Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Accomplishments
Languages
Timeline
Hi, I’m

Grace Hixson

Union City,GA

Summary

Transformative Leader with 20 years of tested and proven experience in a variety of fields across the gambit of HR and Operations. Most notably, I have served in the roles of Director of HR and Operations Manger. My experience in various organizations that operate locally as well as globally have given me a unique ability to interpret complex cultural obstacles and build meaningful relationships throughout an organization while maintaining operational integrity and achieving strategic results. I pride myself on being a M.U.L.E ; a meticulous, unimpeded leader who emboldens others to make an impact by being honest and transparent while effortlessly carrying the heavy load.

As Operations Manager, I have been responsible for:

  • overall operations, improvement, training and production;
  • new project management, reporting, analysis and budgeting;
  • creating, achieving and maintaining KPIs;

As Director of HR, I have been able to experience success through:

  • championing new technology to facilitate flawless and consistent execution of processes and procedures;
  • establishing a competitive advantage by reviewing data analytics of the market as well as internally to create new programs and job functions
  • promoting employee retention through incentive programs and transparent compensation conversations;
  • create total rewards programs that attract, retain and positively influence talent;
  • advise Board of Directors on key complex issues.
  • managing annual budgets ranging from $50k-$4mm;
  • creating union avoidance or compliance strategies;
  • facilitating safety and company orientation modules for on-boarding;
  • ensuring quality and operational standards; implementing and maintaining HRIS Systems;
  • managing employee payroll, total rewards & benefits;

Overview

18
years of professional experience

Work History

QM3 Utility Services
Stone Mountain, GA

Head of People Operations
05.2023 - Current

Job overview

  • Instituted zero paper footprint in operations.
  • Implemented new process and procedures to be in line with continuous improvement.
  • Supported top employee development by creating incentive programs based on performance.
  • Investigated workplace issues and inconsistencies as well as developed training; in conjunction with a company wide reorganization to ensure plan of action was able to be adopted and actionable.
  • Worked with management to create performance measurement, employee development and employee compensation strategies.
  • Provided HR consultation services, data analysis, project management, operations management, policy/process creation & implementation as well as benefits administration services.
  • Created custom reporting and integration in order to provide a strategic advantage in problem solving and continuous improvement.
  • Implemented new ERP and HRIS systems.
  • Created project management framework, timelines and budgets for new project bids and final execution.
  • Liaison to various customers (Atlanta Gas Light, Southern Company Gas and Virginia Natural Gas) to ensure project milestones are achieved and all compliance issues are resolved.

The City of Union City, Georgia
Union City, GA

Interim Director of Human Resources
09.2022 - 04.2023

Job overview

  • Created succession plans, performance management and promotion paths for staff to boost passion for reaching goals and objectives of organization.
  • Developed top talent identification processes by interviewing candidates and executing onboarding, orientation and benefits processes; to decrease turnover and increase employee satisfaction and engagement.
  • Actively served on executive learning leadership council, overseeing corporate learning strategy and architecture, innovation, metrics and employee engagement.
  • Launched EEOC, Affirmative Action and grievance investigations and resolved employee complaints.
  • Lead special projects implementation: General Process (all areas); HRIS (all system workflows); Performance Review, Vendor Review/Management and Compensation Study.

Arglass Yamamura SE, LLC
Valdosta, GA

Head of Human Resources & Training Development
10.2019 - 04.2022

Job overview

  • Administered, designed and implemented: diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs that focus on hiring as well as internal satisfaction; total rewards programs, employee relations strategies; payroll system management; disciplinary processes, management development programs; benefits administration; incentive plans; compensation plans, and health & welfare programs.
  • Led team in identifying and implementing lean and continuous improvement actions to enhance production volume and efficiency while exceeding quality standards and product specifications.
  • Coordinated, negotiated and managed global teams and vendors to execute company deliverables for multi-phase projects.
  • Collaborated, researched and designed multistage training program that incorporated classroom, Train the Trainer and job specific training with such technology as VR to ensure employees understood the processes and procedures related to the position, department, company and industry.
  • Partnered with cross-functional departments to develop, support, administer and maintain Paycom (HRIS and payroll system) Groupe.io (employee engagement) and ERP (internal business operations) systems.
  • Liaised between management and employees to deescalate tension through conflict resolution to ensure all aspects of company culture were adequately reviewed by allowing employees to safely voice concerns and apply for specific issues to be mediated and resolved by utilizing emotional intelligence and compassion.
  • Created employee handbook, all supporting documentation and corresponding processes/procedures, onboarding/off-boarding workflow and safety guidelines regarding Covid.

Southern Belle Solutions, LLC
Union City, GA

Human Resources Manager
04.2015 - 10.2019

Job overview

  • Liaised with attorneys to ensure low legal liability on all people matters such as workers compensation, grievances and contracts.
  • Advised Board of Directors on best practices related to: mergers and acquisitions, Workers Compensation, Layoff Procedures, Executive Compensation Strategy, HRIS Implementation, FMLA, payroll, 401k, ERISA, HIPPA, safety, OSHA, change management, process improvement and employee engagement.
  • Liaised with management and employees to answer inquiries, administer contracts and support problem resolution.
  • Designed internal programs that focus on diversity in the workplace as it relates to building inclusive work cultures, understanding different communications styles and pay transparency to build trust.
  • Led, implemented and designed training for annual performance review cycle. In addition, served as technical support and SME on system and giving effective feedback respectively.

The Kroger Co.
Atlanta, GA

Human Resources Generalist - Store Management
06.2006 - 04.2015

Job overview

  • Maintained compliance with all union, local, state and federal laws, as well as established organizational standards and regulations.
  • Introduced in-house employee career path program to increase long-term business success.
  • Recruited, hired and onboarded over 3000 employees to a variety of locations and positions including exempt and non-exempt.
  • Improved employee engagement and morale by developing wellness programs for employees and enforcing positivity guidelines.
  • Assisted in reviewing and making recommendations for union negotiations during contract negotiations.
  • Lead safety committee that reduced workers compensation as well as food borne illnesses by 30%.

Education

University of Phoenix
Tempe, AZ

MBA
05.2014

University Overview

HRCI

Professional in Human Resources (PHR)

University Overview

Spelman College
Atlanta, GA

Bachelor of Arts from Economics
05.2006

University Overview

University of Phoenix
Tempe, AZ

Graduate Certification in Human Resources Management
06.2018

University Overview

Georgia Quick Start

Six Sigma | Yellow Belt

University Overview

Franklin Covey

Certificate from Organizational Leadership

University Overview

Elerby Thompson

Certificate from Anti-Harassment Training

University Overview

Cousera by Google
Online

Professional Certificate from Data Analytics
11-2024

University Overview

Workday

Certification from Workday Full Suite
06-2025

University Overview

  • Pursuing certification in all areas: Workday HCM Certification, Workday Financial Management Certification, Workday Payroll Certification, and Workday Integration Certification.

Skills

  • HR Compliance (FMLA,ERISA,COBRA,I9)-18yrs
  • Full cycle recruitment- 18yrs
  • Payroll-16yrs
  • Project Management-15yrs
  • HRIS Implementation-15yrs
  • Industry: Retail Management-12yrs
  • Operations Lead-12yrs
  • Budgeting and P&L-10yrs
  • Contract Negotiation-9yrs
  • Training & Development-9yrs
  • Business Analysis-7yrs
  • Logistics & Warehouse-7yrs
  • Labor Relations (union)-7yrs
  • Total Rewards-7yrs
  • Start-ups-7yrs
  • Hyper growth phase Management-7yrs
  • Process Improvement-6yrs
  • PEO/Consultant-5yrs
  • Benefits Administrator-5yrs
  • ERP systems (Infor and SAP)-5yrs
  • Immigration (H1B, E3, TN, L1)-4yrs
  • Managing Global teams-4yrs
  • ISO 9001 Certification Mgr-4yrs
  • Mergers and acquisitions-4yrs
  • Compensation (all levels)-4yrs
  • Industry: Manufacturing-3yrs
  • Industry: Technology-3yrs
  • Industry: Government-1yr
  • Industry: Healthcare-1yr

Accomplishments

Accomplishments
  • ISO Process and Procedure Project Manager
  • Created a rewards and incentive program that was cited as the driving force behind employee retention rate of 70%.
  • Named Employee of the Quarter for effective leadership in management.
  • Implemented HRIS (Paycom, Workday, Kronos, Paylocity, UKG) that saved various companies on average $60k/yr.
  • Created policies and procedures that saved the company $500k and increased productivity by 20%
  • Negotiated contract resulting in budgetary savings for the company of $1.4million for the year.
  • Administered DEI strategies that led to increased employee engagement scores by 25%.
  • Created total rewards programs that impacted overall employee confidence by 15%.
  • Negotiated with vendors, saving the company $2.3million annually.
  • Created highly effective new onboarding and job development program that significantly impacted efficiency and improved operations by 26%.
  • Changed HR from a cost center to a savings and profit center by applying for grants as well as renegotiating vendor contracts.
  • Created and implemented highly effective and individualized human resource solutions for clients that decreased liability (Workers Compensation) by 15% and increased productivity by 25%.
  • Supported senior leadership by creating ad hoc reports to assist with big picture data for project status updates, benefits analysis, corrective action planning and strategic management, which positively impacted: sales (18%), efficiency (25%), time to fill (40%), productivity (25%), retention (25%), fixed cost (15%), variable cost (27%), budgeting (15%) and employee engagement (22%).
  • Created strategic partnerships by being a guest speaker for a host of events for South Georgia Chamber of Commerce participants.
  • Guest Speaker for Valdosta State University- Topic: Full cycle interviewing and proper etiquette when joining new teams

Languages

Spanish
Professional

Timeline

Head of People Operations
QM3 Utility Services
05.2023 - Current
Interim Director of Human Resources
The City of Union City, Georgia
09.2022 - 04.2023
Head of Human Resources & Training Development
Arglass Yamamura SE, LLC
10.2019 - 04.2022
Human Resources Manager
Southern Belle Solutions, LLC
04.2015 - 10.2019
Human Resources Generalist - Store Management
The Kroger Co.
06.2006 - 04.2015
University of Phoenix
MBA
HRCI
Professional in Human Resources (PHR)
Spelman College
Bachelor of Arts from Economics
University of Phoenix
Graduate Certification in Human Resources Management
Georgia Quick Start
Six Sigma | Yellow Belt
Franklin Covey
Certificate from Organizational Leadership
Elerby Thompson
Certificate from Anti-Harassment Training
Cousera by Google
Professional Certificate from Data Analytics
Workday
Certification from Workday Full Suite
Grace Hixson