DEEPA GOVINDASWAMY
American Water
Voorhees,NJ
27
years of professional experience
Human Resources professional with 15+ years of experience across HR operations, employee relations, talent acquisition, benefits administration, payroll, and organizational development. Extensive background as an Immigration Paralegal supporting employment‑based immigration (H1B, L1,PERM, Green Card). Known for building strong partnerships with leadership, improving processes, and driving employee engagement through structured programs, compliance excellence, and strategic workforce planning.
Work History
Human Resources Business Partner
2 Years 8 Months- Partner with senior leadership to align enterprise HR strategy with business objectives, improving workforce planning accuracy.
- Led a major restructuring within IT, redesigning roles, workflows, and resource allocation to increase organizational efficiency by an estimated 10–15%.
- Provide daily guidance to leaders on organizational design, performance management, and policy interpretation, contributing to a 5–10% improvement in leadership effectiveness scores.
- Conduct complex employee relations investigations, resolving cases with a 95%+ compliance accuracy rate and reducing repeat escalations by 20%, aligned with best-practice HR case-management outcomes.
- Partner with Compliance and Legal to proactively identify and mitigate risk, reducing potential exposure and audit findings by 15–25%.
- Facilitated workforce planning initiatives to ensure optimal staffing and resource allocation, succession management, and talent readiness initiatives.
- Monitored and enforced compliance with relevant federal and state regulations. with federal/state regulations; proactively identify and mitigate risk.
- Administered immigration support services for employees, including H1 and GC processes. (H1, GC) and guidance to leaders as needed.
HR Manager
2 Years 3 Months- Updated job descriptions and maintained job structures to clarify roles and responsibilities.
- Led full-cycle talent acquisition, including recruiting strategy, interviewing, selection, and exit analysis.
- Ensured I-9 and E-Verify compliance while maintaining documentation for audits.
- Provided guidance to stakeholders and business leaders on high‑risk and sensitive employee relations matters, conducting field interviews, site visits, and fact‑finding to support thorough and compliant investigations.
- Trained managers on coaching, discipline, and appraisal processes; resolved grievances.
- Managed benefits programs, vendor bids, and claims processing, while providing employee education on benefits.
- Ensured compliance with federal/state HR regulations; supported internal/external audits.
- Developed and updated HR policies and compensation structures.
- Designed orientation and training programs to support employee development.
Senior Business Immigration Consultant
1 Year 6 Months- Partnered with client HR teams to develop immigration case strategies (H1B, L1, PERM, GC).
- Educated HR and beneficiaries on immigration processes and regulatory requirements.
- Managed all documentation for non-immigrant and immigrant visa applications.
- Reviewed application packages for accuracy and compliance; provided feedback to attorneys and clients.
- Assisted attorneys with petition preparation and case management.
- Monitored case status and generated reports; maintained strict adherence to client protocols.
Paralegal
9 Months- Prepared and filed H1B, PERM, TN, I-140, and Adjustment of Status petitions.
- Managed documentation for audits, supervised recruitment, and RFE responses.
- Conducted legal research and maintained detailed visa status logs.
- Supported hiring, transfers, and compliance with USCIS guidelines.
HR Manager
1 Year 2 Months- Led end-to-end recruitment, vendor management, onboarding, and training.
- Partnered with leadership on HR policies and special projects.
- Managed employee relations through escalation and ticketing systems.
- Ensured compliance with FMLA, Affirmative Action, and employment laws.
- Partnered with brokers to evaluate and update benefit plans.
- Administered benefits, audited invoices, and managed payroll integration.
- Rolled out the company’s first 401(k) program with Fidelity.
- Streamlined payroll processes to improve accuracy and efficiency.
- Managed deductions, withholding, and payroll compliance.
Legal Assistant
1 Year 5 Months- Prepared immigration petitions (H1B, L1, PERM, RFEs).
- Maintained Abacus immigration management system with 100% accuracy.
- Developed PERM strategy plans, filed prevailing wage requests, and maintained audit files.
- Tracked deadlines, expirations, and priority dates for high-volume caseloads.
HR Generalist
7 Years 4 Months- Managed payroll processing and full-cycle recruitment.
- Led onboarding, orientation, and employee training programs.
- Conducted job analysis and maintained job descriptions across departments.
- Ensured timely completion of performance appraisals.
Education
Master of Science - Human Resources & Organizational Development
Skills
HR Strategy & Business Partnership
Employee Relations & Workplace Investigations
Talent Acquisition
Performance Management
Policy & Compliance
Immigration expertise
Project Management
Timeline
Human Resources Business Partner
American Water
12.2023 - CurrentRead More
HR Manager
Habitat for Humanity
08.2021 - 11.2023Read More
Senior Business Immigration Consultant
Fragomen LLP
02.2020 - 08.2021Read More
Paralegal
KMW Law Offices
05.2019 - 02.2020Read More
HR Manager
Netlink Software Group America, Inc.
02.2017 - 04.2018Read More
Legal Assistant
Siegel, Gross & Tou P.C.
09.2015 - 02.2017Read More
HR Generalist
Coca-Cola India
06.1999 - 10.2006Read More
Eastern Michigan University
Master of Science from Human Resources & Organizational Development
Read More