Melissa Gianotto

Accomplished, SHRM-SCP certified Human Resources Professional with over 15 years of experience bridging the gap between corporate strategy and plant-floor operations. Proven expertise in full-cycle HR management within high-volume environments, including strategic recruitment, multi-cycle payroll administration, and complex employee relations. Collaborative leader with a track record of ensuring 100% compliance with OSHA, federal, and state regulations while leveraging data and P&L management to drive talent development, labor optimization, and workforce retention.

Human Resources Generalist (Full-Cycle) - Aptar - Eatontown, NJ

(2021-09)

• Direct the entire employee journey for a high-volume manufacturing site, overseeing strategic workforce planning, talent acquisition, onboarding, performance management, and offboarding.
• Lead end-to-end recruitment for diverse manufacturing, engineering, and corporate roles; manage candidate sourcing, structured behavioral interviewing, and selection utilizing SAP SuccessFactors.
• Own the end-to-end administration of weekly and bi-weekly production payroll cycles, maintaining a 100% accuracy rate across wage calculations, shift differentials, complex deductions, and tax withholdings using Ceridian Dayforce and ADP.
• Serve as the primary liaison for temporary staffing agencies and industrial HR vendors, negotiating contract labor agreements and managing "temp-to-perm" conversions to optimize site headcount.
• Oversee the administration of FMLA, STD, LTD, and Workers' Compensation, ensuring total compliance through meticulous auditing of personnel records and state-specific labor regulations.
• Serve as the lead investigator for plant-floor disputes and conflict resolution, providing expert coaching to shift supervisors and managers on disciplinary actions and Performance Improvement Plans (PIPs).
• Track and analyze plant HR KPIs—including retention trends, turnover rates, and headcount—to deliver actionable data insights to plant and executive leadership.
• Act as the site "Safety Champion," partnering with EHS to drive a proactive safety culture, reduce incident rates, and lead diversity and inclusion (D&I) initiatives to measurably enhance morale.

District Manager (Multi-Site Operations) - Plow and Hearth - Old Bridge, NJ

(2017-02 - 2021-09)

• Directed all operational, personnel, and HR functions for a multi-unit territory, managing a dedicated team of merchandisers and inventory planners to ensure brand excellence.
• Managed full District Profit & Loss (P&L) statements, identifying cost-saving opportunities and optimizing labor budgets to drive regional profitability.
• Accelerated regional revenue by 12% during pandemic constraints by strategically pivoting brick-and-mortar operations to an e-commerce model and optimizing inventory lifecycles.
• Orchestrated all district-level recruitment, interviewing, hiring, and training programs, ensuring consistent talent pipelines and high performance standards across all locations.
• Acted as the final point of escalation for complex personnel and customer issues, resolving disputes while protecting brand integrity.

General Manager - Party City - Woodbridge, NJ

(2015-09 - 2017-01)

• Exercised full accountability for store-level P&L, focusing strictly on labor management and inventory control to exceed established sales targets.
• Led recruitment, hiring, and comprehensive onboarding for sales associates, fostering a high-performance culture through target-driven coaching and daily team huddles.

General Manager - Gymboree - Eatontown, NJ

(2008-09 - 2015-09)

• Managed all personnel functions, including high-volume hiring, performance management, scheduling, and conflict resolution for a dedicated sales team.
• Analyzed performance reports and financial data to drive store sales, control labor costs, and improve customer satisfaction metrics.