The Operations Associate is a hybrid role responsible for leading the day-to-day execution of assigned project(s) and managing the allocation and optimization of team resources. This position plays a central role in ensuring projects are delivered on time, on budget, and at the highest quality—while also balancing staffing needs across a dynamic, fast-paced agency environment. You’ll partner closely with Consulting Leads to maintain cross-functional alignment, drive efficiency, and proactively monitor capacity and utilization across departments. This is a key role for someone who enjoys both the structure of project planning and the strategy behind resource forecasting.
Key Responsibilities
Project Management & Execution
- Partner with Consulting leads to define project scope, timelines, and success metrics
- Develop and maintain detailed project workplans and timelines, ensuring visibility and accountability across teams
- Lead status meetings and maintain documentation such as hotsheets and trackers to ensure real-time progress updates
- Drive consistent adherence to project SOPs and ensure deliverables meet agency quality standards
- Identify executional risks and collaborate on solutions that mitigate timeline, scope, or budget issues
- Escalate project changes or scope shifts in a timely manner and support Account in client-facing follow-ups
Resource Planning & Capacity Management
- Collaborate with functional leads to develop and maintain accurate staffing plans across all active and upcoming projects
- Understand team members’ skill sets and career goals to align talent with upcoming project and business needs
- Proactively identify bandwidth constraints or resourcing gaps and help recommend freelance or reallocation solutions
- Track and analyze team utilization, working with department heads to optimize assignments and avoid burnout or underutilization
- Support onboarding of new team members and freelancers by ensuring they are integrated into the appropriate projects and timelines
- Maintain and update resource tracking tools to ensure accuracy and visibility into resourcing status
Agency Process & Collaboration
- Help evolve and streamline project management and resource allocation processes and tools
- Partner with Consulting leads to define rules of engagement and communication structures for project teams
- Foster strong relationships across departments to ensure collaboration, transparency, and alignment
- Act as a trusted go-to for both executional guidance and staffing needs
Financial Management
- Support project budgeting by forecasting and estimating project hours and staffing plans with rationale
- Monitor staffing plans and project expenditures, flagging discrepancies and recommending adjustments as needed
- Collaborate with Consulting lead to manage scope changes and reconciliation conversations
Preferred Qualifications
- 1–3 years of project management experience in healthcare advertising or medical communications
- Experience with resourcing, capacity planning, or operations a strong plus
- Strong understanding of agency workflows and cross-functional collaboration
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills
- Highly organized with the ability to manage multiple priorities and timelines
- Confident decision-maker and proactive problem-solver
- Proficiency in project management tools (e.g. Suite Project Pro, MS Project) and resourcing platforms