Operations Leader  ·  Builder  ·  Thought Partner

Turning chaos into traction.

I partner with founders and leadership teams to build the systems, rhythms, and teams that help early- and growth-stage companies actually execute on their vision.

What I'm looking for See the work Download resume
Remote  ·  Based in Rochester, NY

I find the pattern hiding in plain sight, then build the system that makes it work at scale.

How I operate
01

About

Melissa Bernstein-Kieffer
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I'm an operations leader with 20+ years of experience creating clarity, accountability, and execution in growing organizations.

I most recently served as COO for a direct-to-consumer brand, where I helped build the company's operational foundation from the ground up, including HR, payroll, benefits, compliance, and customer experience alongside supply chain, inventory planning, and cross-functional execution.

As an EOS Integrator, I implemented a hybrid version of EOS to strengthen alignment, operating cadence, and ownership. I partnered closely with the founder to translate strategy into clear priorities and consistent execution.

I began my career in customer-facing roles and advanced quickly into leadership, building a deep understanding of service operations, systems, and how work actually gets done on the ground. Along the way, I spent time in education, an experience that sharpened how I communicate, coach, and design systems that support people as well as process.

My background in education shapes who I am as a leader. It taught me that the best systems are the ones that flex to the humans they serve.

I do my best work in organizations navigating growth or change, where experienced operational leadership can bring focus, structure, and momentum.

Experience
20+ years
Framework
EOS Integrator
Depth
DTC & physical product
Location
Remote
02

What I'm looking for

A role where I can partner closely with leadership to turn ambiguity into traction, building the systems, rhythms, and teams that help a company execute on its vision.

I'm energized by environments where I get to wear multiple hats and work across functions: operations, finance, customer experience, people, supply chain, and logistics. My strengths sit at the intersection of strategy and execution, and I'm equally comfortable being a thought partner to a founder, a steady support to a team, or the person quietly turning chaos into a workflow that scales.

My deepest experience is in DTC and physical product, including international manufacturing, supply chain, and logistics. I also have SaaS experience, though I'm industry-agnostic overall. Early- and growth-stage companies are my sweet spot.

The title matters less to me than the scope, the people, and the problem.

COO Head of Operations Chief of Staff GM Integrator Fractional Operator
03

Experience

2017–2026 Remote

Chief Operating Officer

PAKT, INC.
  • Partnered directly with the Founder/CEO as second-in-command, architecting the operating infrastructure to scale from early stage to $6M+ revenue in a capital-intensive, long lead-time business.
  • Served as EOS Integrator, implementing a hybrid version of EOS to strengthen alignment, operating cadence, and ownership across the team.
  • Delivered 70% average YoY revenue growth while strengthening cost controls and operational discipline.
  • Reduced fulfillment costs from 12% to 10% of revenue, improving contribution margin without sacrificing growth.
  • Increased wholesale revenue 13% YoY and corporate revenue 901% YoY by building operational readiness and aligning cross-functional execution.
  • Designed and deployed an AI-enabled inventory monitoring system integrating Shopify sales trends with real-time inventory data, reducing stockouts and improving working capital visibility.
  • Led supply chain operations: international manufacturing, freight optimization, cost modeling, and demand forecasting.
  • Architected customer experience operations, maintaining 97% satisfaction (vs. 89% industry average), reducing returns from 10% to 8%, and decreasing support volume by 44%.
  • Installed company-wide KPI scorecards, financial reporting cadence, and quarterly execution discipline.
2021–2024 Remote

Fractional Finance Lead

CLEARFIELD GROUP
  • Led end-to-end financial operations (AP/AR, payroll, benefits, bookkeeping, compliance) for a founder-led firm.
  • Strengthened reporting discipline and internal controls to ensure financial accuracy and operational continuity.
  • Improved process structure and financial visibility to support informed leadership decision-making.
2015–2017 Remote

Manager, Customer Support

MAESTROCONFERENCE
  • Managed a globally distributed remote support team for a SaaS webinar platform.
  • Developed technical troubleshooting protocols and structured documentation to improve resolution speed and platform adoption.
  • Created training materials and delivered live product demos and trainings to customers and internal teams.
  • Improved service consistency through standardized workflows and performance expectations.
2007–2013 Rochester, NY

Special Education Teacher

ROCHESTER CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
  • Managed complex cross-functional compliance (IEPs) and coordinated stakeholder teams of teachers, parents, administrators, and therapists.
  • Learned the operating principle that shapes my work today: the best systems flex to the humans they serve.
  • M.S., Childhood/Special Education, St. John Fisher College (GPA 4.0/4.0); NYS Professional Certifications in Childhood Education and Teaching Students with Disabilities (B-6).
2000–2003 Rochester, NY

Manager, Network Operations

CHOICE ONE COMMUNICATIONS
  • Advanced through 3 leadership levels in 12 months.
  • Oversaw network operations and budgets; created workflows to align technical teams with executive goals.
04

What colleagues say

“
A hard-charging Swiss Army knife type team member.

Melissa helped take a messy early-stage startup to an impressively organized high-growth company. As an operator, she has a knack for taking a pile of chaos and turning it into a logical SOP or automated workflow. I never once saw her shy away from something new and unknown.

Malcolm Fontier
Founder & CEO, Pakt  ·  Managed Melissa directly
“
Calm groundedness coupled with proactive action.

Melissa is a skilled and knowledgeable COO who has great people skills. She brings a level of calm groundedness coupled with proactive action to complex problems. As my direct supervisor, she was always someone who I could speak openly to about the challenges I was having, and I could count on her to help prioritize and problem-solve with me.

Michell Domke
Certified KonMari Consultant  ·  Reported to Melissa at Pakt
“
Her knowledge of operations is impressive.

Working with Melissa at Pakt was always a pleasure. Not only was she very knowledgeable and reliable but she was also very friendly and enjoyable to work with. Her knowledge of operations is impressive and I would recommend her to any organization.

Rawmin Ehyai
Design & Development, Soft Goods & Gear  ·  Colleague at Pakt
“
Dedicated, even-keeled, and on top of things.

Melissa is incredibly dedicated, even-keeled, and on top of things. She upgraded our training modules, handled our toughest customers, and never seemed to break a sweat — or a smile. I'd recommend her for any role in training, education, or managing customer support.

Brian Burt
SaaS Product Leader  ·  Managed Melissa at MaestroConference
“
Calm under pressure and consistently organized.

Melissa is calm under pressure and consistently organized, results-oriented and personable in a fast-paced environment. She is great at customer support rep training, prioritizing escalations, improving processes — and much more.

Katharine Bierce, PMP, CSM
Founder, Sangha Strategies  ·  Colleague at MaestroConference
“
Her concern and care with customers was unmatched.

Melissa ran an efficient and effective team at MaestroConference. She always displayed a positive and professional attitude. Her contributions to the company were many including more effectively handling escalations, outages, and training. She would be a valuable asset to any company.

Anthony Jardina
Audit Associate  ·  Worked with Melissa at MaestroConference
Let's talk

Building something worth building?

I'd love to hear about what you're working on and where I might be able to help.

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