Job Description: Office Manager

Are you passionate about walkable neighborhoods and high-quality architecture rooted in climate and place?  Are you enthusiastic, self-motivated, and want to make an impact?  You may be just the person we are looking for.

Opticos Design, Inc. is an award-winning urban design and architecture firm in Berkeley, California. We are a founding B Corporation, committed to a triple-bottom line of social, environmental and financial responsibility.  That commitment informs every project we select and each choice we make—both professional and personal. We don’t just ask others to go car-free; we bike, walk, or take public transit to our office located in a mixed-use urban center. We’re the first to admit that we’re far from perfect, but we are trying to make a difference. We shop locally, live small, and work responsibly. These decisions inform our work at every level, and as a result, we are delighted to help create communities that thrive and buildings that withstand the test of time. They also inform our own internal working culture. We all work hard to have a big impact and have fun while doing it.  We’re creative, entrepreneurial, team-oriented and fun.

Our Office Manager is the lead support of the Opticos team and culture. The job entails responsibility for all things people and facilities related—hiring, benefits, facilities, travel planning, communication, licenses, people support and more.  We’re looking for someone with passion for guiding a values-based company and culture, skills in developing effective systems, and experience and enthusiasm in making it happen. We could imagine the title of this role being Culture Curator or Operations Happiness Officer because this role touches all of the people in the company and sets the tone for the expression of our values in our work and our workplace.  The ideal candidate will be a dedicated team player and great communicator who loves to engage in order to improve any process. This role is like that of a great party planner—someone able to see the vision, prioritize the implementation, work with all the players, and make it happen—with pizzazz!

Areas of Responsibility

Office Management
  • Office facilities manager, including creating/maintaining a lean inventory list, effectively manage relationships with vendors, professional services providers and building management, and identify opportunities to improve internal systems and processes to support the financial health of the business
  • Provide office-wide IT support; execute hardware/software updates, address issues impeding productivity, maintain a reliable IT infrastructure, and work with our IT service suppliers
  • Handle business license renewals, insurance policies, and census forms in a timely manner to maintain our compliance as a business
  • Support and create a lively, professional office environment by being the first point of contact for all clients, party/event planning, purchasing snacks and bringing your own flare
Human Resources
  • Manage recruiting to bring in talented and effective staff that enhance and thrive in Opticos’ culture
  • Handle all HR support, including administering the full employee cycle, mediating interpersonal conflicts, overseeing staff development, and managing HR policies to ensure full legal compliance
  • Administer compensation and benefit plans and research and recommend improvements
  • Support the continued professional development of team members with routine check-ins, ongoing staff evaluations, training and improving upon these strategies
  • Prepare payroll
Executive Coordinator
  • Support the team by performing a variety of tasks, including travel booking, and complex and confidential administrative, secretarial, analytic and research duties, and expense reimbursement support
  • Contribute to the success of the business by supporting key projects with superior level administrative support
  • Lead the office as the hub, overseeing and staying apprised of the people and projects in the office at any given time
  • Actively cultivate Opticos’ company culture through various means, such as interfacing with the B Corp community, leading companywide volunteer efforts, and developing new, fun, ongoing ways to support the team
  • Assist in effective internal company communications by agenda creation and distribution, content capture, and facilitation of company meetings
  • Prepare, review and distribute contract in coordination with Principals and Associates; Coordinate and facilitate signing of project contracts and subcontracts

Qualifications

  • Four-year degree and minimum of five years experience in office management and executive support
  • Progressive experience with staff recruitment, HR policies, benefit administration and HR staff support
  • Experience in a B Corp or other sustainable business a plus
  • Intermediate Microsoft Office and Google Docs; Evernote a plus
  • Highly organized and detail oriented with ability to be nimble and responsive
  • Exceptional interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills; articulate and professional, yet approachable in corresponding within the company and with clients and vendors
  • Proven ability to work with sensitive material in an open, collaborative environment
  • Ability to work with and respond to multiple people’s needs and prioritize effectively
  • Stellar work ethic and a demonstrated penchant for ownership and getting the job done
  • Positive attitude, service-oriented, self-motivated and ‘take-charge’ attributes
  • Passionate about sustainability and social responsibility

Process to Apply

Please send your resume, portfolio and cover letter to jobs@opticosdesign.com and address the following topics in a cover letter in the order described below (emails and cover letters that do not explicitly address the following questions will be dismissed without review). Please do not call about this position; only emailed applications will be considered.

  1. What most excites you about our company? Be specific about at least two aspects.
  2. What role have you held in the past that you sense is most similar to the role described or what life experiences have you had that you sense have prepared you most for this role?
  3. What challenges would you anticipate, if any, in taking this role?
  4. Describe one thing you’ve learned about our organization while researching this opportunity.