Work from home; candidate must be located within 100 miles of Richmond, VA

Owen Design Co. is a woman-owned, boutique branding and design agency founded in 2007. We work closely with marketing and industry experts to create clear, thoughtful, and well-crafted brands, designs, and experiences for businesses, associations, nonprofits, and institutions.

We Care Deeply About

Clear communication
Mutual respect
Doing good work with good people

We take our craft seriously, but not ourselves. Kindness, competence, curiosity, and a bit of humor go a long way here.

Owen Design Co. is an equal opportunity employer and values diverse perspectives and backgrounds. ALL ARE WELCOME HERE.

Why This Role Exists

Owen Design has reached a point where strong creative work and strong relationships are in place—but operational responsibility is spread too thin and carried too closely by the owner.

This Role Exists To

Bring steadiness and clarity to how the business runs
Reduce stop-and-go operational work
Make finances, systems, and planning more predictable
Allow leadership to focus more on strategy, creative direction, and growth

This is a role for someone who enjoys connecting people, systems, and decisions so the business runs well day to day.

What Success Looks Like

You’ll Know You’re Succeeding When

Financial and operational work feels calm, not reactive
Estimating, proposals, invoicing, and forecasting are more consistent and reliable
The team has clearer structure, rhythm, and support
Clients feel well cared for and confident in how we operate
Leadership spends less time hovering and more time planning forward

What You’ll Own

Financial & Operational Health

Budget tracking, burn monitoring, and financial forecasting
Supporting quarterly planning and goal-setting
Improving predictability of income and cash flow
Strategic pricing and proposal development

Systems & Tools

Ownership and improvement of HubSpot and Monday.com
Refining workflows for leads, estimating, proposals, invoicing, and reporting
Building systems that allow for customization and efficiency

Scope, Estimates & Proposals

Managing change orders and scope clarity
Improving how estimates and proposals are built, sold, and supported
Helping the business say “yes” thoughtfully—and “no” respectfully—when fit isn’t right

Capacity & Operational Rhythm

Capacity planning (not day-to-day scheduling)
Helping leadership see around corners before issues arise
Supporting smoother handoffs and fewer fire drills

Client Experience & Value-Add

Client-facing operational communication
Some account management
Identifying thoughtful growth opportunities or value-adds for existing clients
Helping clients feel they’re getting irreplaceable service

Team Support & Leadership

Facilitating team meetings as needed
Supporting performance reviews, growth conversations, and continued education
Providing calm, friendly, and firm operational guidance
Helping create clarity, consistency, and follow-through across the team

How This Role Fits at Owen Design

This role works across the entire team and touches nearly every part of the business. You’ll be embedded in how we operate day to day—helping bring clarity to systems, decisions, and communication so everyone can do their work more effectively.

We work collaboratively, share responsibility, and rely on trust and mutual respect rather than rigid hierarchy.

What This Role Does Not Own

To keep responsibilities clear and healthy, this role does not:

Manage projects day to day
Direct creative work or design decisions
Handle production or hands-on design work

We wear many hats here, and this role is designed for someone who enjoys contributing meaningfully within a small team—helping work move forward smoothly through structure, good judgment, and support rather than authority or control.

Tools & Experience Requirements

This role requires prior experience—not a learning-from-scratch situation.

Required Experience

Creative or marketing agency environment
HubSpot
Monday.com
QuickBooks Online
Managing budgets, forecasts, and operational systems
Client-facing communication and scope management

Billable Work

This role includes a portion of billable work, primarily tied to client-facing operational contributions and account support.

Who Thrives in This Role

You’ll Likely Love This Role If You Are

Calm, organized, and proactive
Comfortable making decisions and standing by them
Thick-skinned, steady, and not easily rattled
Respectful, kind, and appreciative of others’ work
Light-hearted, grounded, and confident without ego
Someone with a sense of humor who can keep perspective—even when the work is serious
Excited to help a company grow and make real, tangible change in an agency environment

This Role Will Be Frustrating If You

Need rigid hierarchy or titles to feel successful
Are territorial or distrustful
Avoid accountability or tough conversations
Prefer highly standardized, cookie-cutter environments
Struggle with ambiguity or customization
Expect a road map to guide you every step of the way

A Note on How We Work

Owen Design values thoughtful work, clear communication, and genuine relationships. We care about work/life balance, continued learning, and building a safe, proud place to work. We take responsibility seriously, appreciate one another, and try not to overcomplicate things that don’t need it.

If you enjoy doing good work with good people—and helping a small business run better every day—you’ll feel at home here.

Role Structure

This role will begin as a part-time position, with the possibility of growing into a full-time role if it proves to be a strong mutual fit. The first 90 days will be structured as a paid, hourly trial period (1099), allowing both sides to assess fit before transitioning to a salaried staff position.

Interested?

We’d love to hear from people who see themselves in this role and are excited by thoughtful collaboration, steady progress, and meaningful contribution.

Apply for the role here: https://tinyurl.com/mr33xzf6

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26_0223-Owen Design Operations Lead.pdf (157.53 KB)

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WHY THIS ROLE EXISTS