Business Operations Associate

Business Operations Associate — Design Services

Full-time, in-office | Piscataway, NJ | Monday–Friday

Launch Your Business Career at the Intersection of Design, Development & Operations

Are you a recent BBA or MBA graduate looking for a role where you can actually run things — not just support them? Edgewood Properties Design Services (EPDS), our integrated architecture, engineering, interior design, and land development team, is hiring a Business Operations Associate to help modernize how our growing department works.

This is a high-visibility, high-ownership role reporting directly to the Director. You will touch office management, bookkeeping, project management software rollout, IT file organization, and process design — the kind of cross-functional exposure that typically takes years to get. If you want to build a business toolkit quickly and see the direct impact of your work, this is the seat.

What You'll Own

Office & Operations Management

• Run the day-to-day operations of the EPDS office, keeping the department organized, efficient, and professional.
• Serve as the right hand to the Director — managing calendars, correspondence, meeting prep, and follow-through on action items.
• Coordinate vendor relationships, office logistics, and internal team events and culture initiatives.

New Ways of Working

• Help deploy and administer a new project management platform across the department — configuration, templates, user onboarding, training materials, and ongoing adoption.
• Design and document standard operating procedures for recurring workflows (intake, approvals, billing, reporting).
• Identify bottlenecks and propose lean, practical process improvements as the team scales.

Bookkeeping & Financial Tracking

• Process and track work orders, invoices, and professional service contracts for third-party architects, engineers, and consultants.
• Maintain clean billing records and reconcile against project budgets.
• Produce weekly reports on contract status, job profitability, vendor performance, and departmental spend.
• Support annual budget preparation and month-end financial tracking in partnership with accounting.

Information & File Structure

• Lead the reorganization of the department's network file structure — designing a clear, scalable folder taxonomy and naming conventions.
• Migrate legacy files, archive what's stale, and establish governance so the new structure actually sticks.
• Partner with IT on permissions, access controls, and document retention practices.

Who We're Looking For

• Education: BBA or MBA (recent graduate, 0–2 years of experience). Concentrations in operations, finance, accounting, management, or information systems are a strong fit.
• Tech-forward: You pick up new software quickly and enjoy being the person who figures out how a tool actually works. Strong Excel skills required; exposure to project management platforms (Asana, Monday, Smartsheet, BQE CORE, Deltek, etc.) is a plus.
• Organized and self-directed: You can juggle multiple priorities, set your own deadlines, and follow through without being chased.
• Business-minded: Comfortable with numbers, budgets, and basic accounting concepts. Curious about how a professional services business actually makes money.
• Clear communicator: Strong written and verbal skills — you'll be drafting process docs, reports, and communications for the Director.
• Bonus points: Coursework or internship experience in bookkeeping, operations, consulting, or the AEC (architecture/engineering/construction) industry.

Why This Role

• Direct mentorship from and daily access to the Director of Design Services.
• Real ownership of meaningful projects from day one — not coffee runs and calendar Tetris.
• A front-row seat to how an integrated design, engineering, and real estate development business operates.
• Exposure across finance, operations, IT, and project management in a single role — the kind of breadth that accelerates a career.

Compensation

$60,000 to $70,000 starting salary tied to credentials and experience, plus benefits, with compensation growth tied to expanded scope and promotion. Full-time, in-office in Piscataway, NJ.