Senior Compensation Analyst

PAULA E. DAWSON-LEWIS

*** ********** *****, ****** ******, MI 49441

Home 231-***-****, Cell 231-***-****

********@*****.***

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Human Resources Manager with over 20 years of comprehensive human resources experience including compensation, benefits, recruitment, staff relations, labor relations and change management. Proven experience collaborating with senior management and executives to conduct Human Resource strategic planning to support corporate goals and initiatives. Possess broad knowledge of human resource practices in a variety of union and non-union environments and public, private, government, healthcare, wholesale distributor, and manufacturing environments. Demonstrated experience initiating and implementing strategic initiatives and cost saving strategies with proven skills in applying federal and state regulations, organizational policies and practices.

Experience In:

Compensation & Benefits Design Operations Management Staff/Labor Relations

Training & Development Policy Design/Administration EEO Compliance

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

Herman Miller, Inc., Zeeland, MI 2007 - Present

Senior Compensation Analyst. International furniture manufacturer with over 5,000 exempt and nonexempt U.S. employees. Serves as compensation consultant to the organizations division’s management and human resource departments. Ensures the organizations compliance with federal regulations. Conduct market pricing analysis.

 Automated the reward and recognition forms and electronic signature approval process.

 Improved the annual salary increase recommendation reporting data for better board compensation decision making.

 Served on various project teams to improve the efficiency of the organizations processes and the implementation of various human resource strategies.

 Successfully evaluated and implemented pay changes for over 100 employees within four months to ensure the consistent titling across all campuses.

 Collaborates with hiring departments to make attractive new hire offer pay rates.

 Evaluated and recommended organizational compensation cost savings strategies.

Gordon Food Service, Grand Rapids, MI 2003 – 2007

Senior Compensation Analyst. Over 100 year old privately held international wholesale food distributor and retailer with over 8,000 exempt and nonexempt employees. Developed and implemented complex compensation base pay and incentive programs requiring a global analytical perspective. Utilized crystal reports to create ad-hoc reporting and ensured the organization’s compliance with federal and state regulations and provided compensation data for OFCCP audits.

 Developed and implemented formal market pricing concept compensation practices and policies for all divisions where compensation guidelines did not exist.

 Developed, modeled and implemented director, management, professional and administrative incentive guidelines and scorecard.

 Developed salary administration and various other human resource policies.

 Developed, implemented and published a standard job description format for all divisions.

 Provided direction to the vendor for the implementation of a web based compensation module for the performance management program and developed the compensation training tool for the compensation module.

 Served as subject matter expert for the regulatory requirement for the implementation of the organizations new time and attendance system and the implementation of the new FLSA regulations.

PAULA E. DAWSON-LEWIS Page -2-

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE: (Continued)

Gordon Food Service (Continued)

 Revised the organizations total compensation statement so that employees understood the true cost of their wage and benefit offerings.

 Served as the compensation subject matter expert for the migration of the HRIS to the latest release.

 Researched and compiled data for executive decision making on new facility site location.

 Provide data for SOX compliance to internal audit staff.

Spectrum Health, Grand Rapids, MI 2000 - 2003

Senior Compensation Analyst. Healthcare organization with over 8,000 employees. Developed, implemented and evaluated market pricing based compensation programs for the health system. Collaborated with recruitment to ensure attractive and equitable new hire offers and used crystal reports to create ad-hoc reports.

 Successfully collaborated with executive staff to implement compensation initiatives.

 Successfully modeled and implemented a one time internal equity program for the entire health system to alleviate salary compression.

 Developed and published a job evaluation process flowchart to ensure management’s understanding of the job evaluation process.

 Developed a compensation database to track requests and improve the department’s turnaround time and efficiency.

 Served as compensation subject matter expert for the migration of the D&B mainframe system to Lawson’s HRIS windows based platform.

 Collaborated with IT on the enhancement of compensation initiatives within the HRIS system.

Kent County, Grand Rapids, MI 1999 - 2000

Human Resource Specialist II. County government with 3,000 employees. Researched human resource issues and prepared reports and recommendations for use by County administrators and officials for informed decision making. Utilized crystal reports to create ad-hoc reports.

 Rewrote the organization’s over 10 year old benefit orientation presentation materials.

 Analyzed a major vendor’s prescription drug proposal and developed a recommendation that the County Commissioners accepted.

 Conducted point factor based job analysis of major departments and developed position and wage recommendations that the County Commissioners approved.

 Served on the project team to test and migrate compensation and benefit data from the D&B mainframe system to PeopleSoft’s HRIS windows based platform.

 Developed training materials and conducted performance management training.

Chicago Housing Authority, Chicago, IL 1996 – 1999

Manager, Compensation & Benefits. Governmental entity with over 5,000 employees. Supervised a staff of 6. Managed, directed and administered point factor based and benefit plans in compliance with internal policies, procedures and regulatory requirements in a unionized environment. Collaborated with Procurement to develop health and welfare RFP’s. Negotiated cost savings on premium renewals and improved benefit plans. Developed performance evaluation tools, training materials and trained management staff on the performance evaluation process.

 Successfully negotiated with unions and implemented a new job evaluation system within four months of hire.

 Successfully negotiated and implemented health and welfare rates and benefit offerings with vendors.

 Developed promotion, demotion and equity adjustment guidelines and other human resource policies and guidelines.

 Developed a bench strength program for the organizations Property Managers.

PAULA E. DAWSON-LEWIS Page -3-

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE: (Continued)

Chicago Housing Authority (Continued)

 Successfully served on the project team as the compensation and benefits subject matter expert to and lead the team that tested the compensation and benefit module for the implementation of the Advantage Human Resource Management (AHRM) HRIS windows platform migration from AHRM mainframe HRIS system.

 Successfully served on the project team for the implementation of a new time and attendance system.

 Successfully developed and implemented the organizations new hire pay guidelines to assist the recruiting function in meeting its recruitment goals.

Grant Thornton LLP, Chicago, IL 1990 - 1996

Human Resource Generalist. 85 year old international accounting and management consulting firm with over 5,000 employees. Supervised staff of 1. Administered the firm’s compensation and benefit programs, staff relations activities and recruited staff for the division. Conducted new hire orientation and employee exit interviews.

 Improved the perception of the human resources function within the division.

 Successfully collaborated with management on staff relations issues.

Accounting/Payroll Coordinator. Managed the organization’s payroll function and the payment of all of the organizations federal, state and local tax reporting and filings and reconciled the organizations health and welfare general ledgers. Served as payroll consultant to all of the divisions payroll department.

 Successfully reconciled the partner’s expense reports within one month of submission with 100% accuracy.

 Successfully provided financial data for the organization budgeting process.

Human Resource Specialist. Served as the subject matter expert for the organization’s retirement plan, administered the organizations COBRA plan and conducted the organizations EEO reporting.

 Received the organizations “Pride Through Performance” recognition award for the successful transfer, accounting and reconciliation of the firm’s retirement plan assets from one vendor to another with 100% accuracy.

 Accurately prepared working papers for the auditors to use in auditing the organizations retirement plan and provided data for the firm’s 5500 reporting.

Chicago Title & Trust, Chicago, IL 1988 - 1990

Account Manager. Over 150 year old national title and trust company with over 5,000 employees. Provided work direction to staff of 1. Conducted investment accounting for numerous client 401(k), profit sharing and pension retirement plans.

 Maintained positive working relationship with 19 clients simultaneously.

 Accurately conducted monthly, quarterly and client annual plan valuations.

 Invested client retirement contributions, and distributed client loans, hardship withdrawal and termination funds.

EDUCATION & PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

Loyola University, Chicago, IL

Bachelors of Business Administration, Human Resources

WorldatWork Currently pursuing CCP certification

Review and critique manuscripts and articles for publication in WorldatWork’s monthly and quarterly professional compensation magazines.

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