Amber Nelson
Evansville,WI
Summary
Human Resources Executive with 15 years of progressive HR experience and advanced knowledge of employment law, compensation, recruitment and employee relations. Engages with HR service providers and suppliers on HR systems, payroll, insurance and training and development to promote high performing organization with efficient operating systems, professional and skilled staff and sound financial resources. Maintains strong stakeholder focus and service-oriented attitude with excellent organization and interpersonal skills to excel in multi-cultural environment.
Overview
17
17
years of professional experience
Work History
Interim VP, HR
&pizza
10.2021 - Current
- Moved needle on financials including revamping training program with all employees
- Went from 35k month to 15k month by incorporating LMS
- Weekly Financial meetings with Senior Management, providing updates cross department
- Running monthly stand up meetings for all staff and creating and presenting deck
- Organizing processes to help efficiency in support
- Taking Accounting under my wing to help identify process flow for closing out our periods
- Took over finance functionality to incorporate tips in payroll
- Created engagement surveys and took the raw data to help with training and development execution
- Creating Intranet for Employees.
- Established a successful partnership with key industry players, resulting in increased market share for the organization.
- Championed diversity and inclusion initiatives throughout the organization, fostering greater collaboration among teams and departments.
- Spearheaded mergers and acquisitions efforts, successfully integrating acquired companies into existing operations without disrupting workflow or productivity.
- Managed multi-million dollar budgets responsibly, achieving cost savings and ensuring resources were allocated effectively.
- Championed change management initiatives within the organization to ensure smooth transitions during periods of growth or restructuring.
- Developed program to promote new managers from within, building and maintaining cohesive leadership structure.
- Founded performance- and merit-based evaluation system to assess staff performance.
Director, Human Resources
&pizza
10.2021 - Current
- Manage all employee relations issues for &pizza: Investigate any claim of wrongdoing, write up findings of investigation, and recommend response to company leadership (eg, written warning, termination, additional coaching, etc.)
- Lead &Pizza response to any employee-related lawsuit, working closely with outside council
- Regularly review company policies and procedures to ensure compliance with best practices and relevant regulations across 6 states, and advise c-suite accordingly
- Train and coach field leaders (above shop leaders and shop leaders) on best employee relations practices and strategies; including by developing tailored training materials and holding frequent 1:1 sessions with various leaders
- Counsel and suggest resources to employees dealing with work, family, or personal problems
- Implement, maintain, and review payroll processing systems and ensure accurate processing of over 1,000 employees: multi state, different pay cycles, exempt/non exempt and executive
- Ensure compliance with federal, state and local payroll, wage, hour laws and best practice, including tipped employees and state minimum wage
- Serve as employee compensation liaison: explain company compensation programs, answer questions, and conduct trainings
- Identify gaps / needs in HR systems and processes, and lead remediation efforts
- Develop templates for progressive disciplinary action, and shared with field leadership
- Recommended the use of 360 degree reviews for field leaders and helped to develop the survey and process; since implemented
- Created 'Did you know' SOPs across the business to go out every Friday to help follow policy/procedure
- Create Handbook from scratch with all state addendums
- Create all job descriptions + identify salary marks including determining exempt and non exempt
- Serve as a Subject Matter Expert in on onboarding regulations/laws, State Laws, and Employment law.
- Utilized compliance tools, corrective actions and identification of deficiencies to mitigate audit risks.
- Updated training processes by reviewing existing documentation, leveraging feedback from associates and working with legal and compliance teams.
- Designed robust compensation and benefits packages to attract top employees.
Director, Human Resources
State Of Wisconsin|Military Affairs|Shared Services (Payroll + HR) Advanced
10.2018 - 03.2021
- Review Overtime and Exception Reports to verify accuracy
- Assist with annual open enrollment for benefit changes
- Assist with State Active Duty payroll processing (over 5,000 members)
- Answer employee questions regarding timesheets, WRS (retirement), benefits, job description; including and not limited to: complaints, questions, and concerns
- Creating COVID processes and assisting in creating surveys for COVID tracing through skill survey
- Create reports to advise Director of leave accounting, payroll, or related personnel problems and give recommendations for resolutions
- Processing and maintaining LTE records
- Monitor LTE hours to ensure they do not exceed the statutory limitation of 1039 hours for the duration of 365 days (anniversary day) and notify supervisors when employees are approaching their limitation
- Hold new employee orientation breaking down all state laws/statutes/codes, explaining benefits, payroll, HR guidance, etc
- Same with offboarding
- Verify and complete Unemployment Compensation wage data by verifying hours with supervisors including reason on separation
- Continuously depict administrative codes + State Statutes for Managers when creating progressive discipline documents
- Supporting Human Resource specialists, assistants, and Director in creating
- Supporting Budget by providing and creating reports in the payroll system
- Process recruitment and hire closeout including updating logs, notifying non-selected candidates, entering reports of action and closing recruitment in HRIS system, preparing appointment letter and distribute position descriptions periodically
- Enter new appointments in HRIS system, create person profiles to include probation along with modifying biographical data as necessary periodically
- Send out new employee information worksheet and I-9 with accepted offer; send new employee information to state IT
- Maintain/Create Organizational charts for all units
- Continuous training for new federal/State supervisors with in HRIS system.
- Improved employee retention rates by implementing effective onboarding and training programs.
- Managed complex employee relations issues, fostering a positive workplace culture and reducing legal risks.
- Spearheaded diversity and inclusion initiatives, creating a more inclusive work environment for all employees.
- Coordinated company-wide performance management processes, driving employee development and productivity.
- Negotiated favorable benefits packages with vendors, ensuring optimal coverage at cost-effective rates.
- Implemented succession planning strategies to prepare for future organizational growth and change.
- Conducted regular audits of HR practices to ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
Office Manager/HR
Village Smile Care
09.2014 - 07.2018
- Negotiating with Insurance companies to create contracts with our practice
- Updating fee schedules, breakdown of insurance, updating treatment plans
- Balancing patient accounts and understanding their benefits
- Ensure compliance of OSHA/HIPAA as the Compliance Officer
- Processing dental and medical claim ensuring proper codes and CDT codes are present
- Providing excellent customer service in the patient community including volunteering for all events with in the community
- Developing systems and goals for Doctors and their staff which increased revenue and created bonus systems for all
- Managing a revenue produced yearly of 2M; building from previous years of 700K
- Practice Management and implantation training/courses every quarter
- Ensuring clinic meets monthly goals and collections to increase 4 wall margins
- Contributes to financial functions; daily balancing, daily deposit, weekly invoices, petty cash, and payroll
- Creating policy and procedures for the practice
- Reconciling QuickBooks for the practice and for the Doctor's personal statements
- A/R and A/P.
- Streamlined office operations by implementing efficient filing systems and organizational strategies.
- Enhanced team productivity by delegating tasks effectively and overseeing daily workflow.
- Reduced costs with meticulous budget monitoring and expense tracking for essential supplies and equipment.
- Facilitated smooth communication between departments, addressing concerns promptly to maintain harmonious work relationships.
- Improved employee retention rates by fostering a positive work environment and providing growth opportunities through training programs.
- Managed vendor relationships, negotiating contracts for cost savings while maintaining high-quality services.
- Implemented new software tools for streamlined project management, increasing efficiency in task completion across teams.
- Developed comprehensive policy manuals outlining procedures and guidelines, contributing to a well-organized workplace culture.
- Handled sensitive information with discretion, maintaining confidentiality of company documents and personnel records.
- Served as a liaison between upper management and staff members, facilitating open channels of communication to address concerns or issues promptly.
- Organized travel arrangements for executives by researching cost-effective options while accommodating individual preferences.
- Optimized workspace usage by reorganizing floor plans according to team needs and office layout constraints.
- Oversaw office inventory activities by ordering and requisitions and stocking and shipment receiving.
- Developed and maintained successful relationships with vendors, suppliers and contractors.
- Launched quality assurance practices for each phase of development
- Planned, created, tested and deployed system life cycle methodology to produce high quality systems to meet and exceed customer expectations.
HR/Operations Manager
First Choice Dental, Multiple Locations
06.2007 - 09.2014
- Recruiting, training, managing employees and volunteers
- Supervising administration/clinical staff of 30 employees at 4+ locations
- Administering the operations of the dental software program and subprograms
- Maintaining inventory of dental equipment and supplies and coordinating equipment cleaning, sanitation, maintenance, repairs, and inspections
- Developing and implementing in conjunction with the Board of Directors, program procedures outlining the responsibilities, operational features and objectives of dental health
- Ensure compliance with OSHA with other local, state, and federal regulations
- Providing outstanding customer service to the patient community with the goal to achieve no patient complaints
- Implementing new Orthodontics program increasing revenue by 38%
- Creating documents/trainings/guidelines/positions for the new positions
- Oversees revenue at each office of 4.4M-10.4M yearly
- Improving and implementing external marketing plan including external communications and publicity
- Managing up to 3-5 Doctor schedules, 10-15 hygiene schedule needs, and an Orthodontic office
- General payroll, PTO, Creating/Advocating Bonus systems
- Coordinating hygiene, Doctor, and administrative training to comply with CE credits required
- Preparing quarterly budgets for Board of Directors in conjunction with Head of Operations and CFO
- Conducting accounting, bookkeeping, payroll, and other financial management functions
- Updating and maintains fee schedules
- Oversees financial functions, daily balances, daily deposits, weekly invoices, petty cash, HR documentation and Payroll.
- Managed time efficiently in order to complete all tasks within deadlines.
- Demonstrated respect, friendliness and willingness to help wherever needed.
- Organized and detail-oriented with a strong work ethic.
- Used critical thinking to break down problems, evaluate solutions and make decisions.
- Developed and maintained courteous and effective working relationships.
- Identified issues, analyzed information and provided solutions to problems.
Education
BA, Human Resource Management -
University of Wisconsin– Madison
Madison, WI05.2015
Associates - Business Management -
Madison Area Technical College
05.2010
Skills
- Staff Development
- Market Research
- Lead Generation
- Customer Service
- Event Networking
- Corporate Branding
- Resource Allocation
- Price Structuring
- Revenue Cycle Management
- Forecasting
- Mergers and Acquisitions
- Client Relationship Building
- Risk Management
- Operations Management
- Contract Negotiation
- Business Development
- Process Improvement
- Human Resources
- Data Analysis
- Metrics Tracking
- Budget Administration
- Staff Training
- Coaching and Mentoring
- Team Leadership
- Strategic Planning
- Staff Recruiting and Retainment
- Public Speaking
- Complex Problem-Solving
- Performance Metrics Analysis
- Budget Oversight
- Customer Education
- Policy and Procedure Development
- Negotiation and Persuasion
- Account Management
- Decision-Making
- Presentations
- Recruiting and Hiring
- Training and Mentoring
Introduction
Successful Business Leader with 15 years management experience. Human Resource Management (Employee Relations + Development) experience for over 10 years in various industries/states. 10 years of payroll and benefits experience working in numerous programs and platforms, including US military. A strong self-starter with a record of identifying and executing process and policy improvements. Dedicated Employee Relations advocate who continues to study state laws and regulations over all states.
Personal Information
Title: Director, Human Resources
Timeline
Interim VP, HR
&pizza
10.2021 - Current
Director, Human Resources
&pizza
10.2021 - Current
Director, Human Resources
State Of Wisconsin|Military Affairs|Shared Services (Payroll + HR) Advanced
10.2018 - 03.2021
Office Manager/HR
Village Smile Care
09.2014 - 07.2018
HR/Operations Manager
First Choice Dental, Multiple Locations
06.2007 - 09.2014
BA, Human Resource Management -
University of Wisconsin– Madison
Associates - Business Management -
Madison Area Technical College