Industry: Residential Renovations (Kitchens, Bathrooms, Basements, Additions)
About Oakforge Home Renovations
Oakforge delivers high-end residential renovations with craftsmanship, transparency, and a strong emphasis on professionalism, integrity, and work-life balance. We intentionally limit the number of concurrent projects we take on, allowing our team to focus deeply on each renovation and deliver a high standard of workmanship and client experience. With two full-time crews, a project coordinator, and a rapidly expanding client base, we are preparing to scale to a third crew. To get there, we need an Operations Manager who builds the systems and takes on the responsibilities that make growth possible so the owner can step out of daily execution and work on the business.
Role Overview
The Operations Manager owns how work gets done at Oakforge. You will design, implement, and enforce the operational systems of a growing renovation company: quality control, health & safety, production planning, tool and equipment management, and subcontractor performance. You will visit our jobsites most days, not to push crews to go faster, but to remove complexity, uphold standards, support the team, and act as the day-to-day point of contact for our clients on site.
Two convictions shape this role. We believe in continuous feedback, from our clients to us and from us to our team. And we are a growing company, which means this role's scope will evolve and may extend beyond what is traditionally attributed to an Operations Manager. This role is measured on outcomes, not presence: processes shipped and adopted, responsibilities fully absorbed from the owner, and jobsites that run predictably without escalation. You will work alongside our Project Coordinator, who owns scheduling support, documentation, selections, and administrative workflows; your lane is the field and its systems.
Key Responsibilities
Operational Systems & Process (primary mandate)
- Build, document, and roll out operating procedures and checklists for field operations (QA hold points, mobilization, daily logs, site presentation standards).
- Define and run the design-to-construction handoff process, including constructability review and pre-construction meetings.
- Own the processes that make JobTread our single source of truth: define what gets captured (daily logs, photos, decisions, schedule status), who captures it, and hold the team accountable for keeping it current.
- Participate in a weekly operations review with the owner against agreed metrics and dashboards.
Field Leadership & Production
- Lead Monday morning toolbox meetings: job assignments, roadblocks, safety topics.
- Visit active jobsites regularly (most days) as a sounding board for the crews and a filter for the owner, removing complexity so the team can stay focused on their work.
- Prepare and maintain a rolling two-week lookahead for each crew; allocate labour across projects.
- Establish and Perform quality assurance at defined hold points (pre-drywall, waterproofing/flood test, pre-tile, pre-paint) and complete the internal punchlist before any client walkthrough.
- Coordinate and attend City inspections; ensure work is built to pass the first time.
Health & Safety
- Own the company health & safety program: biweekly safety talks, jobsite safety boards (create and maintain), certification tracking, and site-specific hazard assessments.
- Ensure subcontractor WSIB clearances and insurance certificates are verified before site access.
- Manage incident and near-miss reporting.
Client Experience (on site)
- Act as the day-to-day client-facing representative on active jobsites: responding to questions, managing expectations proactively (dust, noise, sequencing), and recording decisions.
Subcontractors, Tools & Equipment
- Coordinate subcontractors on site and monitor quality of their work; maintain simple performance records to inform re-hire decisions.
- Own tool and equipment management: checkout/return logging, delivery to sites as needed, maintenance and repairs, trailer stocking standards.
- Verify material deliveries against purchase orders.
First 90 Days: What Success Looks Like
- Health & safety program live: talks running, boards on every site, cert tracker built.
- Tool checkout/return system operational and in use.
- Design-to-construction handoff process defined and executed on at least one project.
- QA hold-point checklists in use on all active projects.
- A defined set of responsibilities fully transferred from the owner, with the weekly operations review rhythm established.
Work Location & Travel Requirements
This is a field-based hybrid role. Expect short, purposeful site visits within the Ottawa area most working days; the majority of your time is systems-building, planning, and coordination, split between home-based work and our shop. A reliable personal vehicle is required; mileage is reimbursed at the CRA standard per-kilometre rate, excluding normal commuting. A company vehicle is available for work-related hauling.
Growth Opportunities
Oakforge is a growing, intentionally small renovation company. This role is central to our plan to add a third crew, and its scope will grow with the company. This role leads toward broader production management and, for the right person, general management. Growth at Oakforge is earned through trust, competence, and demonstrated ownership.
Flexible & Employee-Centric Approach
- Guaranteed yearly raise tied to inflation, in addition to performance-based increases
- A structured compensation review upon successful launch and stabilization of our third crew; this role's growth is tied directly to the company's
- Profit-sharing Program
- A Benefit Credit Program
- A willingness to adjust responsibilities, workflows, or schedules where reasonable and mutually beneficial
Qualifications
Required:
- Experience in residential construction or renovation operations, site supervision, or production management.
- Demonstrated experience building and implementing processes (SOPs, checklists, QA or safety programs); you can point to systems you created that outlived you.
- Strong understanding of construction sequences, trades, materials, and quality standards.
- Comfortable and professional in front of clients.
- High proficiency with digital tools (project management software, shared drives, documentation).
Ideal (but not required):
- Familiarity with JobTread, BuilderTrend, CoConstruct, or similar.
- Health & safety training or certification (e.g., supervisor competency, working at heights, first aid).
- Trade background or hands-on renovation experience.
Who Thrives in This Role
- Someone who builds systems and then holds the line on them consistently, not just at launch.
- Someone who leads crews through clarity and support rather than pressure.
- Someone who anticipates issues before they appear and removes chaos rather than managing around it.
- Someone who takes genuine ownership: when something is theirs, it stays done.
What This Role Is / Is Not
This role is:
- An operations and systems role enforced through regular site presence.
- Accountable for quality, safety, tools, subcontractor performance, and process adoption
- Client-facing on jobsites
- The owner's key partner in preparing the company for a third crew
This role is not:
- An on-the-tools position
- A crew productivity or "push the schedule" role. Pace is managed through planning, not pressure
- An estimating, design, or sales role
- An administrative or bookkeeping role (our Project Coordinator owns those workflows)
Application Process
Please submit:
- Your resume
- A short letter explaining why you believe you would be a good fit with Oakforge. AI written letters will be rejected. I want to hear your own voice.
- Application question: In one paragraph, tell us about an operational system or process you built from scratch: why it was needed, how you got people to actually use it, and whether it survived after you moved on.
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent
Benefits: Mileage reimbursement, Paid time off, Benefit Credit Program
Education: Secondary School (required)
Licence/Certification: Driving Licence (required)
Location: Ottawa, ON (daily site presence required)
Willingness to travel: 25% (required)
Pay: From $70,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Casual dress
- Extended health care
- Flexible schedule
- Paid time off
Experience:
- Construction management: 5 years (required)
Licence/Certification:
- Driving Licence (required)
Location:
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Ottawa, ON
