The Role
The Business Operations Manager will oversee operational processes, maintain financial tracking, and support cross-functional collaboration within the business. They will develop workflows, manage financial records, and maintain operational tools, ensuring efficiency and communication across teams.
Summary Generated by Built In
Smithbucklin, a 650-person, employee-owned professional services company with more than 70 years of success serving the association market, with primary offices in Chicago and Washington, D.C., is looking for a Business Operations Manager to join our team in our Washington, DC office.
The Business Operations Manager will help implement and maintain the processes that connect the business units, support financial tracking and reporting accuracy and enable cross-functional collaboration. They will serve as a key point of coordination between project execution, finance, and leadership. The ideal candidate is organized, proactive, and comfortable bringing structure to evolving priorities while keeping people, process, and day-to-day operations running smoothly. This is a new role in a newly created business structure, so flexibility and comfort with ambiguity will be paramount to the candidate’s success. This role will report to the joint Head of Operations for 360 Live Media and McKinley Advisors.
The Business Operations Manager will help implement and maintain the processes that connect the business units, support financial tracking and reporting accuracy and enable cross-functional collaboration. They will serve as a key point of coordination between project execution, finance, and leadership. The ideal candidate is organized, proactive, and comfortable bringing structure to evolving priorities while keeping people, process, and day-to-day operations running smoothly. This is a new role in a newly created business structure, so flexibility and comfort with ambiguity will be paramount to the candidate’s success. This role will report to the joint Head of Operations for 360 Live Media and McKinley Advisors.
About 360 Live Media: 360 Live Media is a full-service events agency on a mission to make events more valuable. We bring together the well-established event services of Smithbucklin and the innovative strategies of 360 Live Media to deliver total event management for any type of industry convening. From smart strategy to flawless execution, our integrated service delivery model elevates the experience for event organizers looking to modernize their approach, optimize their impact, and grow the show. 360 Live Media is a Smithbucklin company with offices in Chicago and Washington, DC.
About McKinley Advisors: McKinley Advisors is an award-winning consulting firm dedicated to accelerating associations’ positive impact on the world. McKinley works in partnership with association executives and volunteer leaders to identify and address their most significant challenges and opportunities. McKinley provides services through four practice areas: Strategy and Innovation, Organizational Excellence, Business Transformation and Research and Insights. McKinley Advisors is a Smithbucklin company with offices in Chicago and Washington, DC.
At Smithbucklin, we embody a culture driven by optimism, ambition, expertise, and thoughtfulness, where every team member is empowered to exceed expectations and deliver exceptional results for our clients. Join us in shaping the future of association management, where our values serve as the cornerstone of our success.
What You Will Do:
Operational Process and Workflows
- Support development and implementation of integrated processes across multiple business units to ensure seamless collaboration and delivery
- Build, document and maintain business process and workflows, tools and automations, using AI and advanced technologies as available
- Maintain agency scope language, SOW templates, and other templates and standard operating procedures (SOPs)
- Maintain vendor and contractor and related documentation
- Coordinate legal review and signature workflows for client contracts and amendments
- Support knowledge sharing and the adoption of operational efficiencies across business units
Financial Tracking
- Maintain revenue and project trackers; ensure all new projects are properly set up
- Manage project invoicing workflows and financial system inputs
- Coordinate vendor payments and other accounts payable
- Submit and review company expenses and invoices, ensuring GL coding accuracy
Systems & Infrastructure
- Ensure data integrity across revenue and project trackers and financial and operational technologies
- Support adoption of project management and related tracking tools across business units
- Build and maintain dashboards and reports that track delivery health, profitability, and team performance
- Deliver recurring operational and financial reports to leadership, and pull ad-hoc analyses to support decision-making
General Operational Support
- Ensure project setup and resource assignments are accurately reflected in planning tools
- Support PTO planning, event calendar management, and operational continuity planning
- Support event logistics for business unit meetings and events
- Support operational onboarding of new hires, including system access, project assignments, and SOP orientation
- Coordinate communications and process alignment across agency and business units
- Provide general operational support to leadership and business unit heads
Basic Qualifications:
- 5+ years in operations, project management, or financial coordination, ideally within an agency, consulting, or professional services environment
- Bachelor’s degree required. Equivalent combination of education and relevant experience will be considered
- Experience supporting operations across multiple teams or business units
- Strong financial acumen (revenue and expense tracking, account coding, etc.)
- Experience developing and maintaining processes, templates, workflows and other operational tools
- Experience with generative and agentic AI and automation tools
- Strong attention to detail
- Exceptional organizational and communication skills
- Comfortable operating independently in a fast-paced and dynamic operating environment
Where Do You Fit?
Working at 360 Live Media, McKinley Advisors and Smithbucklin will offer you countless opportunities to develop transferable skills, acquire meaningful knowledge and gain rich experiences at an accelerated pace. By working collaboratively with smart, ambitious, multi-talented, genuine and hardworking colleagues, you will build meaningful, deep and enduring relationships that will serve you well throughout your career, regardless of your chosen path. In addition, as a 100 percent employee-owned company, Smithbucklin offers all of our people - regardless of position or compensation - an equal chance to experience the fulfillment and reap the benefits of ownership. As owners, our employees control the destiny of Smithbucklin and are unified in the goal of building a great, enduring company.
Working at 360 Live Media, McKinley Advisors and Smithbucklin will offer you countless opportunities to develop transferable skills, acquire meaningful knowledge and gain rich experiences at an accelerated pace. By working collaboratively with smart, ambitious, multi-talented, genuine and hardworking colleagues, you will build meaningful, deep and enduring relationships that will serve you well throughout your career, regardless of your chosen path. In addition, as a 100 percent employee-owned company, Smithbucklin offers all of our people - regardless of position or compensation - an equal chance to experience the fulfillment and reap the benefits of ownership. As owners, our employees control the destiny of Smithbucklin and are unified in the goal of building a great, enduring company.
Smithbucklin is a hybrid work environment with in-office days established as Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. Employees will work a standard 40-hour week, with the possibility of additional hours based on project deadlines.
Smithbucklin considers several factors when determining compensation, including a candidate's recent coursework, training, experience, and certifications, among other considerations. The expected pay for this role is $70,000-$85,000.
Smithbucklin considers several factors when determining compensation, including a candidate's recent coursework, training, experience, and certifications, among other considerations. The expected pay for this role is $70,000-$85,000.
Equal Employment Opportunity
At Smithbucklin, Equal Employment Opportunity is our commitment and goal. All qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, national origin, gender, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, marital status or any other protected status designated by federal, state or local law. Applicants are encouraged to confidentially self-identify when applying. Employment is contingent upon successful completion of a reference and background investigation based on position.
At Smithbucklin, Equal Employment Opportunity is our commitment and goal. All qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, national origin, gender, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, marital status or any other protected status designated by federal, state or local law. Applicants are encouraged to confidentially self-identify when applying. Employment is contingent upon successful completion of a reference and background investigation based on position.
Smithbucklin will not sponsor applicants for work visas and as a precondition of employment. You must be authorized to work in the United States permanently.
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The Company
