Open to opportunities

Jessica Brown

@jessicabrown5

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Seasoned HR leader driving talent strategy, operational HR, and organizational transformation.

United States

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What I'm looking for

I seek a senior HR role where I can lead talent strategy, improve teammate experience, scale HR operations, and partner with leaders for measurable business impact.

I am a seasoned human resources leader with extensive experience building HR functions, leading HR business partners, and executing large-scale transitions across multi-state and national operations. I have organized new entities, managed PEO transitions for 400+ employees, led acquisitions, implemented HR best practices, and scaled operations rapidly while prioritizing teammate experience and engagement.

My background includes serving as a head of HR and senior HR leader across healthcare, retail, foodservice, and distribution sectors where I delivered cost savings, digitized HR operations, introduced leadership planning tools, and guided organizations through crises such as COVID-19. I partner closely with operational and clinical leaders to solve business challenges and develop talent, performance management, and employee relations strategies that drive measurable outcomes.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Current

Human Resources Manager

Current

UNC Health Pardee

Jun 2025 - Present (1 year 1 month)

Lead a team of HR business partners focused on teammate experience, engagement, and relations; own policy review, interpretation, and education while partnering with operational and clinical leaders to navigate business challenges.

HR Policies Employee Relations Leadership Coaching Talent Management Team Leadership

Sr. Manager, Human Resources

Starbucks Management Associates / Simon Property Group

Jul 2022 - Mar 2025 (2 years 8 months)

Head of HR for the SMA entity; created the HR function, transitioned 400+ employees from Simon/Workday to a PEO, implemented HR best practices, and supported growth from 20 to 70 locations in 18 months.

PEO Workforce Transition Performance Management Employee Relations Talent Acquisition Workday Change Management

Director, Human Resources

The Merit Distribution Group

Jul 2021 - Jul 2022 (1 year)

Served as head of HR across U.S. and Canadian affiliates; led multiple acquisitions, brought talent acquisition in-house saving nearly $100K annually, and implemented 9-box succession planning and paperless HR processes.

Mergers & Acquisitions Talent Acquisition Succession Planning Employee Relations Organizational Development

Sr. Human Resources Manager

Denny's

Nov 2018 - Jul 2021 (2 years 8 months)

Led remote HR Business Partner team and Corporate Talent Acquisition; managed talent acquisition, organizational development, employee relations, and COVID-19 response, creating furlough guidelines and repurposing communication tools for workforce outreach.

Talent Acquisition Employee Relations Crisis Management HR Operations Remote Team Leadership Performance Management HR systems

Human Resources Manager, Support Center

Denny's

Aug 2014 - Nov 2018 (4 years 3 months)

Oversaw corporate talent management and recruitment, implemented performance management and development programs, created the company intern program, and coached leaders on HR and compliance issues.

Talent Management Recruitment Performance Management Coaching Compliance Succession Planning

Employee Relations Manager

Advance America

Jan 2012 - Aug 2014 (2 years 7 months)

Advised field management on employee relations, performance management, and investigations; managed severance requests and partnered with counsel on EEOC and third-party agency responses.

Employee Relations Investigation Performance Management Severance HR Advisory