Candace Hall Chirigos graduated from Seton Hill in 2016 with a business degree in human resources and marketing. She currently holds the position of senior HR program manager at Amazon. She credits her fast-paced career journey to her time at Seton Hill. 

Candace began her undergrad degree at another college. She transferred to Seton Hill when she decided to pursue human resources as a major. “I knew Seton Hill had a strong HR program,” she says, “and, as my dad coached volleyball there for many years, Seton Hill has always been near and dear to my heart.”

At Seton Hill, Candace learned that HR can be a powerful department in any company, and can often act as the “glue” that holds things together with a focus on retention. 

“HR, in partnership with other forms of leadership, houses and maintains company culture,” she says. “HR, at its finest, ensures that employees feel heard and receive proper care when there are concerns, investigates inequities and grievances, provides consistency in policy application, offers developmental/growth opportunities, and engages employees to foster healthy company culture and positive employee morale.”

“Being an HR major at Seton Hill prepared me for what to expect as an HR professional at Amazon.” 

An internship at Amazon - shadowing an HR manager in Southern California at a Fulfillment Center Warehouse - led to Candace’s hiring  as a full-time senior HR assistant after graduating from Seton Hill. Candace later moved into people leadership, transitioning into a new HR Centralization team called the People, Experience, and Technology Operations Center (PXT OC), which comprises corporate and virtual employees who perform HR work remotely for all Amazon warehouses. “PXT is Amazon’s rebranded name for HR,” she explains. “PXT members in the ‘field’ are those HR professionals based in warehouses assisting Tier 1 associates and managers.” 

Candace has recently been promoted again, and is now the Program Manager for US HR Centralization at Amazon. “My team and I review current processes, create innovative enhancements, formulate a “future state” recommendation for the business, and then work with various teams (technology, learning and development, onboarding, operations, quality assurance, capacity planning, etc.) to implement stakeholder approved solutions,” she says.

Candace believes her time at Seton Hill is what allowed her to advance so quickly in her career.

“Being an HR major at Seton Hill prepared me for what to expect as an HR professional at Amazon,” she says. “The Hill, and internships I had during my college years, provided me with the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to begin my career with confidence. I have learned a ton on the job, but the foundation that SHU provided during college was extremely valuable and set me up for success.”