Jennifer Ford

• Lead design and rollout of Career Maps for 10+ occupational series covering ~3,000 employees so they clearly see the education, training, certifications, and experience expected at each level; this clarity cut “what do I need to do next?” clarification emails by ~30% and reduced promotion-related frustration that can become ER issues.
  • Partner cross-functionally with 20+ HR, classification, training, and mission leaders to align work-level definitions, competencies, and selection criteria, promoting fairness and consistency and reducing disputes about “different rules” for similar roles.
  • Re-wrote Career Map guidance and talking points to make it explicit that maps are development guidance, not promotion guarantees; this reset expectations and reduced promotion-expectation complaints and escalations by ~25% in the following cycle.
• Use Excel filters, formulas, and pivot tables to analyze CBP applicant and selection data, identify under-representation patterns in 2–3 series, and recommend targeted outreach that increased applications from those groups by ~15%.

• Supported a federal law enforcement client whose special agent hiring process was generating fairness and transparency concerns; mapped the end-to-end candidate experience, and identified multiple breakdowns in communication, timelines, and standards that increased ER/EEO risk.
  • Recommended and helped implement clearer policy language, recruiter scripts, and candidate FAQs, offering strategic, solutions-oriented recommendations that reduced escalated complaints to HR/leadership by ~20% in the next hiring cycle and improved candidate-satisfaction scores.
  • Partnered with HR Business Partners, Legal, and recruiting leaders to ensure changes aligned with policy and legal requirements, giving leaders consistent, values-aligned talking points when responding to complaints, appeals, and external inquiries.
  • Led a pay and benefits analysis for a national nonprofit with 200+ employees across multiple states; surfaced inequities and proposed options that improved internal equity and reduced future ER exposure.
  • Drafted thoughtful, well-structured documentation and executive-ready decks that synthesized interviews, documents, and data into clear findings and options, shortening decision-making time for senior leadership by ~30%.

• Served as the primary Employee Relations investigator and advisor for a wing of ~1,200 military and civilian personnel, handling sensitive employee matters with discretion and integrity while upholding organizational values and legal obligations.
• Led and/or coordinated 400+ impartial investigations per year into unprofessional conduct, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and other policy violations; conducted interviews, reviewed documentation, analyzed evidence, and developed balanced, evidence-based findings.
• Applied HR policy and employment-law awareness to recommend equitable outcomes that balanced employee fairness, precedent, and mission needs; provided clear, solutions-oriented options to commanders and HR partners.
• Implemented standardized intake, interview, and case-tracking tools that reduced average case-resolution time by ~30% and decreased repeat incidents by ~20%, improving both employee experience and leadership confidence in the process.
• Coached 40+ front-line and mid-level leaders on setting expectations, documenting performance and conduct, and delivering actionable feedback, leading to stronger cases and fewer actions overturned on review.
• Identified trends and insights from complaint data, climate surveys, and attrition metrics; produced summaries and briefings that helped leadership target training, communication, and process changes to reduce recurring issues.

• Managed HR operations and Employee Relations support for ~1,000 personnel across multiple squadrons, building trusted relationships with leaders and employees while maintaining confidentiality and professionalism.
• Led the review and resolution of a backlog of 400+ employee-related cases; re-evaluated documentation and risk, partnered with EO and Legal, and brought cases into compliance with current policy, reducing organizational exposure and restoring employee trust in the process.
• Conducted ER investigations and provided fact-finding, documentation, and recommendations on performance, conduct, and workplace-behavior issues; drafted investigation summaries and leader talking points that were clear, empathetic, and defensible.
• Identified bottlenecks and pain points in hiring, onboarding, and internal movement processes that contributed to complaints and confusion; redesigned workflows and communications, cutting time-to-hire by ~30% and improving new-hire experience and perceived fairness.
• Delivered training for supervisors on respectful workplace expectations, complaint-handling responsibilities, and documentation standards, reducing informal grievances and escalations.
• Regularly briefed senior leadership on ER trends, case outcomes, and process-improvement opportunities, helping drive continuous improvement in ER practices and tools.

• Led the Special Security Office responsible for personnel security and risk management for 4,000+ cleared personnel, including indoctrinations, debriefs, and periodic reviews, in a highly confidential environment.
• Reviewed investigative files, incident reports, and background information to research and resolve hundreds of clearance and suitability cases annually, recommending continued access, suspension, or revocation and documenting rationale that could withstand external scrutiny.
• Triaged foreign-travel, foreign-contact, and workplace-violence concern reports, determining when to escalate, investigate further, or refer, helping prevent incidents and protect employees and mission.
• Maintained strict control of PII, CUI, and investigative records in a SCIF, achieving 100% compliance on inspections and eliminating prior deficiencies.
• Delivered recurring security-responsibility briefings to 2,000+ personnel annually, increasing awareness of reportable behaviors and encouraging early reporting of potential risk indicators.

• Developed and delivered 50+ HR and leadership courses, equipping thousands of personnel with competencies required for mission readiness.
• Coordinated annual training for 200+ personnel to address skill gaps and maintain compliance with regulatory and readiness requirements.
• Designed and led retention and development initiatives focused on growth and career progression, contributing to ~18% reduction in turnover in select units.
• Updated training curricula to address current operational needs and policy changes, improving course relevance and supervisor satisfaction.

• Supported HR, knowledge management, and administrative operations; maintained personnel records and HR systems; and assisted leadership with communication, scheduling, and coordination across units.