Description

Streetsense is a multidisciplinary design and strategy company that helps create places and brands people love. Our work sits at the intersection of strategy, design, branding, real estate, and experience. Through our three integrated business units - Place Consulting, Interior Architecture, and Creative Agency - we help owners, developers, institutions, and cities create destinations that drive economic, social, and cultural value.

As Streetsense enters its next phase of growth, we are seeking a Chief Operating Officer who can help transform strategy into execution, strengthen operational performance, and build the systems, processes, and accountability necessary to scale the business while preserving the entrepreneurial culture that defines Streetsense.

Position Overview

The Chief Operating Officer serves as Streetsense’s senior operational leader and chief integrator, bringing together people, process, technology, and performance management to create a more connected, efficient, and scalable business. Reporting directly to the Board of Directors, this leader oversees day-to-day operations, aligns the business units, improves profitability and resource utilization, and drives execution of the firm’s strategic priorities. Success requires equal parts operator, coach, and change agent, along with a visible organizational presence and periodic travel to support teams, clients, and company initiatives.

What Success Looks Like

Within the first 12 months, the Chief Operating Officer will have:

Established a disciplined operating cadence and improved visibility into staffing and financial performance
Strengthened forecasting, resource planning, and cross-business-unit collaboration
Reduced friction and administrative burden in core workflows
Advanced the use of technology and AI-enabled tools to improve productivity
Developed emerging leadership capacity and strengthened organizational accountability
Reinforced a unified “One Streetsense” culture that supports growth without sacrificing creativity

Key Responsibilities, Strategy & Execution

Partner with the Board and business-unit leaders to translate strategic priorities into measurable operating plans
Lead annual planning, quarterly priority-setting, and execution reviews
Establish clear goals, ownership, accountability, and firm-wide operational reporting
Develop resourcing and performance benchmarks informed by industry best practices

Financial Performance

Partner with Finance and business-unit leaders to improve profitability, margins, and operating efficiency
Establish disciplined monitoring of utilization, project profitability, backlog, forecasting, and resource allocation
Develop reporting systems that provide timely, actionable visibility into operating performance

Operations & Delivery Excellence

Oversee and continuously improve the firm’s core operating infrastructure and workflows
Improve the quote-to-cash process, including scoping, staffing, project setup, delivery, billing, and collections
Establish scalable operating standards across service lines while preserving appropriate entrepreneurial flexibility

Technology & Innovation

Define and lead the firm’s operational technology roadmap
Evaluate and implement AI, automation, and workflow tools that improve productivity and service delivery
Improve integration among project management, CRM, finance, and resource-planning platforms
Drive adoption, governance, and continuous improvement of operating systems

Talent & Organizational Development

Partner with business-unit leaders on organizational design and workforce planning
Build leadership capacity, succession pipelines, and meaningful career-development pathways
Strengthen goal-setting, feedback, performance management, and leadership accountability
Reinforce Streetsense’s culture and entrepreneurial spirit while advancing a “One Streetsense” mindset across offices, disciplines, and business units

Ideal Candidate:

The ideal candidate is a proven operator with experience leading a creative, consulting, design, architecture, or other professional-services organization. This person understands that great firms are built through people, process, accountability, and culture—not bureaucracy.

Strategic thinker and disciplined executor
Emotionally intelligent and highly effective communicator
Collaborative, pragmatic, and low-ego leader
Comfortable operating in a Board-led environment
Data-driven, with an appreciation for creativity and design
Curious and committed to continuous improvement
Effective coach, mentor, and developer of talent
Entrepreneurial and comfortable navigating ambiguity and change

Requirements

10+ years of operational leadership experience within a professional services organization
Previous experience in a comparable executive-level operational leadership role
Demonstrated success improving profitability, operational discipline, and organizational performance
Experience leading across multiple disciplines, offices, or business units within a complex organization
Strong financial acumen, including experience with forecasting, utilization, project economics, and resource planning
Experience implementing operating systems, technology platforms, and performance-management frameworks
Experience managing through growth and organizational change

Streetsense is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.

This job operates in a professional office environment and involves regular computer use, communication, and occasional travel.

Base salary is just one component of Streetsense's total rewards philosophy. We offer a wide range of benefits and perks that appeal to the variety of needs across our diverse employee base. This may include Medical Dental & Vision Insurance, paid time off, 401k match, wellbeing resources, and more.

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