Job Information
Cushman & Wakefield Operations Manager in Chicago, Illinois
Job Title
Operations Manager
Job Description Summary
The Operations Manager is a critical role that partners with the Managing Principal (MP) to manage the market and implement strategic and operational excellence initiatives. This individual manages day to day local market operations and administrative functions in an efficient and effective manner, provides management oversight for all operations functions and administrative staff and is responsible for developing and managing to the annual budget.
Job Description
Essential Duties & Responsibilities
Provide leadership, mentoring and management to the administrative and office operations staff
Assist MP with financial management of the market brokerage office, including monthly and annual operating budgets, forecasts, pipeline and reporting, and expense management
Ensure operational excellence through structural optimization and process efficiencies
Communicate, support and enforce company policies, procedures and initiatives throughout the market
Responsible for approvals at local level for T&E, commission documentation, payables and resourcing needs
Work with the MP to establish or cultivate Cushman & Wakefield culture in the local market and uphold the firm’s values, mission and standards at all times
Partners with Managing Principal to develop and implement best practices within the office, and is a vital member of the local leadership team
KEY RESPOSIBILITIES
Lead Market Operations
Responsible for working with the MP and Regional Operations Director to achieve short-and-long-term objectives set for the market
Ensure profitability and product quality of the service delivery and support resources within the market
Creatively solve problems to ensure the office operates in an efficient and effective manner
Leverage internal company-wide resources and advocate, support and increase adoption of firm-wide initiatives
Ensure that office and all professionals are fully compliant with all local, provincial, and national licensing and regulatory requirements
Be a resource to fee-earners for purposes of company-wide service delivery offerings
Collaborate with counterparts in other markets to learn and utilize best operational practices
Develop short- and long-range operating objectives, policies and programs
Ensure overall achievement of budgeted financial targets and other standards set forth in approved business plans within the market
Promote and ensure compliance with company policies and operating procedures
Encourage cross-service line and cross functional collaboration across the specified market
Demonstrate expertise with all facets of the company’s business, specifically services provided and customers served
Track all broker contracts to ensure compliance with the terms
Budgeting / Expense Management
Partner with the MP, Regional Operations Director and Finance Director to draft and finalize budget (revenue and expenses)
Solicit input from fee-earners regarding recent wins, pipeline activity, anticipated recruiting and attrition, strategic investments, etc.
Manage expenses to plan
Review and approve all expense reports and determine if expenses are appropriate, categorized correctly and in policy in Workday
Review business case for necessity of expenditure
Understand expense policy for compliance and correct coding
Pipeline Management, Revenue Reporting and Forecasting
Communicate and enforce guidelines on updating CRM system within Market
Work with MP to review pipeline report for accuracy and follow-up with fee earners, as needed to update
Oversee and manage the purchasing and maintenance of office supplies and office equipment (i.e. furniture, IT equipment, telephones, snack services, etc.)
Solicit and negotiate vendor bids, contracts, and pricing
Ensure all vendors are included in Workday Vendor Management
Deal Documentation, Commissions Accounting, Invoice Processing/Coding
Oversight for all deal processing, receivables, billing and cash collections in the market
Provides Deal Management consulting and education to Fee Earners, Admins, Revenue Accountants and local/regional Leadership questions related to: commissions, required deal documentation, and revenue recognition (i.e. Payment inquiries: Overpayment, underpayment, deductions, transaction detail & account balances)
Work with MP to manage any conflicts over information recorded in deal documentation
Oversee all incoming invoices using Workday
Work with Revenue Accountants, Brokerage Coordinators, and fee-earners, if necessary, to review all deal expenses associated with a closed deal
Oversee tracking of expenses related to deals
Review outstanding receivables and work with MP and fee-earners to determine strategy for collecting payments
Recruiting/Hiring/On-boarding Staff
Responsible for hiring, onboarding, exiting local employees, in conjunction with HR. This includes properly opening/closing the position, interviewing candidates, ensuring equipment is obtained, onboarding, ensuring proper Day 1 experience
Prepare and deliver annual performance reviews
Work in conjunction with HR on performance issues
Ensure fee earners and employees are properly offboarded
Ensure compliance with record keeping and policy adherence
Other Operational Duties
Oversee tracking of broker licenses and educational requirements and follow up with fee-earners on any delinquencies or upcoming actions required
Create and implement business continuity and emergency preparedness plan
Oversee any events and conferences within the market, working in conjunction with Marketing, as appropriate
Oversee and manage the purchasing and maintenance of office supplies and office equipment
BACKGROUND & EXPERIENCE
Demonstrated experience should include:
Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration or similar degree preferred
5+ years’ or more of operational management experience, real estate industry experience a plus
Significant progressive experience in operational and process management
Supervisory experience of accounting processes and tasks
Competencies:
Extensive exposure to project and process management
Proven ability to manage and monitor budgets
Proven success in conflict resolution
Significant exposure to high level executive communications
Excellent written, oral, and presentation skills
Strong Microsoft Office Suite skills required; experience with WorkDay and Salesforce a plus
Ability to plan, organize and manage processes
Ability to read, comprehend and analyze P&L statements
Knowledge of HR practices recruitment, interviewing, hiring, employee relations and staff development
Ability to supervise multiple direct reports and delegate workload
Work effectively in a team environment, coordinating time and tasks
High attention to detail
Knowledge of the real estate industry and business model
Cushman & Wakefield provides equal employment opportunity. Discrimination of any type will not be tolerated. Cushman & Wakefield is an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by state, federal, or local law.
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA), if you have a disability and would like to request an accommodation in order to apply for a position at Cushman & Wakefield, please call the ADA line at 1-888-365-5406 or email HRServices@cushwake.com . Please refer to the job title and job location when you contact us.
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