Policy & Compliance Specialist

Job Description

This team member must be located within 40 miles of the Blue River PetCare corporate office (1 S. Wacker Dr., Chicago, IL 60606) to work a hybrid schedule.

The Policy & Compliance Specialist is responsible for supporting and overseeing Human Resources organizational compliance initiatives. This role will drive policy governance, regulatory compliance, auditing, reporting, and process standardization to mitigate organizational risk and ensure operational consistency across our multi-state veterinary organization.

The position serves as an operational partner to Human Resources, Payroll, Legal, Operations, Benefits, HRIS, and clinic leadership, ensuring compliance with employment laws, HIPAA/privacy requirements, wage and hour regulations, pay transparency laws, licensure and background check requirements, and organizational policy standards.

In addition, this role acts as the primary owner/coordinator for Human Resources organizational compliance initiatives and ongoing monitoring efforts identified as current risks. Responsibilities also include oversight of cross-functional compliance initiatives through ongoing coordination, reporting, and process and legislative review.

Key Responsibilities

Policy & Compliance Oversight

• Maintain, review, and update all Human Resources (Corporate and Field) policies to ensure alignment with federal, state, and local regulations
• Monitor changing employment laws and compliance requirements across operating states
• Partner with Legal, HR, Payroll, and Operations to implement compliant practices and mitigate organizational risk
• Assist in developing standardized compliance procedures and governance frameworks across the organization
• Partner with cross functional groups and PMO office to educate and implement best practice protocols and legislative requirements
• Support maintenance and ongoing administration of compliance management tools and resources to ensure organizational compliance requirements, documentation, and action items remain current
• Review compliance-related updates, findings, and remediation activities within designated compliance tracking systems and communicate updates to stakeholders

Multi-State Employment Compliance

• Support compliance efforts related to:

• Wage & hour laws

• Predictive scheduling laws

• Meal and break compliance

• Paid sick leave and PTO regulations

• Pay transparency requirements

• Minor labor laws

• Background check regulations

• Payroll deductions and earnings code governance

• Safety

• Ensure required notices, postings, and regulatory requirements are maintained and distributed

• State and federal reporting requirements

• Any other Human Resources compliance requirements

Auditing & Risk Mitigation

• Establish a process where regular audits and exception reporting related to payroll, timekeeping, PTO, compensation programs, scheduling, and other compliance-related workflows occurs
• Identify trends, gaps, and inconsistencies and provide recommendations for corrective action
• Assist with internal investigations and compliance reviews
• Partner with HRIS and Payroll to improve controls, reporting visibility, and system compliance workflows
• Create and maintain departmental Compliance Calendar
• Ensure compliance state and federal reporting occurs with affiliated teams such as EEO, Pay Transparency, Safety, State disability, CMS, 5500s, OSHA, etc.
• Assist with ownership RACIs on accountability for compliance
• Assist in tracking compliance findings, corrective action plans, risk assessments, and ongoing monitoring activities to support organizational compliance objectives

Compliance Coordination

• Partner with PMO and cross-functional teams to support compliance-related projects and initiatives
• Track compliance-related action items, milestones, and remediation efforts
• Support organizational risk assessment and compliance monitoring
• Coordinate with business leaders to ensure compliance-related documentation, reporting, and follow-up activities are completed timely
• Maint compliance-related records, reporting, and organizational tracking tools

HIPAA, Privacy & Sensitive Data Compliance

• Support compliance initiatives related to employee privacy, HIPAA-related access controls, and sensitive employee information handling
• Monitor appropriate access and handling of employee data, payroll data, and benefit-related information
• Partner with Benefits and HR leadership on privacy-related compliance concerns

Background Checks, Licensure & Regulatory Tracking

• Coordinate and monitor compliance related to:

• Background checks

• DEA-related requirements

• Licensure verification

• Drug testing procedures

• Reasonable suspicion protocols

• Partner with Operations and HR to ensure compliance standards are followed organization-wide

Training & Education

• Create and maintain compliance-related training materials and communication
• Partner with Learning & Development to support organizational compliance education campaigns
• Educate managers and leaders on compliance expectations, policy interpretation, and organizational standards.

Reporting & Process Improvement

• Develop and maintain recurring compliance reporting and dashboards
• Recommend process improvement and operational efficiencies to reduce risk and improve consistency
• Implement scalable compliance tracking processes within Workday and other systems

Requirements

Required

• Minimum 3-5+ years of experience in HR compliance, policy administration, payroll compliance, employee relations, legal operations, or related compliance-focused roles
• Experience supporting multi-state employment law compliance
• Strong knowledge of wage & hour laws, leave laws, and employment compliance regulations
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Experience working cross-functionally with HR, Payroll, Operations, and leadership teams
• Strong organizational skills with ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously
• Excellent written communication and documentation skills

Preferred

• Experience in healthcare, veterinary, retail, hospitality, or other multi-site environments
• Experience with Workday or similar HRIS systems
• Experience with compliance audits, reporting, or governance initiatives
• Knowledge of HIPAA/privacy standards
• PHR, SHRM-CP, or compliance-related certification preferred

Compensation and Benefits

Salary Range: $85,000-90,000 per year

Blue River PetCare team members are eligible to participate in the discretionary annual bonus program.

Blue River PetCare offers the following benefits:

• Health, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• Flexible & Health Spending Accounts
• Disability, Life Insurance, and Critical Illness Coverage
• Retirement plans with company match
• Paid Time Off (PTO), Holidays, and Bereavement
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Paid Volunteer Time-off
• Pet Perks with industry vendor partners, including deals on insurance, preventatives, food, and supplies
• Chicago CTA Transit Program Benefits
• Discounted gym memberships for local Chicago team members
• Childcare discounts with KinderCare
• Exclusive travel, entertainment, and retail discounts
• Hybrid and remote opportunities

We're proud to announce that Blue River PetCare is a certified Great Place To Work!

Blue River PetCare is a multi-state owner and operator of high-quality veterinary hospitals, with our corporate office located in downtown Chicago. We provide an exit strategy for owners of veterinary hospitals who are looking to reduce the headaches of business and diversify their asset base while continuing to practice or who are seeking to transition their practice as they consider retirement. We believe strongly in the local franchise and work with our hospitals to strengthen their existing hospital brands and carry on the legacies which have been established.

Diversity is embraced at Blue River PetCare and the uniqueness of all individuals is supported. All qualified applicants will be considered for all positions regardless of race, color, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, veteran status or ancestry.

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