OPERATIONS DIRECTOR (berkeley)

OPERATIONS DIRECTOR Full-time • On-site • Berkeley, CA Compensation & Benefits Base salary $110,000 – $130,000 (Depending on experience) Medical & dental insurance, SIMPLE-IRA with employer match, 16 PTO days + 12 paid holidays Professional-development stipend, & wellness allowances Who We Are Verdant Structural Engineering (VSE) is a ~15-person, design-forward studio known for elegant, low-carbon structural solutions. Our office is lively and hard-working. We are located in West Berkeley, in the Gilman Street district. Our office space, which we share with an architecture firm, is situated next to Codornices Creek. VSE works on a wide range of projects, but most typically designs residential and small commercial buildings. With a long history of quality design, VSE has extensive experience in sustainable structural design, working with materials such as straw bale, cob, adobe, rammed earth, and bamboo. VSE collaborates with a diverse range of clients, including owners, contractors, and innovative green architectural design firms. Why This Role Matters As Operations Director, you’ll play a pivotal role in amplifying the effectiveness of the entire firm. By overseeing internal operations, resource planning, and project support systems, you’ll enable the principals to focus more fully on strategic leadership, client relationships, and design innovation. This is a mission-critical position that connects people, processes, and priorities, ensuring that our projects are delivered smoothly, our team is well-supported, and the business runs with clarity and consistency. For the right candidate, this role offers both meaningful responsibility and long-term professional growth. Key Responsibilities 1. Operational Excellence Map every core workflow within 90 days and remove bottlenecks. Build a live KPI dashboard (backlog, utilization, cash) within 120 days. Expand our usage of CRM Software (Unanet A/E) for project data analysis. Lead weekly Ops huddles; surface issues and drive them to resolution. 2. Project & Resource Planning Run weekly staffing meetings and maintain a schedule variance of under 5%. Monitor milestones and flag risks at least two weeks before impact. 3. Financial Leadership Close books by the 7th each month; oversee A/P, A/R, payroll, and benefits Maintain a rolling 12-month forecast and partner with the CPA on tax strategy 4. People & Culture Own onboarding/off-boarding, performance reviews, handbook, compliance Champion wellness initiatives that push engagement scores to 80+ Manage office happy hours, lunches, and other social events Plan and execute yearly holiday party (December) and office party (May) 5. Strategic Partnering Support project managers by helping structure timelines, deliverables, and communication workflows (non-technical project coordination) Ensure PMs have the tools, visibility, and support to meet project goals efficiently Collaborate directly with the partnership on forward-looking initiatives such as: Exploring and evaluating new service lines Strengthening long-term business resilience and operational strategy Translate strategic goals into actionable plans and follow through on execution Provide operational insight to help leadership make informed, long-term decisions. 6. Physical Office Management Organize office space to be a clutter-free and distraction-free area Keep shared office stocked with necessities (snacks, cleaning supplies, etc.) to keep it running smoothly 7. Marketing Manage a small team to keep website, social media platforms and email list outreach up to date. Create a portfolio of previous projects with licensed photos and project descriptions to draw on for RFPs. Optimize CRM software to track project inquiries and analyze data to track progress. Must-Have Qualifications ~5 years leading operations, finance, or PMO functions in A/E/C or other professional-services settings Proven skill turning data into decisions—Excel/Sheets power-user; dashboard tools a plus Fluency with ERP systems (We use Paychex and Unanet A/E) Ability to motivate and hold accountable teams you don’t directly supervise Clear, inclusive communicator—written, verbal, and visual Nice-to-Haves Track record scaling a 10–25-person firm through “chaos-to-process” growth Passion for sustainable design or embodied-carbon reduction Experience guiding firms through certifications (LEED, B-Corp, JUST, etc.) What Success Looks Like in Year 1 95 % + on-time project delivery through proactive resource leveling Month-end close shrinks from 14 → 7 days; principals receive a two-page flash report that they actually read Principals reclaim 8+ design hours per week, redirected to clients, R&D, and business development. Life at Verdant Studio steps from breweries, trailheads, and Codornices Creek Profit-share bonus tied to firm-wide KPIs—because everyone contributes to success Zero-crunch mindset: we plan well, so work outside of regular business hours is rare and intentional Ready to Build the Structure Behind Our Structures? Reply with your résumé and a brief note (~ 250 words) describing the proudest ops improvement you’ve led. No phone calls or drop-ins, please. VSE is an equal-opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to an inclusive workplace.