Andrew Hernandez, MBA, SHRM-SCP
P&L Oversight · Organizational Design · Scalable Systems Leadership
Strategic operations, HR, and finance executive with 20+ years leading growth and transformation across founder-led and professional services organizations. Known for bringing structure to complex environments by strengthening operating cadence, controls, governance, and cross-functional execution across finance, people systems, compliance, and delivery.
Trusted advisor to CEOs and executive teams for full P&L leadership, organizational design, and scalable systems that improve visibility, accountability, and performance through growth, volatility, and transition.
- Executive Credentials: Full P&L oversight for organizations up to $35 million, with SHRM-SCP certification and an MBA in financial strategy
- Revenue Growth: Scaled Paleo Solutions, Inc. from $1.2M to $6.8M revenue and 12 to 65 employees, maintaining 25%+ profit margins and positioning the firm for acquisition by Stantec
- Business Development: Authored and secured a $35M contract with San Diego Gas & Electric; total career contract awards exceed $200M
- Client Diversification: Expanded a Cultural Resources client base from 4 to 40+ clients, increasing opportunity pipeline by 200%
- Operational Efficiency: Reduced DSO from 110 to 75 days, cut time-to-hire from 60 to 15 days, and reduced contract review from 15 days to 48 hours
- Compliance Leadership: Passed multiple external audits through FAR-compliant accounting systems and project financial controls
Executive & Strategic Leadership
P&L oversight, scalable systems design, cross-functional team leadership, organizational alignment, BD strategy, change management, M&A due diligence, ownership transition planning, board governance
Operations & Financial Management
Multi-site operations, budgeting and cost controls, FAR Part 31 compliance, indirect cost rate development, DCAA/AASHTO/Caltrans LAPM compliance, risk mitigation, contract structuring, KPI development, cash flow and working capital management
People & Culture
Talent strategy, employee engagement, CA employment law, HR compliance, Service Contract Act administration, succession planning, conflict resolution, policy and handbook development, performance management, compensation and benefits, HRIS implementation
Proposal & Pursuit Strategy
Client relationship management, capture planning, prime/subconsultant coordination, BD pipeline management, RFP/RFQ/RFI analysis, SF330/SOQ development, competitive positioning, Go/No-Go criteria
Project & Process Optimization
Lean and PMBOK methodologies, workflow automation, cross-departmental integration, scheduling and resource allocation, SOP development, utilization tracking, process mapping, swimlane documentation
Founded Luminspire Group LLC to advise A/E/C and professional services firms on operations, compliance, and growth strategy. Provide embedded COO, CFO, CHRO, and CMO support, with a focus on contract design, pursuit strategy, financial clarity, and systems realignment. Clients include professional services firms and DBE/WBE-certified businesses.
- Conducted comprehensive organizational assessments, identifying critical role/business misalignment and driving immediate cost reduction through strategic position elimination
- Restructured management meeting cadence from ineffective weekly gatherings to purpose-driven, issue-specific sessions
- Developed financial transparency protocols for multi-owner partnerships, including shared dashboard access and monthly reporting cadence
- Navigated complex partnership conflicts, including spousal employment termination, and created governance frameworks separating ownership from operational management
- Designed competency-based hiring frameworks and conflict-of-interest policies to address nepotism-related governance challenges
- Delivered complete contract suite overhauls (PSA, MSA, MVA) with risk-mitigated templates protecting firms in high-risk scenarios, including task-order controls and dispute isolation
- Created Contract Readiness Reports providing executive-level guidance that doubled as team training material
- Eliminated critical gaps in indemnification, payment terms, and subcontractor liability; ensured FAR/Caltrans flow-down compliance across templates
- Led I-9 compliance remediation across 100+ employee records, preventing $1,260–$12,535 in federal penalties and 5 premature destruction violations
- Designed a dual-track federal/California retention system with automated calculation formulas and compliant destruction protocols
- Redesigned PTO/sick leave/holiday policies for a 17-employee firm, identifying $30K+ in annual cost reduction and eliminating unlimited vacation liability exposure
- Advised on Labor Code §2810.5 notices, PAGA exposure reduction, and DLSE-compliant PTO payout restructuring
- Implemented an interim AI governance policy within a two-week handbook revision cycle
- Conducted BambooHR configuration assessments identifying 40% underutilization; redesigned workflows supporting a 60% reduction in administrative burden
- Redesigned failing SharePoint architectures into scalable, role-based hub systems supporting 50+ concurrent projects with DCAA audit compliance
- Led a safety program overhaul addressing a 7-year compliance gap and improving ISNetworld rating
- Delivered $170K–$246K in annual cost reductions across insurance and benefits programs for firms with $2M–$10M revenue
- Engineered 401(k) plan redesign yielding $150K–$220K in annual savings while preserving ERISA compliance
- Remediated a first-time Caltrans ICR submission, correcting a Labor Summary Report error that had overstated labor costs by 15–25 percentage points
- Restructured a failed banking relationship for a multi-entity environmental consulting firm, including a complete lender-facing credit package and 13-week cash flow model
- Transformed subconsultant proposals from "technically competent" to "regulation-ready" for Caltrans on-call contracts via Strategic Readiness Memos and compliance reviews
- Designed a doer-seller BD operating system cutting opportunity triage from 30–90 minutes/day to 15–30 minutes, including a Go/No-Go decision engine and rebid intelligence model
- Authored platform-specific search and triage playbooks across IMS, Caltrans, SAM, FPDS, and USASpending
Led corporate services across finance, marketing, HR, and compliance during a period of executive transition and market volatility. Oversaw two delivery departments and served on the executive team, reporting directly to the CEO. Promoted for driving structural clarity, team alignment, and scalable systems improvements.
- Designed a bi-monthly project review system and variance reporting tied to change order management and margin visibility
- Built firmwide backlog reporting and implemented a Go/No-Go process to improve pursuit discipline
- Authored 15 SOPs by function to reduce key-person dependency; developed a five-year strategic plan with the CEO
- Rewrote the employee handbook and 40+ job descriptions, improving onboarding efficiency and policy compliance by 40%
- Built department ladders and classifications across all functions with defined competencies and salary ranges
- Migrated onboarding to Adobe e-sign workflows, achieving 95%+ on-time completion
- Standardized HR policies across six California offices while preserving local flexibility
- Designed and administered a total rewards program (medical, 401(k) Safe Harbor, HSA, dental, vision, EAP, life/AD&D)
- Built a 26-page branded benefits guide and implemented a Lifestyle Spending Account and Family Dinner Night benefit
- Created a retention plan for a flight-risk department director through role redesign and structured milestone reviews — successfully retained
- Launched the Paleontology department from zero to $1M annual revenue at 64% gross margin
- Expanded Cultural Resources client base from 4 to 40+ accounts; increased opportunity pipeline by 200%
- Developed proposal templates that raised acceptance rates by 30%; cut contract review from 15 days to under 48 hours
- Rebuilt payroll and invoicing workflows using Excel automation, reducing processing time by 60%+
- Rationalized Ajera reporting from 60+ dashboards to ~20 role-based views with security controls
- Implemented ClickUp and Swimlane process mapping, cutting RFI turnaround from 2 days to under 4 hours
Brought in to stabilize a high-risk operating environment and rebuild core infrastructure ahead of projected 300% demand growth. Re-established finance controls, HR foundations, and project delivery systems. Reported directly to ownership.
- Implemented ClickUp and PMBOK-aligned workflows, increasing on-time project completion by 15%
- Redesigned QuickBooks templates, reducing payroll errors by 30% and improving job costing accuracy by 25%
- Rebuilt and closed historical financial records in the first 60 days, enabling clean year-end reporting and audit readiness
- Revamped chart of accounts, reducing transaction errors by 35%; lowered annual tax liability by 15%
- Transformed the employee handbook, raising policy adherence by 40%
- Implemented new HR software, cutting document handling time in half and reducing audit risk
- Designed fully compliant job descriptions, reducing role ambiguity and increasing hiring efficiency by 20%
Progressively promoted over 6+ years, culminating in COO-level leadership at a rapidly growing environmental consulting firm. Directed operations, finance, BD, marketing, and HR during explosive growth, strategic diversification, and eventual acquisition by Stantec, supporting multi-site operations across 13 western states.
- Drove 32% year-over-year sales growth; expanded revenue from $1.2M to $6.8M and headcount from 12 to 65 while maintaining 25%+ profit margins
- Diversified services from 2 to 15 across 12 states and grew client base from 50 to 460
- Supported Stantec's acquisition process, coordinating due diligence and operational integration planning
- Authored and secured a $35M contract with San Diego Gas & Electric; managed 1,500+ contracts valued up to $35M
- Built an internal project and resume database, reducing proposal response time from weeks to hours
- Elevated brand identity from small business to professional-grade, increasing win credibility and client trust
- Oversaw full P&L and ICR compliance; reduced average days receivable from 110 to 75
- Passed multiple external audits via FAR Part 31 and AASHTO-aligned systems; managed all insurance portfolios
- Reduced time-to-hire from 60 to 15 days; used IMS, FPDS, and SAM.gov to drive a 600% increase in qualified leads
Rapidly promoted due to exceptional performance in financial and strategic roles within a $2M/year environmental consulting firm operating across five California offices. Held full P&L and balance sheet accountability, running internal operations across finance, contracts administration, BD, marketing, HR, and IT strategy during a decade of rapid growth and federal compliance expansion.
- Grew revenue by 320% from 2006 to 2014 while scaling headcount from 7 to 30 FTE
- Secured GSA Schedules 899-1 and 899-7, driving $1.32M+ in federal sales over three years
- Positioned the firm among ZweigWhite's Top 100 Hot Firms (ranked #77 in 2014)
- Held full P&L and balance sheet responsibility; secured $900K+ in working capital; sustained an 80% client retention rate
- Maintained accounting records in strict FAR/GSA/CAS compliance, earning an "Exceptional" rating on a GSA site visit audit
- Rebuilt the corporate website in HTML/CSS, increasing web traffic by 40% and inbound inquiries by 150%
- Implemented SharePoint for cross-office project collaboration and managed all office IT infrastructure