Melissa Nielsen

Supported the systems and software needs of a rapidly growing organization and provided with software development, stakeholder engagement, change management, and planning

Implemented departmental ticketing systems using Jira and ASP.Net Core:

• Finance department: after ticket system implementation, payment time for vendor invoices was reduced by 85%
  Operations department: staffing needs in the operations department were reduced due to increased departmental coordination
• Redeveloped the ETL protocol for critical incident reporting data
• Developed dashboards in PowerBI and MongoDB Charts with extensive stakeholder input
• Improved software efficiency by troubleshooting and resolving coding issues.
• Saved time and resources by identifying and fixing bugs before product deployment.

Managed waste composition studies for municipalities and regional districts across British Columbia. Tasks included:

• Created data collection methodologies to understand the garbage and recycling composition
• Hired, coordinated, and managed employees to collect and sort waste into hundreds of categories at facilities across the region
• Created, managed, and iterated on data collection systems
• Completed data analysis and created visualizations
• Reporting on analyzed data and ongoing trends

Completed data-focused projects including:

• Auditing and analysis of performance of machine-learning software for identification of contamination in garbage and recycling streams;
• Survey creation for Canadian ports on garbage and recycling handling practices.

Assessed new developments to confirm adherence with municipal/regional waste and recycling codes.

Created team management tools to improve team planning and functioning, including:

• An excel-based team tool to manage annual budget planning and track ongoing spending for the installation of garbage and recycling receptacles; and
• A reporting tool using a web form for sponsored organizations to report on street cleaning activities as part of the City's Street Cleaning Grant Program.

Overhauled project management process and managed installation for 400 for garbage and recycling receptacles, including:

• Streamlined site inspection and review process by creating an data workflow process using Google Forms, spreadsheets, Bluebeam, and Trello; and
• Created a manual for installation of garbage and recycling receptacles.

Led data analysis process for a food businesses survey in Vancouver, including:

• Set up relational database (Microsoft Access) and queries to gain a comprehensive picture of how Vancouver businesses were affected at onset of COVID-19 pandemic; and
• Created and presented data visualizations for survey results.

Designed and implemented waste composition studies for municipal, regional, and private clients, including:

• Designing and implementing studies for food waste analysis in New York, Denver, and Vancouver

Researched municipal, regional, and provincial solid waste programs.

Project-managed and coordinated logistics for municipal outreach programs:, including:

• Coordinated an outreach program for the City of Los Angeles food scraps collection pilot
• Coordinated outreach programs for the Township of Langley's food scraps collection program and glass collection program