Joseph Palermo

About Joseph Palermo

Driving Innovation in People Operations, AI, and Healthcare With a decade of experience in People Operations, HR, and Executive Support, I have dedicated my career to optimizing the employee journey, fostering inclusive workplaces, and aligning HR strategy with business objectives. My expertise spans talent acquisition, onboarding, employee engagement, compliance, and strategic workforce planning, ensuring organizations thrive through structured processes and dynamic people-first initiatives. At Fitbit, I honed my technical acumen as a Quality Assurance Engineer, dissecting and harvesting chips for international product launches. I collaborated closely with engineering and marketing teams to ensure seamless software integration across flagship models—efforts that contributed to high-profile media placements, including press kits for the David Letterman Show, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and Victoria’s Secret campaigns. Currently, my passion extends into the evolving intersection of AI and healthcare, where I am actively researching AI-driven scheduling systems for Epic and Apex. My focus is on leveraging AI agents to assist patients in scheduling chemotherapy, radiation treatments, and mammograms—an initiative poised to enhance accessibility, streamline operations, and improve patient outcomes. This work aligns with my deep commitment to healthcare innovation, operational excellence, and technology-driven solutions. I am proficient in speaking Farsi, Hindi, and Persian, with the ability to read Roman transliterations of Arabic as well as Aramaic and Hebrew. Additionally, I am currently learning Japanese, further expanding my linguistic capabilities to engage with diverse global communities. My holistic approach to People Operations is deeply rooted in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), ensuring every employee—from onboarding to career development—is supported and empowered. I have worked cross-functionally with Internal HR, Finance, Compliance, Marketing Communications, and Leadership Teams to implement scalable workforce strategies, foster employee well-being programs, and drive engagement through data-driven decision-making. I firmly believe that the future of People Operations and Healthcare AI lies in integration, efficiency, and human-centric innovation. As I continue my research and professional growth, my goal is to apply these insights to organizations dedicated to transformative healthcare solutions and AI-driven workforce optimization. Let’s connect and collaborate to drive impactful change!

Experience

1. People Business Partner, HR

   Kearns & West

   Oct 2022 — Present · San Francisco, CA, US

   I have successfully hired and onboarded new employees, achieving high retention rates and fostering a strong office culture while working remotely. Additionally, I coordinated retreats and team events, facilitated the lease of a new office, and oversaw the move from the old location. I also created standardized protocol documents and organized our SharePoint site. My work includes effectively coordinating meetings for the Equitable and Inclusive Engagement (EIE) team, the Marketing and External Communications team, as well as commemorations, observances, and various activities. I manage executive calendars, coordinate travel, draft standard operating procedures (SOPs), and wellness plans. Furthermore, I am involved in projects related to business licenses, small business licenses, website updates, and editorial content published on the Kearns & West website.I possess strong skills in confidentiality, prioritization, email management, note-taking, and event planning. I enhance the onboarding process by providing mentorship and training to new hires, which leads to improved quality assurance and reduced ramp-up time. I maintain meticulous documentation and implement rigorous process standardization to ensure seamless service continuity and precision in issue resolution. Additionally, I collaborate closely with legal experts to navigate complex unemployment claims while adhering to strict legal compliance standards throughout the resolution process.I adeptly manage approximately 200 tickets each quarter, which encompasses tier 0 and tier 1 ticket requests for the HR, HRIS, Benefits, Compensation, Payroll, Equity, and Environment teams. I consistently exceed expectations, ensuring smooth operations.In my role, I oversee end-of-year housekeeping activities and develop a strategic people strategy that aligns our HR efforts with the organization\'s overarching objectives.

Education

• Dublin High School, CA

  High School/Secondary Diplomas and Certificates

  2004 — 2007

• Academy of Art University

  Bachelor of Arts - BA

  2016