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Sabrina Michaelis

@sabrinamichaelis

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Senior HR/People leader driving equitable, mission-aligned people strategy and culture.

United States

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What I'm looking for

I am seeking senior HR/people leadership roles or consulting where I can drive mission-aligned strategy, scale HR systems, coach leaders, and embed equitable, data-informed people practices.

I am a senior HR and people leader with 15+ years of progressive experience building equitable, trust-based workplaces across nonprofit, healthcare, and education sectors. I have led remote and distributed teams, scaled HR systems, implemented HRIS/ATS solutions, and driven DEI initiatives while ensuring legal compliance and risk management.

As a consultant and former VP of People & Culture, I have improved engagement, retention, and time-to-hire through redesigned performance management, compensation strategies, talent acquisition, and data-driven HR metrics. I coach mid- and senior-level leaders, partner with executives and boards on strategic workforce decisions, and embed values-driven practices to align people, processes, and purpose.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Current

Principal HR Consultant

Current

Michaelis HR Consulting Group, LLC

Jan 2023 - Present (2 years 10 months)

Advise small-to-midsize organizations across education technology, nonprofits, and startups on people strategies, coaching leaders, and implementing HR processes that improve engagement and organizational alignment.

HR strategy Leadership Coaching Talent Strategy Performance Management HRIS Implementation DEI Employee Engagement Change Management

Vice President, People & Culture

New Teacher Center

Jul 2019 - Aug 2022 (3 years 1 month)

Led People & Culture for a 100% remote national workforce, overhauled performance and compensation systems to raise engagement scores by 10 points and improved retention and time-to-hire through recruitment redesign.

Talent Acquisition Compensation Strategy Performance Management Employee Engagement DEI & Compliance

Director, Human Resources

New Teacher Center

Jul 2015 - Jul 2019 (4 years)

Oversaw HR operations including compliance, recruitment, onboarding, and benefits; launched the first engagement survey and co-led system implementations to scale HR for distributed teams.

HR Operations Employee Engagement Onboarding Recruitment HRIS & Compliance Change Management

Manager, Human Resources

Dignity Health

Jul 2004 - Jul 2015 (11 years)

Directed HR operations for a hospital workforce focusing on California employment law, union relations, workforce planning, and engagement initiatives to strengthen retention and compliance.

Workforce Planning Employee Relations & Compliance Succession Planning

Senior HR Generalist

IONA Technologies

Oct 2001 - Nov 2002 (1 year 1 month)

Served as primary HR business partner for 500+ employees supporting performance management, talent acquisition, total rewards, and organizational redesign in partnership with global HR.

Talent Acquisition Performance Management Total Rewards Organizational Design HR Business Partnering Employee Engagement

Senior HR Generalist

Workscape, Inc.

Oct 2000 - Oct 2001 (1 year)

Advised management on complex employee relations, led full-cycle recruiting including immigration compliance, and conducted compensation and equity analyses during organizational change.

Employee Relations Recruiting Compensation Analysis Performance Improvement

Human Resources Manager

eCoverage, Inc.

Jul 1999 - Sep 2000 (1 year 2 months)

Built HR infrastructure for a startup, implemented recruitment and onboarding programs, and managed benefits and new hire training to align people practices with business goals.

Startup HR Recruitment Onboarding Benefits Administration Training Team Management

Human Resources Generalist

CSE Insurance Group, Inc.

Jul 1996 - Jul 1999 (3 years)

Provided generalist HR support including recruitment, employee relations, and benefits administration across the organization to support operational HR needs.

Recruiting Employee Relations Benefits Administration Onboarding HR Operations

Human Resources Administrator

HR Options, Inc.

Jan 1993 - Jan 1996 (3 years)

Delivered HR administrative support including payroll/benefits coordination and employee record management to maintain compliant HR operations for clients.

HR & Administration Payroll Management Benefits Records Management & Compliance Client Services

Education

Degrees, certifications, and relevant coursework

Santa Clara University

Bachelor of Science, Psychology

Completed a Bachelor of Science in Psychology focusing on human behavior and organizational factors applicable to HR practice.

HR Certification Institute (HRCI)

SPHR (certification), Human Resources

Earned the Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) certification demonstrating advanced knowledge of HR management and strategic workforce planning.