Studio Operations Manager

We are a small design studio, not a corporate office. The work is creative, the team is collegial, and good ideas are valued no matter where they come from. The way the firm operates is itself a design project, treated with the same care as any other we take on. Robert Young Architects is a high-end residential architecture firm in West Chelsea, founded by Robert Young, FAIA. For over 30 years we have designed custom homes and renovations for clients across New York City, the Hamptons, and the Northeast. We are hiring a Studio Operations Manager, a non-architect role, to anchor the financial and operational spine of the firm. THE ROLE You will be the person who makes the firm's project and financial data faithful and actionable. You own Monograph administration, the invoice workflow, and the materials and dashboards that drive our bi-weekly financial reviews. You report directly to the Principal. We want someone whose work product is conversations and decisions, with data and reports as the means not the end. You will work directly with project managers and the Principal to actively manage the financial performance of the projects and the firm. If your instinct is to file a clean report and consider it done, this is not the right role. If your instinct is to push the report into action, read on. WHAT YOU'LL DO Project Financials and Invoicing Administer Monograph (our project management software). Set up and maintain projects in collaboration with the Project Managers. Confirm staff are entering time regularly Own the firm's invoice workflow end to end. Coordinate the work of the PMs to ensure invoices go out on time every month Assist PMs in managing project financials, including fee and staffing calibrations and tracking additional services Firm Reporting and Reviews Prepare and drive regular financial reviews of the firm. P&L, project profitability, staff utilization, revenue projections Maintain the firm's financial dashboard. Track business development, financial stats, marketing activity, and fee projections Knowledge and Coordination Maintain the firm's Office Manual, a Wiki knowledge base, coordinating content from architects and staff into a maintained reference Manage HR administration, including benefits, PTO tracking, and insurance renewals WHO YOU ARE Five or more years in operations or business management at a small to mid-size professional services firm Experience in an architecture, engineering, or design firm strongly preferred. Familiarity with AIA contracts, phase-based fees, and consultant invoicing is a big plus Comfortable with project management software and invoice workflows. Monograph, Excel, QuickBooks, Google Workspace Sound judgment and critical thinking skills on financial matters Self-driven. You follow through on your own commitments without being chased, and you hold others to theirs Direct communicator. You are in conversations with project managers and the Principal about what the numbers mean and what should happen next, and you are comfortable pushing back Not a bookkeeper. You coordinate with bookkeeping and accounting but do not own those functions Not an architect. The role is intentionally outside the architectural track, but you enjoy working in the creative environment of an architectural studio WHY THIS ROLE This is a senior operational role in a small, design-driven studio. You will have direct access to the Principal, real ownership over how the firm runs, and the chance to shape an operations function that has been distributed across other roles until now. PRACTICAL DETAILS 3 to 5 days per week, in-office, West Chelsea. Part-time or full-time Compensation: $90,000 to $115,000 annual base (full-time equivalent), pro-rated for part-time Reports to the Principal Start: as soon as available Robert Young Architects is an equal‑opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status. #J-18808-Ljbffr Archinect