Business Center Operations Leader - Environmental Services

BC Operations Leader

Grounded in safety, quality, and ethics, our experts lead their fields and guide our work with rigor, a creative spirit, and vision for growth. We draw from more than 20 technical specialties around the globe and are committed to fostering an inclusive community of diverse talents, backgrounds, and expertise. We're a place to apply your passion and collaborate with top environmental talents on work that's critical to our clients and the communities they support. Join a team that has the environment down to a science.

Your Opportunity Reporting to the Regional Business Leader (RBL), the BC Operations Leader (BCOL) is primarily responsible for operational excellence for the BC - achieving financial (bottom line) and performance objectives. The BCOL is responsible for attracting, growing and retaining top talent while ensuring efficient resource management that is responsive to available workloads. The BCOL will prepare and implement annual operating budgets and BC business plans. The BCOL will partner with the BC Practice Leader (BCPL) to ensure financial, talent and growth objectives are met. It is the expectation that all leadership roles have a maximum term of 5 years, with the opportunity to reevaluate at the end of the term and for the purpose of succession and company growth.

Your Key Responsibilities

• Lead Operations and Drive Business Performance:
• Accountable for continuous improvement and effective management of operational areas within the BC.
• Reviews BC monthly financial statements, inclusive of discretionary spend and ensure any issues are actioned.
• Regularly monitors forecasting, backlog, EVA, WIP, AFDA, DSO and utilization to identify issues and ensure they are addressed.
• Responsible for leading the BC’s annual budgeting process in collaboration with the BCPL.
• Responsible for oversight of the BC budget and achieving net revenue, gross margin, SG&A, and operating income targets.
• Responsible for proactively identifying underperformance against established targets and developing and implementing improvement plans for underperforming operations within the BC.
• Ensures efficient resource management that is responsive to available workloads.
• Oversees risk management practice related to office matters including employee relation issues.
• Responsible for achieving utilization rate and backlog targets including collaboration with other contributing BC’s to drive up overall utilization firmwide.
• Partners with other BCOLs and RBLs to drive collaboration and work sharing across the regions.
• People Leadership:
• Responsible for developing, attracting, engaging and retaining top talent resulting in increased engagement scores and decreased voluntary turnover.
• Establish employee connectedness to leadership by interfacing frequently with employees.
• Partner with BCPL by conducting quarterly office visits and BC Wide meetings to communicate the vision, business strategy and progress against applicable action plans.
• Drive improvement of employee engagement by partnering with Human Resources to identify issues, prepare engagement action plans and follow through on plans.
• Responsible for recruiting talent to the BC through internal and external talent scans while ensuring appropriate staff mix with line of sight to current and future talent needs.
• Responsible for maintaining the correct staffing level based on current and future workloads.
• Responsible for the overall talent management lifecycle including career development, employee engagement, succession planning, coaching and mentoring, diversity and inclusion, and leadership development for the BC.
• Responsible for managing performance and compensation in accordance with Stantec’s compensation philosophy within the BC through yearly employee performance review (YEPR), rate review, and STIP/bonus allocation for the BC.
• Ensure compliance with applicable employment legislation and Stantec’s people practices and policies by partnering with Risk Management and Human Resources.
• Direct reports may include Supervisors/Team Leads and administrative staff as appropriate.
• Health and Safety:
• Primarily responsible for the health and safety performance within the BC, including the monitoring of leading and lagging indicators and executing on the BC Improvement Plan.
• Accountable for achieving a Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR) of < 0.60 for the BC.
• Accountable for achieving a Total Injury Rate (TIR) of < 0.45 for the BC.
• Achieve minimum LISI target of 1.0 with a goal of 2.0.
• Supports RL and RBL with regionally focused and business line focused HSSE processes and communications.
• Provide Broad Leadership Influence:
• Act as a highly regarded leader, thought partner and a source of counsel and advice for the BC.
• Proactively identify opportunities to reinforce and further develop Stantec’s high-performance culture with a focus on talent, productivity, and financial performance.
• Foster a success-oriented, accountable environment within the BC.
• Uphold a corporate culture that promotes ethical practices, encourages individual integrity, and focuses on the customer and service delivery.
• Provide support through ongoing interface with BCPL and RBL, regarding diagnosis and resolution of operational issues within the BC.

Support Functions

• Practice:
• Provide support to BCPLs where appropriate for compliance with the ISO-certified Integrated Management System and Project Management (PM) Framework.
• Supports the BCPL in holding the team accountable for the delivery of innovative design solutions and project excellence.
• Client Focus:
• Support BCPL by ensuring the right people are in the right roles to ensure excellent work is delivered to our clients that exceed expectations and grow our market position.
• Support BCPL through personal involvement where appropriate in key client relationships, strategic project pursuits and major project leadership within the BC.
• Where appropriate, be a key member or lead account manager for major clients of the BC or business line.
• Achieve individual target utilization of 45% for a BC of less than 50 people and 40% for a BC of more than 50 people.
• Business Development and Collaboration:
• Support BCPL in promoting collaboration with a focus on cross-selling to consistently win new work with clients within the region.
• Support BCPL in providing information on BC related macroeconomic trends, market intelligence, competitor intelligence, market pricing and compensation rates, and compliance with local labor laws and regulations.
• Participate in risk reviews as necessary.
• Support BCPL with marketplace reputation by maintaining Stantec’s Integrated Practice in the specified region.
• Which includes:
• The development and maintenance of a cohesive Stantec brand,
• Key client and account development and maintenance,
• Market and community outreach and engagement,
• Maintain and enhance relationships with local municipal clients, universities and post-secondary institutions, local economic development agencies, etc.

Capabilities and Credentials

• Proven leadership experience including operational, financial, people and project management
• Demonstrated leadership, communication and people skills
• Demonstrated experience in the management of large professional teams
• Demonstrated integrity, accountability, creativity, high standards, ethical values and achievement orientation
• Excellent organizational, strategic planning and implementing skills
• Committed to succession planning and staff development
• Proven ability to articulate vision and create a high level of engagement with staff
• Ability to build and maintain lasting relationship with internal groups, key business partners and clients
• Ability to negotiate skillfully in challenging situations with both internal and external groups
• Performs well under pressure
• Works effectively in an entrepreneurial, multi-disciplinary, collaborative environment and is able to lead and work in harmony with a diverse group of highly motivated and capable individuals
• Strong sense of teamwork and community

Education and Experience

• A bachelor’s degree in a related field with a minimum of 10 years’ related work, leadership, financial management and consulting experience; or an equivalent combination of education and related experience.
• Professional registration in related field.

Work Environment and Physical Demands

• Indoor (Office Environment) Activities are performed in an environmentally controlled office setting. Noise level varies but generally at levels of conversation.
• Majority of time spent using computer/laptop at workstation and related office equipment.</li