Alex Nelson

Finance & Business Operations

Austin, Texas Metropolitan Area

About

Native Austinite with deep experience building and running operations in early stage and growing companies. I helped scale a recruitment agency from a solo founder into a profitable business, leading much of the operational foundation along the way. That work spanned client onboarding, recruiting operations, people programs, and financial tracking. I tend to get pulled in when things are moving quickly and structure matters. I focus on practical execution, clear ownership, and building systems that support teams as they grow. My background includes startup, agency, retail operations, and B2B SaaS.

Experience

  • HigherPeople (Remote)
    • Head of Finance
      Apr 2026 - Present · 3 mos

    • Sourcing and Talent Acquisition Operations
      Aug 2025 - Jun 2026 · 11 mos

  • Caregiving at Career Break
    Mar 2025 - Aug 2025 · 6 mos

  • HigherPeople (5 yrs 6 mos)
    • Head Of Operations
      Feb 2022 - Mar 2025 · 3 yrs 2 mos

      Brought on as the first hire to help turn a founder-led recruiting agency into a scalable, high-performing business. Over the course of three years, I helped build the internal infrastructure that supported our internal team and client growth, touching nearly every part of the business. I owned finance, HR, people operations, vendor management, and internal systems, while also driving special projects like rolling out a scalable pricing model, setting recruiter KPIs, and managing a Creative Project Manager. Highlights: • Designed and implemented end-to-end business systems: ATS, CRM, payroll, accounting, onboarding, and compliance • Owned all financials including forecasting, budgeting, AP/AR, reporting, and working with our CPA on compliance and taxes • Set up HR systems: payroll, benefits, 401(k), internal hiring, onboarding, and offboarding • Created dashboards and a centralized data hub to track key performance metrics across business functions • Rolled out new pricing and service models, including contract creation and revision, helping reduce contingency reliance • Supported recruiting efforts across 150+ roles in close collaboration with recruiters and hiring teams • Helped build and lead marketing efforts across social media, events, newsletters, and sales collateral

    • Recruiter
      Oct 2021 - Dec 2024 · 3 yrs 3 mos

      Worked closely with startup founders and hiring managers to help them grow high-performing teams across product, engineering, design, marketing, and sales. I led full-cycle recruiting efforts, from sourcing and screening to offer negotiation and closing, often managing multiple searches simultaneously across Seed to Series B clients. Beyond filling roles, I acted as a strategic hiring partner, advising clients on role definition, compensation benchmarking, candidate experience, and interview process design. I also built scalable workflows, implemented recruiter KPIs, and contributed to the evolution of our RPO model.

    • Sourcing Specialist
      Oct 2019 - Oct 2021 · 2 yrs 1 mo

      Developed sourcing strategies to identify and engage top talent across various industries.

  • Royal Blue Grocery (Austin, Texas, United States)
    • Store Manager
      Sep 2018 - Sep 2021 · 3 yrs 1 mo

      Led all aspects of store operations for a high-volume grocery with a focus on delivering exceptional customer experience and driving business growth. • Led procurement across grocery, produce, beer, and wine; managed relationships with 30+ local and national distributors (UNFI, GFI, Brenham, Redstone, Segovia, Serendipity, Ben E. Keith, Coca-Cola, etc.) • Partnered with leadership to build a unified inventory system across six locations, streamlining category management and improving item consistency. • Handled pricing across categories to ensure margin targets, proper taxation, and profitability. • Negotiated with brand reps for introductory pricing, free stock, and promotional incentives to support trial and reduce upfront cost. • Coordinated with the in-house kitchen on grab-and-go items, aligning daily ordering and inventory with demand trends. • Managed a made-to-order food and beverage program (coffee bar, sandwiches, tacos, pizza, daily hot specials), ensuring seamless execution across shifts and seasonal menus. • Coordinated with vendors for equipment and maintenance (HVAC, walk-ins, refrigeration, espresso machines), flagging issues to minimize downtime and ensure food safety. • Maintained daily reporting, invoices, and check stubs, overseeing cash handling and deposits to ensure accurate reconciliation after every shift and at month-end. • Conducted inventory checks and worked with staff to minimize shrink and overstock; coordinated with other locations to rebalance inventory based on store-level sales trends. • Trained and managed a team of 30, with a focus on consistent service, product knowledge, and operational excellence. • Redesigned store layout and merchandising based on customer behavior and product performance to maximize visibility and sales in a limited retail footprint. • Ensured full compliance with city and state regulations related to food safety, alcohol sales, and labor practices.

    • Grocery Associate
      Jun 2017 - Sep 2018 · 1 yr 4 mos

  • GameSalad, Inc (On-site)
    • Project Coordinator
      Aug 2016 - Jun 2017 · 11 mos

      Promoted to support the company’s shift to a B2B SaaS model for K–12 education while continuing to perform some customer service duties. • Supported the development of a comprehensive curriculum to teach computer science through the platform by creating written and video tutorial guides as well as detailed lesson plans. • Delivered onboarding, training, and ongoing implementation support to educators and students, helping ensure successful adoption. • Managed client relationships including renewals, upsells, invoicing, and support tickets. • Handled payment tracking and coordinated billing and collections with the COO.

    • Customer Service Associate
      Aug 2015 - Aug 2016 · 1 yr 1 mo

      • Provided frontline user support via Intercom, troubleshooting issues and escalating technical problems to QA and engineering teams. • Collaborated on testing new product releases to improve platform stability and usability. • Created FAQs, tutorials, and standardized messaging to streamline customer support. • Created and monitored marketing emails to drive sales and customer loyalty.