Office Manager

Position Description

Our Detroit office (Bingham Farms, MI) is seeking an on-site Office Manager to take ownership of the day-to-day operations and employee experience of our office. This position plays an important role in creating an organized, welcoming, and well-functioning workplace while providing administrative and operational support to the Group Director and Michigan team.

The Office Manager serves as a central resource for the office, anticipating needs, coordinating people and resources, and ensuring that details are handled effectively. This person will work closely with the Group Director, Engineering Administrator/Office Coordinator, and firmwide departments including Human Resources, Recruiting, Accounting, Marketing, and IT.

Ideal Candidate

We are looking for an enthusiastic, highly organized self-starter who takes pride in creating a great workplace. The ideal candidate notices what needs to be done and takes ownership of getting it accomplished rather than waiting for direction.

This position requires someone who enjoys helping others, can comfortably manage competing priorities, communicates effectively across all levels of the organization, and understands that seemingly small details can have a significant impact on the employee and visitor experience.

Who We Are 

Founded in 1940 and headquartered in San Francisco, Degenkolb Engineers helps make complex, high-stakes projects real. We bring deep technical expertise, disciplined creativity, and a practical understanding of construction to every challenge; building strong relationships early, making complexity easier to navigate, and keeping the success of projects central to our work. 

Our teams deliver customized structural solutions across healthcare, education, science and technology, forensics, construction engineering, federal buildings, and other complex markets. Whether a project calls for navigating stringent codes, balancing budget and schedule, solving an unusual technical problem, or creating a landmark structural system, we connect the right people and ideas to develop solutions that serve our clients and communities. 

Key Responsibilities

Office Operations & Employee Experience

• Take ownership of the overall organization, appearance, and day-to-day functioning of the Michigan office, proactively identifying and addressing needs.
• Serve as a welcoming and professional point of contact for employees, candidates, clients, vendors, and visitors.
• Coordinate facilities, vendors, maintenance, office equipment, supplies, mail, and other operational needs.
• Coordinate food, meeting logistics, and office events, ensuring common and meeting spaces are organized and welcoming.
• Support office safety initiatives, including safety procedures, training, incident reporting, and other related safety activities.

Onboarding & Recruiting

• Coordinate the Michigan office portion of employee onboarding, including workspace, equipment, access, supplies, introductions, and first-day logistics.
• Coordinate office logistics and candidate experience for interviews and other recruiting activities.

Group Director & Office Leadership Support

• Provide administrative and organizational support to the Michigan Group Director and proactively assist with office initiatives.
• Coordinate Michigan office Update Meetings and other office-wide meetings, including scheduling, logistics, communications, and presentations.
• Coordinate office events and visits from Degenkolb leadership and employees from other offices.

Office Coordination

• Work closely with the Engineering Administrator to coordinate responsibilities, office coverage, and continuity.  Serve as back-up to the Engineering Administrator for project administration duties as required.
• Serve as a liaison between the Michigan office and firmwide departments, helping ensure information and requests reach the appropriate people.
• Build relationships with Office Managers and administrative staff across Degenkolb to share information and promote consistency.
• Identify opportunities to improve office processes and take ownership of implementing agreed-upon improvements.

Work Environment

This is primarily an in-office position because of the hands-on nature of the role and the importance of being available to support employees and office operations. Regular and reliable presence in the Michigan office is an essential component of the position.

Minimum Qualifications

• Five or more years of office management, administrative, or related professional experience preferred.
• Strong organizational and time-management skills with the ability to manage competing priorities.
• Demonstrated initiative, good judgment, and ability to anticipate needs and follow through with limited supervision.
• Excellent interpersonal and written/verbal communication skills.
• Strong attention to detail and a professional, service-oriented approach.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications and ability to learn new systems.
• Willingness to handle both higher-level coordination and hands-on office tasks as needed.
• Previous experience coordinating or overseeing the work of others preferred.