Operations Manager

Employment Type: Full time, independent contractor
Work Model: Remote
Work Hours: US work hours

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 don’t 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, what’s 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, Week 1, 30–60–90 day 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

5–10 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, Monday.com 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
Bachelor’s 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

Operations Manager - 19197