Operations Manager

Role Overview

Seeking an Operations Manager to serve as the operational backbone of the Company overseeing end-to-end operations across its licensed mortgage brokerage and mortgage investment fund. This is a broad operations role with heavy emphasis on process ownership project management systems and operational infrastructure ensuring both platforms run with precision as we scale.

While this role includes administrative and coordination responsibilities the primary focus is building scalable systems driving execution and creating leverage for leadership.

You will own three critical functions:

• 1. Program Management Office (PMO) 40%: Lead all program/project management establish governance frameworks run sprint planning manage the execution scoreboard and ensure nothing falls through the cracks.
• 2. Vendor & Technology Management 15%: Coordinate and manage key service provider relationships negotiate contracts oversee technology stack ensure vendor performance.
• 3. Operations 45%: HR administration office coordination recruiting logistics leadership support systems implementation and operational infrastructure freeing up leadership to focus exclusively on origination and deal execution.

This is a high-impact high-visibility role reporting directly to the Executive Director. You will be the first dedicated operations hire and will shape the operational culture and execution standards from the ground up.

This Role Is Not For

• Candidates who treat process documentation as optional rather than foundational.
• Candidates who are simply paper and button pushers with no stewardship and ownership.
• Candidates who see operations as a support function rather than the flywheel for operational excellence and advocacy across the firm.
• Candidates looking for a single threaded job with daily checklist handed to them.
• Candidates who prefer to work independently rather than part of a team.
• Candidates who dont want to assume ownership and accountability.
• Candidates who are not self-driven proactive problem solvers.
• Candidates with poor planning documentation and operational experience.
• Generalist administrators and project managers without financial services or lending experience.

Key Responsibilities

Program Management Office (PMO) 40% of Role

Program & Portfolio Management

• Build and own the master project plan for all strategic initiatives across all departments
• Implement and manage ClickUp as the central project management system for the entire firm
• Load all deliverables with owners due dates dependencies and success criteria
• Track portfolio-level metrics: lender relationships broker pipeline deal flow hiring progress launch milestones operational readiness
• Maintain initiative tracker with status updates blockers and next actions

Sprint Planning & Execution

• Design and facilitate weekly sprint planning every Monday (30 min with leadership team)
• Run weekly sprint reviews every Friday (60 min) green/yellow/red status on all initiatives
• Create and maintain the execution scoreboard: origination pipeline broker network lender relationships deal commitments hiring pipeline marketing deliverables compliance milestones
• Identify and escalate blockers immediately to CEO (no silent delays 24-hour escalation rule)
• Document action items decisions and follow-ups from all meetings

Governance & Methodology

• Establish project management standards and templates (project charters status reports decision logs)
• Define decision-making frameworks and approval authorities (who decides what when how)
• Create and maintain RACI matrices for all major initiatives (responsible accountable consulted informed)
• Document lessons learned and continuously improve execution processes
• Build project management playbook that codifies how the Company executes initiatives

Reporting & Dashboards

• Create executive dashboards for leadership: lender relations deal pipeline broker network hiring tracker operational health
• Prepare monthly executive summary for CEO (one-page: what got done whats at risk decisions needed)
• Track and report on key metrics: cycle time from deal intake to commitment time-to-hire vendor SLA compliance
• Design data visualization for complex information (turn spreadsheets into compelling charts/graphs)

Risk & Issue Management

• Maintain risk register for all strategic initiatives (identify assess mitigate)
• Run issue escalation process (ensure critical issues get resolved within 48 hours)
• Conduct pre-mortems on major initiatives (what could go wrong how to prevent)
• Track dependencies across initiatives and flag conflicts early

Vendor & Service Provider Management 15% of Role

• Coordinate relationships with all service providers: outside counsel auditors appraisers title companies technology vendors insurance providers and others
• Establish vendor SLAs and track performance (quarterly vendor scorecards with ratings and feedback)
• Coordinate legal matters with outside counsel (document requests legal project tracking legal budget management)
• Manage audit and tax processes (coordinate with auditors gather documentation track deadlines)
• Oversee entire technology stack: CRM website data room project management accounting software email/productivity suite
• Negotiate vendor contracts and renewals (competitive bids pricing negotiation term review)
• Manage vendor invoices (approve for payment code to budget categories track spending against budget)
• Coordinate IT setup for new hires (laptops email system access software licenses)
• Own cybersecurity and data security practices (password management 2FA data backup security training)

Chief of Staff & Operations 45% of Role

HR Administration

• Coordinate employee lifecycle: offer letters onboarding benefits enrollment performance reviews offboarding
• Administer benefits programs and coordinate with providers
• Manage payroll processing PTO tracking and compliance
• Maintain employee files and ensure compliance with employment laws
• Coordinate recruiting logistics: posting jobs scheduling interviews pipeline management reference checks
• Design onboarding program (Day 1 Weekday check-ins)
• Support performance review process and goal-setting
• Plan team events and company culture initiatives
• Maintain employee handbook and HR policies

Credit Origination & Underwriting Coordination

• Serve as operational liaison to credit operations teams
• Ensure timely communication with strategic partners
• Coordinate workflow handoffs between origination and underwriting
• Maintain communication cadence with team leads
• Track pipeline capacity and flag constraints proactively
• Ensure SOPs remain current

Office Management & Facilities

• Manage office space equipment supplies and facilities
• Coordinate mail reception scheduling and office services
• Manage office budget and vendor relationships
• Maintain physical and digital file systems
• Plan office layout and scaling needs

Executive & C-Level Support

• Support CEO scheduling prioritization and meeting coordination
• Prepare executive meeting agendas notes and follow-ups
• Coordinate travel arrangements and expense reporting
• Prepare materials for lender meetings and presentations
• Own special projects assigned by CEO
• Prioritize executive requests and ensure follow-through

Systems & Process Improvement

• Document all workflows in SOPs
• Identify inefficiencies and implement improvements
• Automate processes using tools and integrations
• Build scalable operational playbook
• Standardize templates and documentation systems

Compliance & Regulatory Coordination

• Maintain compliance calendar and filings
• Coordinate licensing renewals with counsel
• Track multi-jurisdiction compliance requirements
• Coordinate compliance training
• Maintain corporate records and insurance tracking

Required Qualifications

• 510 years of operations PMO or chief of staff experience in financial services or high-growth environments
• Strong project management background (PMO implementation experience preferred)
• Proficiency with ClickUp Asana or similar tools
• Experience creating executive dashboards and reporting systems
• HR administration experience (payroll onboarding compliance recruiting)
• Vendor management and contract negotiation experience
• Strong tech stack ownership capability (CRM automation integrations)
• Exceptional organization and attention to detail
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Self-starter with ability to work independently
• Bachelors degree required

Preferred Qualifications

• PMP certification or equivalent
• GoHighLevel CRM experience
• Chief of Staff experience in startup or small firm environment
• Experience in lending mortgage brokerage or capital markets
• Agile/Scrum experience
• Process improvement certifications (Lean Six Sigma)
• Workflow automation experience (Zapier Make etc.)
• AI tools experience
• Experience with remote/offshore teams

What Makes This Role Unique

• Build PMO & operations from scratch with no legacy constraints
• Direct impact on company execution and growth trajectory
• True Chief of Staff-level scope across the entire organization
• High visibility with direct access to executive leadership
• Clear pathway to COO as the company scales
• Entrepreneurial environment with full autonomy

Ideal Candidate Profile

You are the person who:

• Loves systems structure and project management
• Takes extreme ownership of outcomes
• Builds order from chaos
• Thrives in multi-hat environments
• Writes the playbook rather than follows it
• Communicates proactively and clearly
• Operates with both detail and strategic thinking
• Trusts data and builds dashboards
• Is low-ego and service-oriented

Required Experience:

Manager