Open to opportunities

Divanna Cedeno

@divannacedeno

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Bilingual HR leader specializing in payroll, recruitment, and culture-driven people strategy.

United States

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What I'm looking for

I seek a mission-driven organization where I can lead HR, payroll, and benefits; build inclusive, equity-focused culture; streamline processes; and support staff growth in a collaborative environment.

I am a bilingual HR leader with 6+ years supporting nonprofits, legal, and arts organizations, focused on people-centered HR strategy and equity.

I have led HRIS transitions and vendor negotiations that saved $40K annually, reduced time-to-fill by 30% through values-aligned recruitment, and designed bilingual onboarding and evaluation guides for 90+ staff. I also developed a new performance management system and director evaluation framework that increased transparency and contributed to a 20% boost in staff satisfaction.

I act as an in-house payroll specialist and benefits point-person, and I partner with executive leadership to align HR with organizational goals and seasonal programming. I bring practical systems experience, vendor negotiation wins, and a commitment to inclusive, mission-driven workplaces.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Current

Human Resources Manager

Current

Ballet Hispánico

Dec 2024 - Present (8 months)

Spearheaded HRIS transition to Paycom, saving $40K annually and reducing time-to-fill by 30% through a values-aligned recruitment pipeline; implemented bilingual onboarding and performance systems for 90+ staff, increasing staff satisfaction by 20%.

Paycom HRIS Recruitment Onboarding Performance Management Payroll Processing Benefits Administration Employee Relations

Human Resources Generalist

Woodlawn Cemetery

Sep 2023 - Sep 2024 (1 year)

Served as primary benefits and open enrollment contact, streamlined enrollment and billing processes to improve compliance and employee experience, and launched wellness engagement strategies across departments.

Benefits Administration Onboarding Offboarding Compliance Wellness Programs Employee Engagement

HR Coordinator / Executive Assistant

Mendes & Mount LLP

Jun 2022 - Jun 2023 (1 year)

Managed group health plans, onboarding, and vendor relations, renegotiating contracts to save over $50K and created visual SOPs to standardize firmwide HR procedures while supporting executive communications and events.

Onboarding Vendor Relations Contract Negotiation Event Coordination Executive Support HRIS

Staffing Coordinator (HR)

West Side Federation for Senior and Supportive Housing

Oct 2019 - Jun 2022 (2 years 8 months)

Oversaw daily scheduling and staffing for 40+ on-call workers across multiple locations, maintained ADP records, processed payroll, managed unemployment claims, and supported benefit enrollment to ensure coverage and compliance.

Scheduling Staffing ADP Payroll Processing Compliance Relationship Building

Administrative Assistant (HR & Housing)

West Side Federation & Two Trees Mgmt

Jan 2018 - Jan 2019 (1 year)

Provided leasing support, client service, digital file conversion, and resident engagement while assisting with file audits and application processing across affordable housing portfolios.

Leasing Support Client Services Administrative Support