Jessica Tess Belle
Melbourne
Summary
Dynamic and results-oriented Human Resources Business Partner with several years of experience driving organizational success through strategic HR initiatives. Proven expertise in aligning HR strategies with business objectives to optimize talent acquisition, employee development, and retention. Adept at fostering positive workplace culture and enhancing employee engagement through effective communication and collaboration. Strong leadership skills combined with a deep understanding of employment laws and regulations. Dedicated to delivering innovative HR solutions that support company growth and enhance employee satisfaction. Expert consultant and HR leader with strong background as accomplished Senior Human Resources Business Partner. Helps organizations build talent capabilities, reduce liabilities and improve employee relations. Successful at identifying, prioritizing and aligning HR programs.
Overview
16
16
years of professional experience
Work History
Sr. HRBP
Upwork
Melbourne
01.2023 - Current
- Optimized Global Onboarding experience, reducing new hire time-to-productivity by 18% through redesign of onboarding workflows and partnership with.
- Strengthened Manager Readiness through just-in-time coaching and team-specific training, resulting in a 25% improvement in performance review completion rates and more consistent use of development plans.
- Served as the lead HR Partner to Talent, Learning & Development, guiding leaders through org design, performance, and succession planning.
- Performance Workflow: oversee the full performance management cycle—ensuring clear goal alignment, fair evaluations, and actionable feedback that drive both individual and organizational growth. Partner with executives to align people strategies with business goals, including workforce planning, organizational design, and talent priorities.
- Talent: When required, provide talent acquisition support for open roles, particularly for senior regional hires, ensuring hiring decisions aligned to workforce plans and budgets, plus a smooth candidate experience. Drove talent development and engagement initiatives, including performance calibration, feedback processes, and employee pulse strategy. Act as subject matter expert in AI & Technology for HR and Talent Acquisition, joining client and prospect meetings to demonstrate practical AI use cases across sourcing, screening, onboarding, analytics, and engagement.
- Employee Relations: Investigate complex HR-related concerns, including allegations of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation raised through the Ethics Office and other reporting channels. Lead end-to-end investigations, including gathering evidence, interviewing parties involved, and determining appropriate resolutions in alignment with Upwork’s policies and procedures.
- Scalable HR Solutions: Crafted and rolled out customized HR strategies aimed at supporting the organization’s growth, with a focus on strategic planning, talent evaluation, change management, and team development. Ensured all initiatives were in sync with the global vision and the evolving demands of the business.
- Leading Change Management: Spearheaded significant organizational change efforts, ensuring smooth transitions during periods of growth or restructuring. Designed and executed strategies to minimize disruption, keeping employee morale high and productivity levels steady.
- Cross-Departmental HR Integration: Collaborated closely with colleagues in Recruiting, Learning & Development, Compensation, Legal, and HR Programs to design and implement comprehensive HR solutions that aligned with business needs and supported company growth.
- Legal & Compliance Integration: Collaborated with the Legal team to ensure that HR policies and practices remained compliant with regional and global regulations, effectively managing risk.
- Provided guidance to leaders on topics such as performance management, employee relations, policy interpretation, recruitment, compensation, benefits and organizational development.
- Coached managers on how to effectively manage their teams including providing feedback during performance reviews.
- Launched wellness plans to reduce stress, boost morale and increase productivity.
- Analyzed trends in turnover rates to identify areas for improvement in employee retention strategies.
- Implemented innovative employee incentive program to increase staff productivity.
Sr. HR Business Partner
Worldwide Money
Orlando
06.2012 - 12.2022
- Scaled Global HR Infrastructure for this high growth startup from start to finish by designing and implementing consistent talent mgt, performance review, and leadership development processes across international offices, supporting a 3x increase in headcount during peak growth years.
- Improved Retention by 25% through targeted engagement initiatives, including manager training, career pathing, and recognition programs informed by employee survey insights—resulting in measurable gains in morale and internal mobility.
- Led Organizational Change Initiatives during two major Audits for two restructures, developing change management strategies that minimized disruption and maintained team productivity.
- Talent Responsibilities: Partner with C-Suite & Senior Engineering Leaders to align Talent strategies with long-term hardware innovation and product development goals for ATM machines and POS systems. Drive workforce planning for niche technical talent, ensuring critical roles in system architecture, silicon design, and platform performance are filled with diverse, high-caliber hires.
- Employee Relations: Investigate complex HR-related concerns, including allegations of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation raised through the Ethics Office and other reporting channels. Lead end-to-end investigations, including gathering evidence, interviewing parties involved, and determining appropriate resolutions in alignment with Upwork’s policies and procedures.
- Developed talent programs to accelerate leadership readiness, resulting in improved bench strength.
- Lead talent review, succession planning, and career pathing initiatives, enabling stronger leadership pipelines and retention of top engineers.
- Advise clients on HR tech stack integration, including HRIS, and AI tools (e.g., ADP; Workday; Paradox.ai), and support change management for successful AI implementation.
- Leverage an extensive professional network to support client acquisition through warm introductions and trusted industry relationships.
- Talent Development & Evaluation: Led in-depth talent assessments across international teams, pinpointing skills gaps and providing actionable insights to leadership. Championed initiatives for continuous talent growth, succession planning, and performance management, ensuring they matched business objectives.
- Leading Change Management: Spearheaded significant organizational change efforts, ensuring smooth transitions during periods of growth or restructuring. Designed and executed strategies to minimize disruption, keeping employee morale high and productivity levels steady.
- Building High-Performing Teams: Designed and facilitated team-building programs and leadership development initiatives, tailored to meet the unique needs of diverse regional and cultural teams. Focused on keeping teams motivated, aligned, and well-prepared for challenges as the organization scaled.
- Data-Driven Insights: Leveraged HR data and employee feedback to make informed decisions and assess the impact of HR programs. Delivered actionable insights to key stakeholders, driving continuous improvements in HR strategies and talent initiatives.
- Scaling HR Practices: Developed and scaled consistent HR practices across the company’s global footprint, including performance reviews, talent management, and leadership development programs. Focused on building processes that could grow alongside the organization’s expansion.
- Coaching & Leadership Development: Provided coaching to senior leaders, helping them navigate challenges related to team scaling, managing global talent, and change adaptation. Fostered a culture of accountability, growth, and collaboration at all levels.
- (company dissolved due to covid)
Workplace Immersion Coordinator- 1yr Grant Funded Role
Colorado of Economic Development & International Trade
Denver
08.2010 - 07.2011
- Job Placement & Performance Management: placed 2,000 job seekers in roles across Denver and Colorado, while collaborating with managers to evaluate employee performance at 30, 60, and 90-day intervals to ensure alignment with organizational goals.
Education
MA - Finance & Economics
University of Denver
DenverGlobal Health Affairs Certificate -
University of Denver
DenverBA - Religious Studies
The College of Wooster
WoosterSkills
- Performance Evaluation
- Policy Improvement Recommendations
- Workforce Planning
- Organizational Design
- HR Technology Integration
- Change Management
- Coaching Leadership
Accomplishments
HR Executive Excellence Award, Upwork 2024 - Strengthened Manager Readiness through just-in-time coaching and team-specific training, resulting in a 25% improvement in performance review completion rates and more consistent use of development plans.
Timeline
Sr. HRBP
Upwork
01.2023 - Current
Sr. HR Business Partner
Worldwide Money
06.2012 - 12.2022
Workplace Immersion Coordinator- 1yr Grant Funded Role
Colorado of Economic Development & International Trade
08.2010 - 07.2011
MA - Finance & Economics
University of Denver
Global Health Affairs Certificate -
University of Denver
BA - Religious Studies
The College of Wooster