Karen Ceisner
Raleigh,NC
Summary
Highly motivated and detail oriented professional with excellent track record in collaboration across departments to evaluate, design and implement business processes that efficiently and effectively operate within program and policy guidelines.
Overview
26
26
years of professional experience
2
2
Certification
Work History
Accounting Specialist
North Carolina Office Of Recovery And Resiliency
07.2023 - Current
- Review Cost Records for invoices, amounts, funding source and national objective for accuracy, then approve for payment.
- Investigate and correct errors resolving discrepancies.
- Collaborate with the business systems team to improve functionality in payment exception processing in Sales Force
- Prepared Requisitions and DRGR summary for Grant Funds ensuring correct funds are withdrawn.
- Develop positive relationships with outside agencies and vendors.
Finance Supervisor
State of North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resiliency
02.2021 - 06.2023
- Contributed and developed finance processes to ensure Housing Opportunities and Prevention of Eviction (HOPE) Program funds were administered in compliance with the HOPE Program Policy and CDBG-CV grant guidelines
- Created standard operating processes, lead cross-departmental team to improve overall workflow efficiencies, and meet reporting needs.
- Led and collaborated on several grant close-out project teams.
- Performed in depth file reviews, obtaining documents needed to ensure files met finance and compliance requirements
- Provide project status updates to leadership verbally and through reports
- Collaborated with Business Systems and Finance leadership in design and testing of Salesforce enhancements and service request resolution.
- Worked with Director of Finance and our Budget Manager on special projects and additional job duties.
- Created finance dashboard in Sales Force to provide insight into key performance indicators, track workflow and reporting.
- Supervised multi-functional team of 8 staff members
- Outreach to vendors and grant recipients as needed
Director of Operations
Mission Travel
07.2016 - 12.2020
- Conceive and devise initiatives to drive growth and profit across all business functions
- Conduct in-depth analysis to guide evidence-based strategic projects with clear milestones and scope, measure company health through spend/revenue margin performance, and identify additional revenue and cost savings opportunities
- Collaborate with internal stakeholders across contract management, staff recruitment and development, and improve workflow processes
- Achieved increase to agent productivity by designing and implementing more efficient workflow processes
- Annual review of vendor contracts to ensure compliance with budgetary requirements and reduced costs through aggressive contract negotiation
- Successfully On-boarding of large organizations with multi-facet travel needs and departments
- Create departmental budgets and monitored and managed to ensure adherence.
Project Management Assistant
Pharmaceutical Product Development
09.2015 - 07.2016
- Held accountable for ensuring regulatory compliance of projects and studies subject to OSHA, HIPAA, Good Clinical Practice (GCP), and FDA regimes across Clinical Research division were followed.
- Responsible for quality control across all assigned studies; collaborated with project leads to reconcile data errors and ensure audit compliance.
- Proactively resolved potential delays to ensure all assigned projects completed on time
- Adapted to dynamic project requirements to balance multiple complex priorities.
Associate Director of Operations
Raptim Humanitarian Travel Group
04.1998 - 03.2015
- Promoted twice to direct large portfolio of projects to improve company processes and policies, drive efficiency, and maximize return on investments.
- Directed high-level strategic planning and analysis across various operations to support cost reduction and apply lessons learned.
- Collaborated with senior leadership on critical changes to operating processes.
- Held responsibility for 25+ direct reports across global team
- Led hard-hitting negotiations with vendors; identified and selected preferred suppliers to add value for clients and improve profit margins on contracts
- Directed in-house and remote sales agents to exceed annual sales goals of $5.6M
- Integral member of cross-departmental initiative to implement improved quality control measures, ultimately leading to 90% reduction in agent error.
- Met customer service standards and expectations consistently by effectively communicating and actively listening.
- Streamlined company processes and procedures while enhancing customer satisfaction.
- Formulated analysis assessments to make informed decisions on proposed projects.
- Increased profitability by optimizing sales and fulfilling lower overhead costs.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Psychology and Criminal Justice
State University of New York
Brockport, New York12.1994
Associate Degree - Paralegal Studies, Business
Hilbert College
Hamburg, New York05.1992
Skills
- Process Improvement and Workflow Optimization
- Cross-functional Team Collaboration
- Relationship Building
- SOP Writing
- Project Management and Lean Six Sigma
- Electronic Records Management
- Invoice Processing
- Microsoft Office Suite
- Critical Thinking / Problem Solving
- Funds Disbursement Understanding
- Interpersonal Skills
Certification
- Project Management Professional – Project Management Institute
- Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt – State of North Carolina Dept of Information Technology
- National Career Readiness Certificate, Gold Level – ACT Inc.
- Lean Six Sigma Green Belt – In Process - State of North Carolina Dept of Information Technology
Key Qualifications
- Proven track record of developing and implementing ROI positive initiatives in compliance with corporate goals and regulatory requirements.
- Adept at analyzing and implementing improvements to business operations to maximize productivity and profit.
- Highly focused in supporting multifaceted, deadline-driven operations; use sound judgement to make decisions and to strategically balance competing priorities and complete tasks within time and budget requirements.
- Strong leadership skills able to build consensus across internal and external stakeholders.
Timeline
Accounting Specialist
North Carolina Office Of Recovery And Resiliency
07.2023 - Current
Finance Supervisor
State of North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resiliency
02.2021 - 06.2023
Director of Operations
Mission Travel
07.2016 - 12.2020
Project Management Assistant
Pharmaceutical Product Development
09.2015 - 07.2016
Associate Director of Operations
Raptim Humanitarian Travel Group
04.1998 - 03.2015
Bachelor of Science - Psychology and Criminal Justice
State University of New York
Associate Degree - Paralegal Studies, Business
Hilbert College
- Project Management Professional – Project Management Institute
- Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt – State of North Carolina Dept of Information Technology
- National Career Readiness Certificate, Gold Level – ACT Inc.
- Lean Six Sigma Green Belt – In Process - State of North Carolina Dept of Information Technology
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