As Director of Finance Operations, Sarah Jimenez manages the complete order-to-cash course of at Department. She began her profession at Department as Supervisor of Billing Operations 5 and a half years in the past with zero direct studies, and now manages three groups with dozens of direct and oblique studies stationed throughout the globe in India, China, London, New York, Chicago, California, and Texas (and her group remains to be hiring!)
When Sarah isn’t at work, she’s both spending time together with her son, finding out, taking part in tennis, or gardening (no less than making an attempt to). On prime of this, she dedicates her weekends to philanthropic endeavors. She’s enthusiastic about what she does at work, however is already trying ahead to a retirement the place neighborhood activism turns into her full-time mission.
What would you like folks to find out about Department?
That is the perfect place I’ve ever labored. The belief I obtain to construct and study daily is a novel asset of Department, and that’s the framework that enabled me to construct a world group.
What made you select Department?
I joined for the folks, however I’m staying for the influence.
Shortly after I joined, the dialog about founding worker useful resource teams (ERGs) actually bought began. Seeing the chance to construct a world group whereas serving to construct an infrastructure of ERGs that have an effect not solely within the Department neighborhood, but additionally outdoors of Department, is what makes me keep. It reaffirmed that that is the place I need to be. Right here, I’ve the chance to not solely construct and scale finance operations, but additionally to assist numerous and infrequently underserved communities via ERG efforts.
What do you like about your job?
Individuals. 100%. Fingers down. Particularly, I really like the variety of my group. I’ve at all times had the precedence of a various group, however I by no means imagined we’d accomplish it to the size that we now have.
How does the variety of your group influence your day-to-day work?
Range influences every part. Each choice that we make, each challenge that we work on is made higher with a various group of individuals. Everybody brings their distinctive and specific perspective to each challenge or downside, and I’d say that is without doubt one of the issues that has made us most profitable over time.
What motivates you at work daily?
Initially of my profession, I used to be results-driven. I used to be metrics-focused on a regular basis, and I discovered loads alongside the best way. At this stage of my profession, notably at a startup like Department, I’ve realized that there’s extra to work than metrics. Department is shifting quick, so now I’m people-driven in all that I do.
Working as a supervisor, I must have my group as my primary precedence and ensure we will discover pleasure within the number of tasks we tackle in a fast-moving firm. After I come to work with a people-first mentality, the outcomes observe.
How has being a girl of shade impacted your profession?
It’s impacted me fairly a bit, however I attempt to function with out listening to whether or not I appear like everybody else within the room or not. After I began at Department, it was a small group and I seen that I’m a part of a minority. Now, particularly with the revamp of VIVA, an ERG serving the Hispanic and Latinx neighborhood, I’m becoming a member of conferences and seeing massive teams of people that share my expertise and my historical past. Seeing how a lot we’ve grown as a various firm makes me really feel that I’m certainly one of many, giving me a way of empowerment.
Now I don’t have a look at my skilled self primarily based on the place I come from or that I’m a girl. Now I consider myself as an expert primarily based on what I do daily. Everybody right here is on an equal taking part in subject and my id isn’t one thing that makes me really feel separate at work. These issues that do play a job outdoors of labor don’t play a job in how I come to Department daily.
What’s the finest piece of recommendation you’ve obtained in your profession?
If issues usually are not going proper relating to a bunch or particular person not performing, your first thought must be to search for issues within the course of.
As a frontrunner, it’s important to have a look at a bunch or an individual struggling as a chance to raised set them up for achievement, moderately than blaming them for poor efficiency. As a supervisor, your focus ought to at all times be making processes and assets higher for everybody in your group, making certain they really feel supported and motivated in doing good work.
