Operations Manager

About Owen Design Co.

Owen Design Co. is a woman-owned, boutique branding and design agency founded in 2007. We work closely with marketing and industry experts to create clear, thoughtful, and well-crafted brands, designs, and experiences for businesses, associations, nonprofits, and institutions.

We care deeply about:

• Clear communication
• Mutual respect
• Doing good work with good people

We take our craft seriously, but not ourselves. Kindness, competence, curiosity, and a bit of humor go a long way here.

Owen Design Co. is an equal opportunity employer and values diverse perspectives and backgrounds. ALL ARE WELCOME HERE.

Why This Role Exists

Owen Design has reached a point where strong creative work and strong relationships are in place—but operational responsibility is spread too thin and carried too closely by the owner.

This role exists to:

• Bring steadiness and clarity to how the business runs
• Reduce stop-and-go operational work
• Make finances, systems, and planning more predictable
• Allow leadership to focus more on strategy, creative direction, and growth

This is a role for someone who enjoys connecting people, systems, and decisions so the business runs well day to day.

What Success Looks Like 

You’ll know you’re succeeding when:

• Financial and operational work feels calm, not reactive
• Estimating, proposals, invoicing, and forecasting are more consistent and reliable
• The team has clearer structure, rhythm, and support
• Clients feel well cared for and confident in how we operate
• Leadership spends less time hovering and more time planning forward

What You’ll Own

Financial & Operational Health

• Budget tracking, burn monitoring, and financial forecasting
• Supporting quarterly planning and goal-setting
• Improving predictability of income and cash flow
• Strategic pricing and proposal development

Systems & Tools

• Ownership and improvement of HubSpot and Monday.com
• Refining workflows for leads, estimating, proposals, invoicing, and reporting
• Building systems that allow for customization and efficiency

Scope, Estimates & Proposals

• Managing change orders and scope clarity
• Improving how estimates and proposals are built, sold, and supported
• Helping the business say “yes” thoughtfully—and “no” respectfully—when fit isn’t right

Capacity & Operational Rhythm

• Capacity planning (not day-to-day scheduling)
• Helping leadership see around corners before issues arise
• Supporting smoother handoffs and fewer fire drills

Client Experience & Value-Add

• Client-facing operational communication
• Some account management
• Identifying thoughtful growth opportunities or value-adds for existing clients
• Helping clients feel they’re getting irreplaceable service

Team Support & Leadership

• Facilitating team meetings as needed
• Supporting performance reviews, growth conversations, and continued education
• Providing calm, friendly, and firm operational guidance
• Helping create clarity, consistency, and follow-through across the team

How This Role Fits at Owen Design

This role works across the entire team and touches nearly every part of the business. You’ll be embedded in how we operate day to day—helping bring clarity to systems, decisions, and communication so everyone can do their work more effectively.

We work collaboratively, share responsibility, and rely on trust and mutual respect rather than rigid hierarchy.

What This Role Does Not Own

To keep responsibilities clear and healthy, this role does not:

• Manage projects day to day
• Direct creative work or design decisions
• Handle production or hands-on design work

We wear many hats here, and this role is designed for someone who enjoys contributing meaningfully within a small team—helping work move forward smoothly through structure, good judgment, and support rather than authority or control.

Tools & Experience Requirements

This role requires prior experience—not a learning-from-scratch situation.

Required experience:

• Creative or marketing agency environment
• HubSpot
• Monday.com
• QuickBooks Online
• Managing budgets, forecasts, and operational systems
• Client-facing communication and scope management

Billable Work

This role includes a portion of billable work, primarily tied to client-facing operational contributions and account support.

Who Thrives in This Role

You’ll likely love this role if you are:

• Calm, organized, and proactive
• Comfortable making decisions and standing by them
• Thick-skinned, steady, and not easily rattled
• Respectful, kind, and appreciative of others’ work
• Light-hearted, grounded, and confident without ego
• Someone with a sense of humor who can keep perspective—even when the work is serious
• Excited to help a company grow and make real, tangible change in an agency environment

This Role Will Be Frustrating If You

• Need rigid hierarchy or titles to feel successful
• Are territorial or distrustful
• Avoid accountability or tough conversations
• Prefer highly standardized, cookie-cutter environments
• Struggle with ambiguity or customization
• Expect a road map to guide you every step of the way

A Note on How We Work

Owen Design values thoughtful work, clear communication, and genuine relationships. We care about work/life balance, continued learning, and building a safe, proud place to work. We take responsibility seriously, appreciate one another, and try not to overcomplicate things that don’t need it.

If you enjoy doing good work with good people—and helping a small business run better every day—you’ll feel at home here.

Role Structure

This role will begin as a part-time position, with the possibility of growing into a full-time role if it proves to be a strong mutual fit. The first 90 days will be structured as a paid, hourly trial period (1099), allowing both sides to assess fit before transitioning to a salaried staff position.