MJ Brodie

they/them


Remote VA/VBM and all-round organisational nerdPart-time Etsy crafter

Experience

Your VA & Freelance

Virtual Assistant / Virtual Business Manager

  • Executive Administration

  • Process documentation and improvement

  • Project management

October 2022 – present

iwantmyname (acquired by CentralNic in 2019)

Customer Success Manager (Retail)

  • Acted as a brand ambassador for the iwantmyname brand within the wider CentralNic umbrella

  • People management of a small team as well as workload management of staff from the wider group being cross-trained to provide support backup

  • Tracked ticketing system data including CSAT scores and followed up with negative customer ratings as appropriate to try to resolve the issue to the customer’s satisfaction

  • Created and maintained internal and external documentation that was easy to understand

  • Worked in conjunction with the Engineering team to identify and prioritise system bugs, potential improvements, and customer feature requests, and placing these on the roadmap

October 2021 – August 2022

Customer Supporter

  • Quickly resolved customer questions or issues with a compassionate and empathetic approach

  • Managed escalations including complex customer queries and GDPR/Privacy Act requests

  • Proactive and reactive identification and investigation of potential fraud

  • Enforced strict customer identification procedures and stayed alert to attempts at social engineering to ensure customer security, as well as educating customers on digital security

  • Was the operational subject matter expert when migrating ticketing systems, ensuring that existing processes were updated as necessary, and that continuity was maintained

  • Participated in continuous process improvement by generating suggestions, engaging in problem-solving activities to support teamwork

August 2018 – October 2021

New Zealand Racing Board (via H2R Consulting)

Contractor [temporary role]

  • Responsibility for remuneration review process development, including financial modelling of different scenarios to distribute the overall remuneration review budget to employees at varying positions in their salary bands, and analysing and cleansing complex payroll data

  • Development of technical tools in Google Suite for managers to review and allocate their remuneration review budgets within company guidelines

  • Coordinated process improvement initiatives in the payroll space, including legislation compliance and process documentation

  • Undertook thorough gender pay gap analysis to identify areas in which pay parity could be improved, and wrote a paper for the Board

July 2017 – December 2017;
February 2018 – March 2018;
August 2018 – October 2018

Advanced Management Services (AMS)

Contractor [temporary role]

  • Built Standard Operating Procedures for existing outsource clients, and a template for new clients, in conjunction with subject matter experts

  • Created a tool for the sales team to use when bringing on a new client to scope the workload required, in order to apply a consistent pricing model

  • Built and maintained SOPs for ad hoc payroll relief work, documenting existing in-house processes and training AMS Outsource team members

  • Created a streamlined process for new system implementations

November 2016 – June 2017

Department of Corrections

Payroll Adviser – Process Improvement

  • Seconded to Payroll Improvements Team Leader role for seven weeks to cover leave

  • Provided expert payroll advice and services to employees and managers on a range of issues

  • Developed and implemented a number of improved processes, including the development, testing, and implementation of a suite of automated communications to employees and/or managers based on audit triggers within the payroll system

May 2015 –
November 2016

New Zealand Post

Payroll Support Analyst (process improvement)

  • Started and coordinated a method for collating, assessing, and implementing business improvement initiatives and suggestions from the Payroll team

  • Led concurrent business improvement initiatives, including planning, cost benefit analysis, coordination, and implementation

July 2014 –
April 2015

Payroll & Customer Contact Specialist [secondment]

  • Strong recruitment, selection and team leadership of three teams in order to ensure successful completion of the project

  • Developed a range of robust processes and procedures for customer contact teams

  • Successfully managed implementation of outsourced call centre and data analysis, developing phone scripts and escalation processes and training operators on project-specific legislation

  • Drafted and developed communications to managers, current employees, former employees, and families of deceased former employees that coherently explained the reasons money was owed to them and the process for claiming

  • Heavily involved in designing, testing, and implementing a bespoke application to facilitate cleansing of payroll data in order to recalculate leave payments for current and former employees back to 2004

August 2013 –
July 2014

Payroll Support Analyst

  • Supervision of a small team (1-3 staff), including workload management and training

  • Highest escalation point for complex queries, as well as day-to-day customer service

  • Played a pivotal role in integrating a subsidiary company’s payroll into the NZ Post environment

  • Created and revised clear, comprehensive processes, procedures, induction processes, training documentation, and competency frameworks

November 2011 – August 2013

Canterbury District Health Board

Customer Services Officer (Payroll)

  • Responded promptly, accurately and courteously to queries and requests

  • Developed and maintained a centralised process manual for all HR Shared Services staff

April 2011 – November 2011

Payroll Officer

  • Interpreted and extended employee timesheets, exception sheets and leave forms for a portfolio of approximately 800 staff over two pay runs

November 2009 – April 2011

Education

Te Ara Reo Māori (He Pī ka Pao) Levels 1 & 2
Te Wānanga o Aotearoa

Expected:
November 2023

Certificate in Business Studies
Massey University

Completed:
August 2017

Skills

Software

  • Highly experienced: Google Workspace suite, LastPass, 1Password, Sift, Slack, TextExpander, Zendesk

  • Experienced: Basecamp, Clickup, Clockify, Confluence, Desk.com, Droplr, HiBob, JIRA, Microsoft Office suite, OTRS, Sibelius, YNAB, Zoom

Communication and Customer Service

  • Skilled at delivering messages in a clear, customer-appropriate, and sensitive manner

  • Proven ability to engage effectively with internal and external stakeholders and maintain strong relationships with clients

  • Expertise in resolving escalated customer service issues, with a reputation for dealing successfully with difficult customers and preventing situations from escalating by explaining complex scenarios clearly, and with empathy and understanding

  • Clear and effective communicator who can present complex information across mediums in an accessible way

Analysis/Technical Skills

  • Experienced with bespoke reporting tools in conjunction with Excel and/or Google Sheets

  • Development of several highly successful methods for analysing and reporting on the performance of in-house and outsourced teams

  • Proficient in HTML/CSS coding and WordPress CMS

  • Comfortable with searching, reading, and understanding New Zealand legislation, and applying it as required

Process Improvement

  • Experience with, and a keen interest in, process improvement as well as change and project management

  • Vast experience with process documentation, both from scratch and collating existing documentation into a comprehensive, ‘one source of the truth’ document that could be easily followed by existing and onboarding team members, as well as induction and training manuals

Personal Attributes

  • Dedicated, versatile professional who strives for excellence in all work undertaken

  • Keen and relentless learner who actively seeks new opportunities and can hit the ground running

  • Proven ability to anticipate and adjust for both expected and unforeseen roadblocks

  • Ability to work well and keep calm under time constraints and strict processing deadlines

VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE

Rostering, Co-Chapter Head
Good Bitches Baking

November 2017 – September 2020

Pitch Coach, Mentor, Facilitator
Startup Weekend

January 2017 –
present

Management Committee
Wellington Women’s House

April 2013 –
October 2014

HOBBIES & INTERESTS

  • An ardent (and very competitive!) quiz night attendee

  • An enthusiastic musician, playing the cello and bass guitar as well as composition

  • Love to get involved in Startup Weekends and similar events, with a focus on pitch coaching

  • A keen traveller, including Australia, USA, Italy, various Pacific Islands, and the Philippines – more of Europe is next on my bucket list!

  • Enjoy vintage/retro styling, and like to sew some of my own clothes

  • Enjoy flying – I grew up on an airfield in the middle of a river!

  • A Dungeons & Dragons nerd with an ongoing campaign

  • An avid reader of just about any genre, especially historical fiction and graphic novels

  • Love cooking and baking and will find any excuse to do so!