Nichols Contracting, Inc. (NCI) is a family-owned and operated Construction and Contracting business headquartered in Columbia, MD with offices in Venice, Royal Palm Beach, and Orange City, FL with a team of 170 employees. NCI is a full-service general contractor focused on providing premier services in all aspects of the construction process, from concept to completion. We manage a broad range of commercial construction projects, including new construction, tenant fit outs, and renovations. NCI services a diverse group of markets including federal, state, and local governments, as well as a variety of corporate and special industry organizations that require complex life safety and critical infrastructure needs.
Nichols Contracting is seeking a full-time Office Manager to own the daily operations of our Columbia, Maryland headquarters. Reporting to the Director of Business Operations, this role is accountable for the facilities, vendors, budget, systems, and administrative workflows that keep the office running. The Office Manager is the connective tissue between our HQ staff, our field teams, our building management, and our office vendors. The ideal candidate has a positive personality, strong customer service skills, sound independent judgment, and the ability to prioritize and follow through on a high volume of tasks in a fast-paced environment. Office Manager duties include but are not limited to:
Essential Functions
Office Operations and Administration
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Oversees day-to-day operations of the Columbia office, including facilities, equipment, supplies, and workspace readiness
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Greets and directs all guests, screens and routes telephone calls
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Sorts and delivers all incoming mail and packages
- Maintains general & common areas [lobby, reception area, conference rooms, kitchen, and supply closets] - always keeping the office neat and presentable to clients and visitors
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Provides administrative support to team members as needed
Facilities Ownership
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Serves as the primary point of contact for the physical workspace on maintenance, repairs, building services, access, HVAC, and liaises with building management as needed for tenants
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Manages janitorial and cleaning services and holds providers accountable to the agreed scope.
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Coordinates office layout changes, workstation moves, and relocation or fit-out activity, and oversees serviceability of shared equipment including printers, kitchen appliances, and AV systems
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Owns the inventory of office furnishings and IT equipment, tracking assignment, condition, and movement of assets between the headquarters office and project jobsites, including check-out, return, and redeployment at project close
Office Vendor and Contract Management
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Owns office vendor relationships end to end, including sourcing, evaluating, and onboarding suppliers and negotiating terms, pricing, and service levels
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Monitors vendor performance against agreed service levels and resolves service issues promptly
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Maintains records of vendor contracts, renewal dates, and points of contact, and benchmarks suppliers periodically to recommend changes where better value or service is available
Budget and Cost Control
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Tracks and reports office administrative spend against budget
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Processes, codes, and submits office expenses in accordance with company accounting procedures
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Identifies and recommends cost-saving opportunities through supplier benchmarking and contract renegotiation
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Orders, manages, and maintains inventory records of office supplies (including IT, kitchen, and bathroom), apparel for office and field staff, and employee PPE
Systems and Process Improvement
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Develops, documents, maintains, and enforces office and administrative standard operating procedures (SOPs), updating them as processes, systems, or vendors change
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Maintains organized digital filing systems for office and facilities records
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Identifies inefficiencies in administrative workflows and builds repeatable processes, checklists, and calendars so office operations continue uninterrupted during absences
Reporting to Management
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Provides a standing operations report to the Director of Business Operations covering facilities status, vendor performance, and open issues - spend against budget reviewed quarterly
- Escalates facilities, vendor, safety, or budget issues in a timely manner and compiles ad hoc reports and analysis as requested by leadership
Health, Safety Compliance, and Emergency Coordination
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Serves as the office point of contact for workplace health and safety and maintains emergency procedures, evacuation plans, and posted safety information for the Columbia office
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Coordinates & executes evacuations, drills, and emergency communication in partnership with building management
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Maintains readiness of first aid supplies, fire extinguishers, and other emergency equipment.
Travel and Calendar Coordination
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Coordinates & executes project & inter-office travel for staff, including flights, lodging, and ground transportation.
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Manages conference and training room scheduling and resolves booking conflicts
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Assists in setting up conference and training rooms for meetings, including AV readiness and catering, and supports appointment and calendar management for leadership as needed
Company Events Management
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Plans and executes small/focus group events onsite, including executive meetings, quarterly safety meetings, trainings, lunch & learns, etc.
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Supports HR as needed with general company events onsite & offsite, including company picnics, holiday parties, town hall, health fair, etc.
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Manages event budgets, venue selection, catering, AV, and vendor coordination, including logistics across multiple offices where applicable
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Gathers post-event feedback to improve future events and supports company culture and employee experience initiatives
HR Liaison and Employee Lifecycle Logistics
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Partners with Human Resources as the office-operations liaison for the employee lifecycle
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Executes day-one logistics for new hires, including workstation setup, desk assignment, supplies, apparel, welcome materials, and building access
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Executes offboarding logistics, including workstation breakdown and return of company property, apparel, keys, and building access, and assists HR with onboarding, orientation logistics, and office policy communication
Working Hours
7:30 am to 4:00 pm, with a one-half hour lunch period. The employee may leave the building during the one-half hour lunch period.
Desired Experience
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High school diploma or equivalent required; associate or bachelor’s degree in business administration, office administration, or a related field preferred
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Three or more years of experience in office management, facilities coordination, or a comparable administrative role
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Demonstrated experience managing vendor relationships and tracking budgets
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Proficiency with Microsoft 365; experience with accounting, procurement, or facilities management software preferred
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Construction, contracting, or professional services industry experience preferred
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Ability to demonstrate effective written and verbal communication and provide exceptional customer service
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Ability to prioritize tasks and manage multiple projects simultaneously
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Sound independent judgment, the ability to solve problems with limited direction, and discretion in handling confidential information
Physical Demands
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.
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Ability to independently remain stationary for extended periods of time, move around the office, lift 30 pounds, and utilize phone and computer
Benefits
401k, Health Insurance (medical, dental, and vision), PTO, Employer Paid Life Insurance, Tuition Reimbursement, Paid Holidays and much more.
Employee Acknowledgement: I have read the above position description, and I understand and agree with the terms and requirements for this position. I also understand and agree that such requirements may be amended and/or adjusted at any time.
Persons with mental and physical disabilities as defined by the American’s With Disabilities Act are eligible for this position as long as they can perform the essential functions of the job after reasonable accommodations are made to their known limitations. If the accommodation cannot be made because it would cause the employer undue hardship, such people may not be eligible for this position.
Equal Employment Opportunity Policy
Nichols Contracting provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type regardless of race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.
This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.
