Jean Herard

SHRM-CP-certified People leader with 10+ years of progressive experience across human resources, talent acquisition, workforce development, learning and development, employee relations, performance management, and organizational leadership in the United States and Japan. Built an HR function from the ground up for a 140+ employee multi-site organization, led regional people development and workforce support for approximately 500–750 employees at peak in Japan, and earlier directed a 15-person workforce-development team. Trusted adviser to executives, operating leaders, school districts, managers, and employees; equally comfortable setting strategy and working directly on recruiting, investigations, payroll, policy, systems, and day-to-day execution.

HR Director - Japan Village / Sunrise Mart Ecosystem - New York, NY

(2023-03 - 2025-12)

Held the senior HR role and served as the primary People adviser to the CEO, COO, CFO, regional leaders, general managers, and operating managers across a multicultural, multi-site workforce of 140+ employees.

• Professionalized the HR operating model across recruiting, onboarding, employee relations, investigations, performance management, compensation, leave, HRIS, compliance, policy, records, and offboarding.
• Reengineered recruiting and candidate-management workflows across frontline, professional, supervisory, and management roles, reducing average time-to-hire by approximately 40%.
• Introduced more consistent performance-management practices, including coaching, evaluations, performance improvement plans, corrective action, documentation standards, and manager training.
• Led sensitive workplace investigations and advised on discipline, separations, wage-and-hour concerns, documentation, risk, and practical application of federal, NYS, and NYC employment requirements.
• Partnered with finance, payroll, managers, and vendors on compensation, pay changes, timekeeping, benefits, leave, employee data, and payroll-related issues; improved HRIS and workforce-reporting practices.
• Supported the launch and integration of new business units by aligning staffing, job expectations, reporting relationships, onboarding, policies, compensation practices, and training.
• Identified and developed employees for expanded responsibility, strengthened knowledge transfer, and built systems and documentation intended to support continuity beyond any single HR leader.

Training & Learning Development Manager - Interac West Co. Ltd. - Japan

(2014-01 - 2022-03)

Led regional training, employee development, performance support, staffing continuity, and cross-cultural workforce initiatives.

• Held regional people-management responsibility for approximately 500–750 employees at peak across school districts and client institutions, while supporting programs within a broader network of thousands of educators.
• Interviewed and evaluated overseas candidates for placement in regions under my responsibility and supported international employees through relocation, onboarding, cultural adjustment, performance, and development.
• Designed and delivered new-hire orientation, professional-development programs, annual training, workshops, learning resources, and performance-support tools for geographically dispersed employees.
• Coached and developed high-potential employees; individuals who developed under my leadership later advanced into district-management roles outside my immediate jurisdiction.
• Advised executives, Boards of Education, school administrators, institutional clients, managers, and employees on staffing, performance, employee concerns, development priorities, and cross-cultural workplace issues.
• Handled complex employee-relations and performance matters while balancing company standards, employee concerns, Japanese client expectations, cultural context, and long-term institutional relationships.
• Remained a hands-on leader, stepping into frontline assignments when shortages or urgent staffing needs required coverage; rebuilt major training delivery for virtual operation during COVID-19.

Administrative Program Supervisor - Services for the Underserved, Inc. - New York, NY

(2013-02 - 2014-02)

Led multi-site program operations, staffing, training, investigations, documentation, and compliance within publicly funded supportive-housing and human-services programs tied to ~ $500K in government funding.

• Coached managers and staff on performance, corrective action, conflict, safety, service continuity, and culturally responsive workplace practices.

Director of Supported Employment - Contemporary Guidance Services, Inc. - New York, NY

(2008-01 - 2012-01)

Directed and developed a 15-person team of career counselors serving 200+ participants across New York City; established performance expectations, coaching practices, quality controls, and workload standards.

• Built employer partnerships that helped produce 80+ competitive job placements annually and maintained a 100% audit success rate across four years under Medicaid and ACCES-VR requirements.

International Workforce Development - Haitian American Caucus - Haiti

(2012-01 - 2012-12)

Developed job-readiness and vocational programs and trained local administrators to sustain program delivery.

M.S. - Organizational Leadership (Human Resources) - Quinnipiac University

B.A. - Psychology - State University of New York at Albany