Operations & Projects Leader - Admin Specialist

Kari Pederson

Operations Management Project Management Administrative Specialist

612-***-**** • *********@*****.***

Summary

Seasoned Administrator with many years of experience in office administration and project management. Proven track record in enhancing operational efficiency and fostering collaborative work environments. Known for being direct, detail-oriented, self-reliant, and objective, excelling in stable and supportive settings. Key Achievements

Strategic Policy Development: Enhanced operational efficiency and compliance at the Department of Microbiology & Immunology by applying a direct and rigorous approach to strategic policy development and administration. Multicultural Event Organization: Promoted DEAI initiatives at the Department of Gender, Women, & Sexuality Studies by organizing multicultural events and supporting diverse student groups, demonstrating a considerate and perceptive leadership style.

Project Management: Shepherded 8 promotion & tenure processes through to completion and managed an Academic Program Review for Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies in 2017. Initiated the use of both Slack and Asana at a departmental level for more efficient office communications and project management. Experience

Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Medical School Jan 2022 - Dec 2024 Department Chief of Staff Led strategic policy development and administration for the department, enhancing operational efficiency and compliance.

Collaborated with faculty PIs on pre-award tasks, serving as a liaison with the Medical School's grants team and project manager for the grants process.

Served as Project Lead in the Department's IT conversion and maintained compliance for NIH grants. Supervised a team of 8 full-time employees and 2 student workers, fostering a collaborative work environment. Worked with diverse groups to implement grant-supported fellowships for underrepresented minorities. Department of Gender, Women, & Sexuality Studies Aug 2016 - Dec 2021 Department Administrator Enhanced policy clarity and transparency through strategic planning and procedure refinement. Organized multicultural events and supported diverse student groups, promoting DEAI initiatives. Supervised staff and student employees, managing HR functions for a department of over 40 people. Assisted faculty with the development of grant proposals and management of grants to support their research goals and/or community projects which involved marginalized and diverse populations. Office of Undergraduate Education June 2011 - Aug 2016 Resource Coordinator Managed 177 scholarship funds, streamlining financial preparation and document management. Provided expert support on University policies and procedures, facilitating efficient office operations. As Project Manager for CLA, I coordinated access to University systems, enhancing workflow and data management.

University of Minnesota Testing Center Sep 2005 - Jun 2011 Exam Center Coordinator Coordinated high-stakes exams, ensuring smooth operations and compliance with testing standards. Operated the Center’s internal sales and oversaw the installation of a new registration and POS system.

Supervised part-time staff, optimizing resource use and maintaining detailed records. Generated reports to improve resource efficiency and support decision-making processes. Skills

Administrative Management, Collaborative Work Environment, Staff Supervision, Document Preparations and data entry, Human Resources, ServiceNow, Project Management, Grant Writing, Grant Applications, Research Funding Proposal Management, Microsoft Office Suite including Excel and Powerpoint, Google Suite, Asana, Slack, Salesforce, Tableau

Education

University of Minnesota English, B.A.

Languages

French, Conversational