Business Operations Manager, MEP & Structural Engineering

Ware Malcomb•Atlanta, GA

About The Position

The Business Operations Manager serves as a key business partner to the office leader, overseeing critical aspects of leadership, team management, staffing, project delivery, and growth. This role is instrumental in shaping current and future business practices within the office or studio. The Business Operations Manager collaborates with office and studio leaders to ensure the successful management of staff and practice, demonstrating expertise in business management, financial oversight, project portfolio analysis, and practice fundamentals. This position also includes supplemental duties such as Project Management. The role involves partnering with leaders to assess business operations, develop organizational structures, manage hiring processes, create forecasts, review proposals, ensure competitive project fees, manage staffing adjustments, review construction documents, oversee billing, monitor work plans for profitability, conduct project manager meetings, develop strategic business plans, build relationships with corporate teams, ensure client satisfaction through effective QA/QC, act as a technical resource, address HR issues, foster a positive team atmosphere, manage all office training, and disseminate information from the Business Management Summit. Additionally, the role involves discussing liability concerns with leadership.

Requirements

8 years of practice experience
Two years of project management experience leading successful project teams, inclusive of resource teams or equivalent business operations experience.
Excellent communication skills

Nice To Haves

Equivalent of a bachelor’s degree in architecture, interior design, MEP, structural, or civil engineering

Responsibilities

Partner with office and studio leader(s) when assessing business operations based on a sound comprehension of the office financials, project portfolio, and practice fundamentals.
Partner with office and studio leader(s) to develop an org chart and discuss future position movements, hiring needs, or staffing loans to define each org’s road map based on the office financials, skill sets, and project types.
Partner with office and studio leader(s) to vetting candidates, interviewing, and hiring.
Collaborate with the regional leader and regional business manager to create the weekly forecast update and action plan to business management leadership.
Review all proposals and pursuits in collaboration with the office and group leaders and maintain the opportunity forecast to monitor incoming work.
Ensure project fees are both competitive with market rates and the scope is achievable via work plan in Project Planner that’s agreed upon by all parties involved.
Work in tandem with the regional business operations manager to reassign staff to other offices and/or assist the office/group leader for staffing adjustments to achieve a balance forecast.
Review and stamp and sign construction documents in the office.
Review the billing drafts completed by the project managers and compares against the forecasts, prior to submitting to accounting.
Ensure work plans in Project Planner are being developed by project managers and studio leader(s) leader while generating proposals, and monitors the Project Planners so that staffing correlates with revenue to maintain a minimum of 15% profit margin.
Conduct weekly meetings with all project managers to review the Project Planner, Forecast updates, QA/QC process, project awareness reports, accounts receivable progress on any invoices over 80 days, client or consultant issues, and resource team status.
Develop and monitor a strategic business plan.
Build strong relationships and regularly utilize and connect with corporate enterprise team leaders (TPS, architecture design, interior design, accounting, marketing, IT, etc.), to discuss project performance to deliver the best service results.
Ensure a high level of client service that results in repeat business by implementing an effective QA/QC process for every project.
Be a technical resource to staff.
Be alert for HR issues and discuss with your office and group leader.
Foster a strong team atmosphere with a positive attitude and good morale.
Responsible for all training across the office including technical, processes, software, financial management, and project management.
Attend the annual Business Management Summit and disseminates the information to office staff.
Discuss liability concerns on projects with office and studio leaders.