Operations Leader

Operations Leader

NBBJ's London studio is seeking an Operations Leader to join the team. The Operations Leader is responsible for the effective, efficient and financially sustainable operation of NBBJ's London Studio and UK operations. The role provides strategic, commercial and operational leadership across resourcing, recruitment, project management, financial performance, contracts and studio operations, while also contributing to live projects in a Project Manager role.

Working closely with Project Leaders, the Studio Management Team, Finance, HR and Legal, the Operations Leader acts as the operational hub for both project delivery and studio-wide planning.

In your new role, you will:

Strategic & Studio Leadership

• Support delivery of the London Studio's long-term vision, strategy and business plan.
• Contribute to market positioning, sector focus, growth strategy and brand reputation.
• Support new business development, partnerships and client relationships.

Commercial & Financial Management

• Hold bottom-line responsibility for budgets, forecasting, cashflow and profitability.
• Oversee fee proposals, appointments, contract negotiations and risk management.
• Ensure strong governance, compliance and professional indemnity arrangements.
• Report performance, risks and forecasts to firm leadership.

People, Resourcing & Culture

• Lead studio resourcing, recruitment and utilisation planning.
• Oversee recruitment, performance management, succession planning and development.
• Promote a positive, inclusive and high-performance culture aligned with company values.
• Ensure compliance with employment law, health & safety and wellbeing requirements.

Operational Oversight

• Ensure consistent, high-quality project delivery across programme, budget and scope.
• Oversee project management processes, systems and reporting.
• Drive continuous improvement across operations, efficiency and risk management.
• Coordinate closely with Finance, HR and Legal on contracts, staffing and financial control.

Project Management (c.50%)

• Lead project management on live projects, managing teams, programmes, budgets and client relationships.
• Oversee project reporting, documentation, QA/QC and contract administration.
• Support proposal development, interviews and business development activity.
• Collaborate with other NBBJ offices and sector leaders to win and deliver work.

What you will need to succeed:

• Senior operational leadership experience in architecture or a comparable professional services environment.
• Strong expertise in resourcing, project management and financial forecasting.
• Commercially astute, with experience managing risk, contracts and profitability.
• Excellent communication, leadership and stakeholder management skills.
• Highly organised with strong systems experience (e.g. Deltek Vantagepoint, Smartsheet).
• Comfortable leading meetings, setting priorities and managing confidential information.
• UK Registered Architect preferred.

NBBJ has been named three times by Fast Company as one of the most innovative architecture firms. Founded in 1943, our first office opened over 75 years ago in Seattle, Washington. We now have over 10 office locations around the globe. We are a transdisciplinary, cross-practice focused firm with a deep portfolio of Civic & Cultural, Commercial, Corporate, Healthcare, Higher Education, Science and Technology, Sports, and Urban Environment projects. We also have several areas of service expertise including: Architecture, Environmental Graphic Design, Interior Design, Lighting Design, Workplace Consulting and more. In the past decade, NBBJ has received more than 300 awards from leading global, national and regional award programs across the business, real estate and design communities. We work with 5 of the top global high-tech companies, 14 of the U.S. News and World Report Top Hospitals, and 4 of the top 10 highest-ranked learning institutions. Our clients include institutional leaders such as Cambridge University, Google, Samsung, Cleveland Clinic, Tencent, and Stanford University.

NBBJ is an Equal Opportunity Employer. M/F Disabled and Vet EEO/AA Employer. NBBJ does not accept unsolicited resumes or similar submissions from third party recruiters or employment agencies. Any unsolicited materials received by NBBJ from a source other than an individual candidate will be considered NBBJ property and NBBJ reserves the right to pursue and hire candidates referred to us without any financial obligation to the third party in question. If you are interested in becoming an approved NBBJ external recruiter, please contact a member of the NBBJ Talent Acquisition Team.