Manager, Business Operations
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Job Summary
The Manager Business Operations provides management-level leadership and oversight of Quarry Park Energy Solutions (QPES) commercial financial and operational activities ensuring opportunities and projects are effectively coordinated from initial client engagement through scoping costing contracting delivery invoicing and closeout.
Reporting to the Associate Vice President (AVP) the Manager serves as the central business operations lead connecting QPES technical teams clients and SAIT corporate functions to ensure projects are appropriately planned resourced commercially structured delivered and financially managed. The role integrates technical operational and financial inputs into business proposals project plans budgets forecasts and recommendations for AVP approval.
The Manager has delegated authority for the day-to-day management of QPES business and financial operations and is accountable for effective budget management financial controls forecasting reporting and operational processes. The role monitors performance identifies risks and opportunities and recommends actions to support sound resource allocation financial performance and organizational priorities.
The Manager is accountable for decisions and commitments made within established delegated authorities and financial parameters while escalating material or strategic matters to the AVP. The AVP retains final approval and overall accountability for major financial commercial contractual and operational decisions.
Through this role the Manager ensures QPES operates with effective business processes financial discipline commercial consistency and operational coordination enabling the organization to respond effectively to client needs while supporting successful project delivery and sustainable growth.
Commercial Proposals & Project Development
- Lead the development and coordination of commercial and applied research proposals from initial client opportunity through final internal approval.
- Work directly with clients to understand project objectives scope schedules deliverables and commercial requirements.
- Coordinate technical input from QPES laboratory staff technical leads the Director of Science and the Lab Manager.
- Develop comprehensive project scopes schedules budgets and commercial proposals.
- Ensure proposals accurately reflect the labour equipment materials external services and timelines required to complete the work.
- Coordinate internal SAIT approvals and requirements necessary to move opportunities into active projects.
- Ensure approved projects have appropriate contracts purchase orders and financial structures in place before work begins.
People Management
- Lead assign and review the work of direct reports while establishing clear priorities and managing team workloads.
- Coach mentor and support employee development and growth.
- Manage individual and team performance including formal performance management as required.
- Participate in recruitment selection and onboarding activities.
- Provide input and recommendations related to employee performance corrective action and dismissal.
- Manage budget-related decisions affecting personnel revenue and expenses within established authority.
- Identify staffing and resource requirements to support QPESs evolving operational needs and growth.
- Coordinate approximately 14 indirect team members across QPES to support project scoping costing scheduling time tracking financial reporting and project delivery.
Project & Operational Coordination
- Own maintain and continuously improve QPES project costing models and costing structures.
- Work with technical teams to establish realistic staffing hours equipment utilization material requirements and third-party costs.
- Develop and maintain consistent staffing equipment and service costing methodologies.
- Coordinate project pricing and margin analysis for review and approval by the AVP.
- Use actual project performance and operating experience to continuously improve costing models and assumptions.
- Ensure commercial and applied research activities are appropriately costed and financially tracked.
- Coordinate projects from approval through execution invoicing and closeout.
- Maintain visibility across active projects including schedules budgets resource requirements and deliverables.
- Work with technical teams to track project progress and identify potential scope schedule resource or budget issues.
- Coordinate project timesheets and ensure labour is accurately allocated to projects.
- Monitor actual project costs against approved budgets identify variances and recommend appropriate actions.
- Follow up with internal teams to ensure required information approvals and deliverables are completed on schedule.
- Establish and maintain consistent project management processes across QPES commercial and applied research activities.
Financial & Business Operations
- Serve as the internal lead for QPES financial and business operations under the direction of the AVP.
- Coordinate the development and ongoing management of the overall QPES operating budget.
- Monitor revenue operating expenses project expenditures financial commitments and forecasts.
- Maintain project-level financial reporting and overall visibility into QPES financial performance.
- Coordinate with SAIT Finance on project setup invoicing accounts receivable and financial reporting.
- Ensure client invoices are issued accurately and on schedule and follow up on outstanding financial items.
- Coordinate purchasing procurement and other financial processes required to support project delivery.
- Provide regular financial and operational reporting analysis and recommendations to the AVP.
SAIT & Internal Coordination & Client & Stakeholder Engagement
- Act as a primary operational interface between QPES and SAIT corporate services.
- Coordinate requirements involving Finance Procurement Contracts Legal and other internal groups as required.
- Navigate internal processes and follow up across teams to keep projects and client opportunities moving forward.
- Establish clear and effective workflows between QPES technical teams and SAIT administrative functions.
- Identify process bottlenecks and develop practical solutions to improve project execution and commercial responsiveness.
- Participate in the development of new client and business opportunities.
- Lead commercial scoping discussions with clients and coordinate internal stakeholders to translate client needs into actionable project requirements.
Education
- Bachelors degree in business engineering science finance project management or a related discipline.
- Masters degree in Business Administration Finance or a related field is considered an asset.
Experience
- 57 years of demonstrated experience in project management business operations commercial operations or a related role.
- Supervisory or people leadership experience is considered an asset.
- Experience working in applied research laboratory operations engineering services energy industrial technology or another technically complex environment is considered an asset.
- Strong project management capabilities with demonstrated experience coordinating multidisciplinary teams and multiple concurrent projects.
- Experience developing project budgets cost estimates forecasts pricing models and financial tracking.
- Ability to translate technical project requirements into practical scopes schedules budgets and commercial proposals.
- Strong understanding of project costing financial controls budget management and variance analysis.
- Experience working collaboratively with finance procurement contracting legal and other corporate functions.
- Strong organizational and prioritization skills with the ability to manage complex activities through to completion.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills.
- Strong analytical problem-solving and decision-making abilities.
- Ability to build effective working relationships with technical specialists senior leaders clients and corporate support functions.
- Ability to balance client needs operational requirements financial considerations and organizational priorities.
Required Experience:
Manager
About Company
The Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) offers hands-on degree, diploma, certificate, continuing education and corporate training programs to develop the skills and knowledge employers demand.
