the OFCCP. Serve as the EEO Officer, lead pay equity projects in partnership with external counsel, and recommend policy/practice changes based on recent court decisions, risk tolerance levels, and business needs.
- Thought partner to cross-functional units such as Business Strategy, Finance, Payroll, IT, and/or Legal when developing/analyzing organizational initiatives and programs. Created and facilitated education and training on topics such as Design Thinking, Smart Decision-Making, Wage and Hour, Employment Law, AAP/EEO, Compensation Programs, and/or Qlik Sense to meet compliance training requirements, foster a culture of compliance, and support team/leader development.
- Institute various templates, work instructions, and guidelines for high-risk employment actions (e.g., adverse background check findings, interviewing, workplace investigations, etc.) to standardize and promote fair employment practices.
Sr. Compliance Analyst/EEO Officer
General Atomics (15,000+ Workforce)
04.2013 - 07.2021
- Led HR Compliance and had oversight across all functional areas of HR (200+ HR personnel). Served as the expert resource on complex issues such as AI recruitment tools, timekeeping practices, I-9 compliance, data migration considerations, data sensitivity classifications, training content, CCPA/CPRA, ADA, Interactive Process, EEO, LOA administration, etc.
- Responsible for ensuring federal contractor compliance with employment-related requirements: AAPs, recordkeeping, posting and notice requirements, E-Verify, prevailing wage, outreach efforts, flowdown clauses, etc. Successfully managed the annual filing of the EEO-1, Vets-4212, and California Pay reports.
- Analyzed large data sets of employment actions (up to 100,000+ rows) for accuracy and developed an HRIS guide that reduced data inaccuracies by 50% resulting in a significant improvement of data reliability.
- Identified and assessed the highest risk areas, e.g., meal and rest breaks, inventions agreement/IP, data privacy, etc., and collaborated with cross-functional partners to strategize and execute best courses of action to mitigate future liability. Designed and implemented multiple internal audit processes (onboarding, offboarding, LOAs, etc.) for a national workforce that resulted in increased work flows, interactive training for personnel, and reduced legal exposure.
Human Resources Coordinator
Sequenom, Inc. (500+ Workforce)
03.2011 - 03.2013
- Led the integration, training, and communication plan for a new performance management system, SuccessFactors, and 360-degree feedback process for both supervisory and non-supervisory employees within one fiscal year.
- Revamped the entire onboarding process to enhance corporate culture and strengthen employee retention (93%) while experiencing high-growth (200% in two years). Responsible for developing and executing the onboarding strategy for newly opened CLIA-certified laboratory in the North East region.
- Assisted with planning and accomplishing the sales team recruitment goal to recruit and onboard 30 hires in Q2 for multiple national territories to support market share strategies.
- Responsible for expense reimbursement, holidays, paid leave, and employee handbooks at various global offices.
- Maintained the HRIS system and ensured employee files remained compliant.
Human Resources Assistant
CSP & Associates
03.2006 - 02.2011
- Audited 20 employee timecards to ensure monthly client billing accuracy.
- Screened resumes, conducted phone interviews, and managed both on- and offboarding processes. Created internal job aids.
- Developed the employee handbook; wrote 15+ policies in accordance with local, state, and federal law and best practices. Maintained California and federal labor law postings.
Education
Master of Business Administration -
Point Loma Nazarene University
San Diego 08.2016 - 2018.06
Bachelor of Arts - Psychology
University of San Diego
San Diego 09.2000 - 2004.05
SHRM-SCP -
SHRM
10-2024
Skills
Policy & Plan Formation
Risk Assessments
Enterprise Risk Management
Project Management
Training and Education
Analytical Problem Solving
Audit Oversight
Regulatory Reporting
Presentation and Communication
Data Analytics/Visualization
Accomplishments
- Designed an internal, cross-functional tool ("T-TOOL") for managing a rapidly growing remote workforce across 30+ states that aligned with strategic workforce initiatives and maintained employment compliance across the employee life cycle.
- Materialized and executed a 160 item Wage and Hour remediation plan over 16 months resulting in the savings of millions of dollars in potential wage and hour claims related to overtime, meal and rest period, and improper classification.
- Developed Qlik Sense data visualization dashboards to monitor timecard compliance and identify meal and rest premium trends, resulting in a 40% reduction of excessive premiums.
- Devised a three- year, cross-functional policy review process to revise 100+ policies and ensure alignment with legal requirements, system configuration, best practices, and EEO principles. Identified and resolved a policy gap saving over $1,000,000 in liabilities.
- Achieved 100% compliance for the Annual Mandatory Education for the first time in the organization's history by developing a strategic communication plan and automating LMS notifications.
Software
Tableau and Qlik Sense
Slack
SAP/SuccessFactors
Asana
BrassRing
PeopleSoft
Timeline
HR Compliance Manager/EEO Officer
Rady Children's Healthcare (10,000+ Workforce)
08.2021 - Current
Master of Business Administration -
Point Loma Nazarene University
08.2016 - 2018.06
Sr. Compliance Analyst/EEO Officer
General Atomics (15,000+ Workforce)
04.2013 - 07.2021
Human Resources Coordinator
Sequenom, Inc. (500+ Workforce)
03.2011 - 03.2013
Human Resources Assistant
CSP & Associates
03.2006 - 02.2011
Bachelor of Arts - Psychology
University of San Diego
09.2000 - 2004.05
SHRM-SCP -
SHRM
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