Director of Operations

Location 700 HUGER ST,COLUMBIA, SC, 29201-3663,United States Employee Type FT Exempt Description About Blair Cato Blair Cato Pickren Casterline, LLC is a client-centered real estate law firm serving South Carolina from ten offices across the state — Columbia, Greenville, Spartanburg, Mauldin, Myrtle Beach, Camden, Lexington, Chapin, Blythewood, and Sumter. We believe in building careers, cultivating community, and delivering an exceptional closing experience to every client we serve. We are a firm that moves — expanding into new markets, adopting new technology, and building the infrastructure to support sustained growth. This role exists because we are ready to professionalize our operations at the next level, and we want someone who wants to build that with us. Position Summary The Director of Operations serves as the operational backbone of Blair Cato, responsible for designing, implementing, and continuously improving the systems and workflows that power a multi-office real estate closing and title services practice. Reporting directly to the COO, this role owns the full operations function — from SOP development and process automation to technology governance and AI-enabled workflow design. IT reports directly to this position. The Director of Operations is accountable for managing the firm's managed service provider (MSP) relationship, all software vendor contracts, and the technology roadmap that supports scalable growth. This is a hands‑on leadership role for a builder: someone who thrives in bringing order to complex, multi-threaded environments, who understands the operational nuances of real estate closings and legal practice, and who is ready to design the infrastructure needed for Blair Cato's next stage. This role thrives in an environment where attention to detail, accountability, and process-first thinking define success. Key Responsibilities Operations Leadership & SOP Development Own the firm-wide SOP library — developing, documenting, and maintaining standard operating procedures across all departments and offices Establish clear process ownership for each workflow stage, from pre-close through post-closing, with defined handoffs, quality checkpoints, and accountability structures Lead cross-functional process improvement initiatives, identifying friction points and designing scalable solutions Build an operational culture of documentation-first, process-first thinking across the organization Partner with department leads and managing attorneys to align operational standards with legal and compliance requirements across all Blair Cato markets Workflow Automation & AI Design Identify, prioritize, and lead automation opportunities across closing, title, corrections, and administrative workflows Serve as the firm's internal subject matter expert on AI-enabled operations — evaluating tools, designing implementation plans, and driving adoption across offices Work alongside technology partners and vendors to configure, integrate, and optimize software platforms including SoftPro, CRM, Microsoft 365, and related systems Design and deploy AI-assisted workflow templates, prompt libraries, and decision frameworks using tools such as Microsoft Copilot, Claude, and Power Apps/Power Automate Develop metrics and feedback loops to measure the impact of automation and process changes over time, reporting results to firm leadership via Power BI dashboards Serve as the primary owner of the MSP relationship — managing SLAs, escalations, contract negotiations, and strategic planning including Azure environment governance, SharePoint migration, workstation management, and SoftPro local installation standards Oversee all software vendor relationships and contracts, including renewals, pricing negotiations, and written performance accountability Maintain the firm's technology roadmap in alignment with operational needs and growth plans Ensure security, compliance, and uptime standards are met across all systems and offices statewide Evaluate and recommend new technology investments with a disciplined ROI and total cost of ownership lens Require written documentation and written accountability from vendors before commitments are made — no verbal approvals, no undocumented scope Scaling & Strategic Operations Design the operational infrastructure to support Blair Cato's growth — additional offices, increased transaction volume, and expanded service lines Build and maintain an operations dashboard with KPIs tracking throughput, error rates, turnaround times, and staff utilization Partner with firm ownership and the COO on operational planning, growth strategy, and scalability assessments Document operational risk, flag single points of failure, and develop contingency plans across critical workflows Team Leadership & Cross-Functional Partnership Directly lead and develop the IT function and operations coordinators or workflow staff reporting into this role Collaborate with managing attorneys, department heads, HR, and BD leadership to align operations with firm-wide priorities Support HR in onboarding new staff into documented workflows and systems with clear training materials and checkpoints Bring a coaching mindset — helping team members grow into process ownership rather than remaining dependent on individual heroics Model Blair Cato's standards of professionalism, accountability, and client care in every internal interaction Qualifications Required 7+ years of progressive operations leadership experience, with at least 3 years managing a multi-site or multi-department function Demonstrated experience owning IT vendor or MSP relationships, including contract management, SLA oversight, and technology planning Hands-on SOP development experience — not just reviewing processes, but building them from scratch and achieving organizational adoption Experience with workflow automation tools and platforms; ability to evaluate and configure systems without heavy reliance on external consultants Strong analytical instincts: able to read operational data, identify patterns, and design improvements based on evidence Exceptional written communication skills — you document decisions, manage vendors with written accountability, and produce clear, professional SOPs Track record of scaling operations in a growth-stage or multi-location environment Strongly Preferred — Industry & Business Background Direct experience in real estate closings, title services, escrow, or a related legal/transactional practice Background working within or alongside a law firm or professional services environment Strongly Preferred — Technology Proficiency Candidates should have working proficiency — not just awareness — across the following platforms. Deep expertise in several and functional command of the rest is the target: SoftPro — or comparable real estate closing and title software; understanding of how the platform drives the transaction lifecycle Microsoft 365 — SharePoint, Teams, Outlook, and OneDrive in a managed enterprise environment Microsoft Copilot — deploying AI-assisted workflows within the M365 ecosystem Power BI — building and maintaining operational dashboards and reporting for firm leadership Power Apps / Power Automate — designing low‑code workflow automation and cross‑system process integrations Claude or comparable enterprise AI tools — prompt design, workflow integration, and practical AI deployment in operations Microsoft Azure — governance, licensing, and infrastructure decisions in coordination with an MSP CRM platforms (SugarCRM, HubSpot, Salesforce, or equivalent) — pipeline visibility, account management, and operational reporting Education Bachelor's degree required in Business, Operations Management, Information Systems, or a related field MBA or relevant advanced degree a plus; equivalent demonstrated experience considered #J-18808-Ljbffr