Office Manager

Office Manager

LPA is seeking an experienced Office Manager to join our integrated team of architects, engineers, interior designers, landscape architects, planners and other firmwide professionals.

This role is responsible for creating an exceptional workplace experience for our employees while ensuring the day-to-day operations of LPA's corporate headquarters run smoothly and effectively. While leading a studio of more than 300 employees, you will also guide a team of operations and administrative professionals and partner with their studio leaders, establish and maintain consistent practices, coordinate resources and improve firmwide processes and functions such as travel, meetings management, sustainability practices, event planning and more.

This is an ideal role for someone who enjoys leading people, solving problems, creating great experiences and bringing organization to a fast-moving paced and highly collaborative environment. Every day will be different!

What You Will Do

Lead Studio Operations + Workplace Experience

Create an organized, welcoming and highly functioning workplace for more than 300 employees in our corporate studio in Irvine.

• Oversee daily studio operations, ensuring employees, project teams and leaders have the resources and support they need to do their best work.
• Anticipate studio needs and proactively address issues with studio and firm leaders before they negatively impact employees or project teams.
• Oversee studio support office services, facilities management, safety, security, supplies, catering, and partner with external business partners to meet evolving workplace needs.
• Help create and oversee a studio an office environment that reflects LPA's highly engaged culture and provides a consistent, welcoming employee and guest experience.
• Partner with LPA's Sustainability leaders to develop and advance programs that encourage more sustainable employee behaviors such as: including carpooling, alternative transportation, waste reduction, responsible purchasing, and other workplace initiatives.
• Support visiting employees, clients, candidates and other guests to ensure a thoughtful and welcoming experience.

Lead + Develop the Studio's Operations/Administrative Team and Studio Operations

• Provide daily leadership, coaching and direction to the operations/administrative team.
• Establish clear roles, responsibilities and service expectations across the team.
• Coordinate workload, schedules and resources to ensure studio needs are addressed efficiently and effectively.
• Partner with studio leaders to anticipate changing team and studio administrative needs as the studios and firm continue to grow.
• Collaborate with other firmwide disciplines (HR, , IC etc.) to on-board, train and retain new team members.
• Serve as a resource and point of connection for operations and administrative professionals across the firm.
• Act as an escalation point of contact for firmwide issues that cross studios or require broader coordination.
• Help determine which services and processes should be managed firmwide and which are best managed locally.
• Coordinate and/or advise on business partner and sub-contractor relationships and purchasing practices where a firmwide approach improves service, consistency and/or value.
• Partner with firm leadership and appropriate internal resources on lease renewals, amendments, space needs and other lease matters.
• Develop and maintain strong working relationships with landlords, property management teams and other building partners.

Meetings, Events, Parties + Firm Culture

• Help create experiences that connect employees and reinforce LPA's engaging culture.
• Lead planning and coordinate logistics for local as well as firmwide office meetings, events, workshops, parties and employee…