Nov 2022 – May 2023 · 6 mos

• Used time to sign up, train, and complete the Providence Marathon
• Committed myself to Track Tuesdays with the Heartbreakers and began to attend more programming put on by the Trailblazhers.
• Became a regular patron of my local library. Which in turn reinvigorated my love of reading. Reading over 50 novels
• Picked up new interests in F1 racing
• Doubled down on my interest in Bravo, it was the perfect time for the Scandavol to hit. #iykyk

Mar 2021 – Nov 2022 · 1 yr 8 mos

• Collaborated with Product Owners to ensure that the features and products that were built on our platform (python, react, and angular) were released to production met high quality standards. Through the testing and review cycles, provided usability feedback to ensure that end users had the best experience possible. Included deep testing of micro-services and 3rd party API connections (AWS, Snowflake, DocuSign, Plaid, Looker, SBA, Workato)
• Created documentation templates for feature write ups. Ensured that content was both thorough and ingestible for non-technical employees who faced questions from our client base and created a centralized location for relevant artifacts.
• Served as a trusted resource to address prod issues escalated by Support. Decoded challenging customer tickets which described a perceived issue with limited context. Compared factual information found in the error and debug logs to experiences that were reproducible in testing environments. Utilized Sigma to extrapolate data out of all production databases to determine breadth and depth of an issue.
• Managed & built the QA dept from scratch, creating a team mission/identity. Guided the Analysts through test plans creation. Provided training on the platform code and microservices, how to identify changes that may create downstream issues, and how to properly escalate observed unexpected behaviors.
• Created a formalized QA test plan process, starting with discussions with PO and sr devs to determine who was responsible for various aspects of testing and identifying functions/features to be added to the QA regression suite.
• Assisted in the cutting, tagging, and pushing of releases via Semaphore and Jenikins. This process included reviewing the Release Dashboard to determine all stories/bugs scheduled for the release were merged in by the predetermined deadline. Worked with POs whose teams may be behind schedule to determine if the cut would be delayed or if there would be iterations.

Jun 2019 – Mar 2021 · 1 yr 9 mos

• Business Analyst
• Proactively communicated and collaborated with external bank clients and partners to analyze data needs and functional requirements for the execution of each implementation and client engagement. When discussions uncovered criteria that would potentially prevent a UAT sign off, Project Managers were alerted and able to reset expectations with the clients by either rescoping or updating timeline projections.
• Worked closely with Engineering in delivering enterprise-level solutions to customers through problem solving, testing, and code delivery. Conducted workflow and functionality gap analysis to ensure that customers were receiving a full end-to-end experience they were expecting. Dug into the various iterations a workflow may take, so that all common real world outcomes were accounted for in the designs.
• Via DataGrip, navigated through instance's databases. Using SQL reviewed configuration, updated settings, and pulled data as needed.
• Subject Matter Expert:
• Go-to on the team for designing and implementing bank credit policies, which encompass both eligibility filters and real time decisioning paths. Additionally, became well versed in Reg B compliance, particularly as it relates to AANs

Mar 2017 – May 2021 · 4 yrs 2 mos

Dec 2015 – May 2019 · 3 yrs 5 mos

• This position had previously been held by an individual for over 3 decades. Which meant that the process of assigning students to endowment funds and monitoring their disbursements was primed for an overhaul. I had the benefit of shadowing my predecessor to understand the why behind their system. With that information in mind, I was able to redesign a heavily paper based process, which relied on help from student workers and levy my deep understanding of Excel to allow for the process to be covered by just myself. Ranking systems were established to make sure that the hardest to match funds were completed first, avoiding having to reassign and swapping students from one fund to another.
• Works closely with the Recording Secretary's Office with regards to the creation and maintenance of endowed scholarship funds, which included providing data to for litigious efforts to remove restrictions on funds that were un-spendable, and therefore not helping the mission of the institution to make education affordable.
• Assigned students to approx. 1,200 funds based on criteria set by the donors to help fund the MIT need-based scholarship program. Criteria ranged from areas of study, ethnicity, geographic regions, alumni ties, and beyond. These funds support about 66% the overall scholarship program, which requires strategy to maximize the matching systems to alleviate the need to rely on the GIB.
• Completed a full reconciliation of the scholarship funds for the year end fiscal close, which requires close work with both IT and Accounting staffs. Tools used: Excel, SAP
• Became a liaison with the Government and Community Office to assist with designing a scholarship fund that would be available to Cambridge residents, who were not attending MIT.
• Participates in the Payment Plan/Billing and Communication Committees. Where we evaluated practices/procedures with the mission to improve the service and experiences individuals received from SFS

Nov 2014 – Nov 2015 · 1 yr · Greater Boston Area

• Monitors over 40 external sites who receive pass through federal grant funds. This requires in depth review of monthly and quarterly invoices to determine that expenses are considered programmatically relevant, reasonable, allowable, and within the framework of federal policies as it applies to GAAP accounting, A-122 regulations, and individual government agency rulings.
• Develops budgets with Program Directors during the proposal application process. Assists in reviewing that all functions and needs are accounted for based on the body of work that the project hopes to achieve. Once budget framework has been agreed upon, it is designed and formatted to the funder’s specifications.
• Guides budget managers through the Annual Fiscal Budget process. Using Adaptive Planning software creates a draft budget that through discussions will be polished, and presented, to senior management for approval.
• Coordinates the creation of federal contracts for professional services and sub-grantees. Reviews original federal grant specifications to determine what needs to be included and passed onto the vendors.
• Point of contact for program managers as it relates to all compliance questions. Attends federal webinars and trainings to keep up with newest guidelines and regulations. Triages complex and unique issues to the Compliance Director or federally contracted Compliance Coaches provided by granting agencies.
• Designs and presents webinars aimed to educate partner institutions on accounting and compliance as it relates to federal regulations for multi-million dollar, multi-year federal grants.
• Develops internal tools to provide program staff additional resources to understand federal compliance regulations as it applies to allowable expenses.

Aug 2014 – Dec 2015 · 1 yr 4 mos

• Reviews and scores student applications for the College Match program (Fall) and College Prep program (spring). Applications consist of both academic achievement and financial information.

Feb 2012 – Nov 2014 · 2 yrs 9 mos

• Counsels students and families on complicated financial options to ensure they understand how financing options affect them in the short and long term
• Analyzes federal regulations to ensure that the school stays in compliance of Title IX funding rules and families receive all their entitled government assistance
• Reviews applications and awards funding based on government and internal methodologies to ensure fairness and equity for all those who matriculate.
• Works with several state education departments to coordinate the certification, disbursement, and payment of state grants for eligible students

Jan 2010 – Feb 2012 · 2 yrs 1 mo

• • Assisted with triaging and advising on all areas encompassed by the office. This included, but was not limited to: financial aid, billing, registration, and transportation needs.

Oct 2009 – Dec 2013 · 4 yrs 2 mos

Feb 2007 – Jan 2010 · 2 yrs 11 mos

• Counseled students and recent graduates on fcurrent financial aid options and post-graduation repayment options. Discussing long and short term impacts of the financial options.
• Created and maintained web pages to provide office policy information to the community in clear formats and everyday vernacular
• Created and maintained surveys and databases used to track data submitted by alumni to ensure policies were interpreted properly
• Created and maintained databases to track data from exterior offices to provie students with complete information of their billing and registration process.
• Analyzed files to determine financial eligibility for various programs
• Presented and coordinated workshops related to financial literacy
• Assisted in loan certification process and monitored billing throughout the academic year

Sep 2006 – Feb 2007 · 5 mos

• • Assisted six brokers by acting as the point of contact, helped maintain multi-million dollar books of clients, which includes administrating corporate stock option programs

Jan 2002 – Jan 2006 · 4 yrs

• TMS was the external payment plan provider for over 1800 colleges, universities, and private k-12 educational institutions. Peak enrollment season was over the summer months, where the call queue could easily reach over a 60 minutes wait. As a Customer Care Representative, I learned to be attentive, yet efficient, as I would guide parents through the process of financing their child's educational costs. I quickly learned how to interpret financial aid letters and bills sight unseen by parents who were in over their heads. It was also in this job that I was first exposed to difficult conversations over late fees, bounce check fees, and student account holds due to payment plans not quite covering the actual costs owed to the institutions.
• Received company wide acknowledgements for averaging the most phone calls completed
• Assisted families with understanding payment option for private k - 12 and post-secondary institutions, enrolling them in payment plans that fit their needs
• Counseled on loan options and, for certain programs, pre-approved lenders
• Researched problem accounts, i.e. missing checks, bank errors, etc