Operations Manager

Building a Brand starts with a Story

FIRST is a leading global brand experience agency providing Content, Creative, Digital Technology, Management & Delivery, and Data & Insights services. For 30 years, we have utilized three flexible delivery models: Embedded teams, Corporate Campus operations, and a Full-Service Agency.

Managing over 37,000 events & projects annually across 110 countries, FIRST serves 130+ brands, specializing in Fortune 500 companies within the Financial Services, Technology, Healthcare, Media, and Professional Services sectors.

Consistently recognized for excellence, recent honors include 2026 Chief Marketer Agency of the Year, the Ad Net Zero Award for sustainability, and more.

Learn more at www.firstagency.com

What You Would Get To Do

The Operations Manager serves as a critical operational partner across accounts, service lines, and regions, acting as a connective layer between delivery teams, shared services, and operational leadership. This role focuses on proactively removing operational friction, standardizing and scaling processes, and driving adoption of best practices to enable high-quality, efficient, and consistent service delivery. Working closely with delivery leaders and Shared Services partners (i.e., Finance, Procurement, People & Culture, Technology), the Operations Manager supports service delivery execution, operational governance, and continuous improvement initiatives. The role contributes to process design, documentation, implementation, and performance tracking, while flexing across business priorities as needed. The Operations Manager may also serve as a subject matter expert (SME) for specific operational processes, client portfolios, regions, or strategic initiatives, providing expertise that supports decision making, risk mitigation, and business growth.

Your Contributions  

• Serve as a key connection point between delivery teams, Shared Services, and Operations Leadership to proactively identify and resolve operational roadblocks
• Act as an operational partner to delivery teams, promoting consistent processes, tools, and ways of working across accounts, regions, and service lines
• Facilitate clear, timely communication of operational updates, changes, and priorities to ensure alignment and awareness
• Participate in global operations meetings, contributing insights, recommendations, and solutions to operational challenges
• Highlight operational risks, dependencies, and gaps, and support remediation planning
• Support new business activity as needed, including RFP responses, proposals, renewals, pitch materials, and executive presentations
• Lead and support the design, documentation, rollout, and ongoing maintenance of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), workflows, playbooks, and trackers.
• Ensure SOPs and operational resources are current, accessible, audited, and aligned to global standards, with regional or account nuances documented as required
• Support service delivery model evolution, process reengineering, and operational innovation initiatives
• Drive adoption of global strategic initiatives, tools, and frameworks
• Support the development, tracking, and reporting of key performance, delivery, and quality metrics
• Contribute to training and enablement related to new processes, systems, and operational improvements
• Manage or support prioritized operational projects tied to strategic initiatives, system implementations, or account changes
• Provide project planning, coordination, and tracking support as required
• Partner with cross-functional stakeholders to ensure effective execution and change management.
• Manage or support prioritized operational projects tied to strategic initiatives, system implementations, or account changes
• Provide project planning, coordination, and tracking support as required
• Partner with cross-functional stakeholders to ensure effective execution and change management.
• Partner with People & Culture / Talent Acquisition to support recruitment coordination and serve as an operational point of contact as needed
• Manage or support employee and freelancer onboarding and offboarding processes, including systems access, tools, and required documentation
• Ensure consistent onboarding experiences across teams, accounts, and regions
• Support service delivery model evolution, process reengineering, and operational innovation initiatives
• Drive adoption of global strategic initiatives, tools, and frameworks
• Support the development, tracking, and reporting of key performance, delivery, and quality metrics
• Contribute to training and enablement related to new processes, systems, and operational improvements
• Manage or support prioritized operational projects tied to strategic initiatives, system implementations, or account changes
• Provide project planning, coordination, and tracking support as required
• Partner with cross-functional stakeholders to ensure effective execution and change management.
• Partner with Finance and Procurement to support supplier onboarding, contracting, compliance, invoicing, reconciliation, and issue resolution
• Oversee or support vendor management processes and related tools, ensuring documentation accuracy and process adherence
• Support invoicing, billing, budget tracking, and financial reporting, including monitoring billable and non-billable expenses
• Assist with auditing expenses, trackers, and invoices to support financial accuracy and profitability
• Maintain operational tools and repositories (e.g., SharePoint or similar platforms) to ensure data integrity, transparency, and accessibility
• Partner with People & Culture / Talent Acquisition to support recruitment coordination and serve as an operational point of contact as needed
• Manage or support employee and freelancer onboarding and offboarding processes, including systems access, tools, and required documentation
• Ensure consistent onboarding experiences across teams, accounts, and regions

What We Are Looking For 

Please be aware that we know experience does not always look like we describe it. If you believe you would be an excellent fit for this role, please apply - we would love to see how you could fit at FIRST. 

• Position requires 5-7 years of experience
• Strong understanding of service line or account-based operations, including delivery workflows, vendor management, and cross-functional dependencies.
• Demonstrated financial acumen, with experience supporting invoicing, billing, expense management, budget tracking, and profitability controls.
• Proven ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously in a fast-paced, deadline-driven, and highly matrixed environment.
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, and disciplined in managing administrative, operational, and reporting tasks.
• Proficiency in project and task management, including planning, tracking, and supporting delivery of operational initiatives and ad hoc requests.
• Experience implementing, maintaining, and governing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), process workflows, and operational documentation.
• Advanced proficiency with Google Workspace and Microsoft Office, including Excel
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to convey information clearly, concisely, and engagingly to diverse audiences.
• Skilled in communicating with cross-functional stakeholders and cascading key updates to ensure alignment and awareness.
• Ability to work effectively both independently and collaboratively within global, cross-functional teams across regions and time zones.
• Solutions-oriented, proactive, and resourceful, with strong problem-solving skills and a continuous improvement mindset.
• Professional discretion and sound judgment when handling sensitive or confidential information.
• Strong relationship-building skills, fostering trust, collaboration, and effective knowledge sharing across teams.
• Comfortable supporting presentation development, executive materials, and operational reporting.
• Global mindset with adaptability to different cultures, working styles, and team dynamics.
• Demonstrated accountability for personal work environment, productivity, and adherence to organizational policies and standards.
• Proactively contributes to achieving organizational goals and supports broader business priorities as required.

At FIRST, we believe that our success is driven by the passion, creativity, and commitment of our teams. That's why we offer a range of benefits and perks to support your personal and professional growth

• Medical, Dental & Vision which includes the option of a high deductible health plan (HDHP) with a health savings account (HSA)
• 401 (k) 
• Five Flexible Spending Accounts Options
• Generous Paid Time Off Allowance
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Life, Disability & Pet Coverages
• Wellness Stipend
• Complimentary access to Headspace, Teladoc, Maven, Rocket Lawyer, Mobilo & more
• Aura Identity Theft Protection
• Discretionary Bonus Structure
• Global Opportunities: With a presence in 7 countries worldwide, including headquarters in London, New York, and Singapore, you may have the opportunity to work on exciting projects across different locations.

United States Residents: The base pay for this position ranges from $95,000 to $110,000. This role is also eligible for an annual discretionary bonus.