Position: Operations Manager
Location: Tacoma, WA
About Northwest Center
Northwest Center is an ambitious, mission-driven social enterprise organization advancing opportunities for people with disabilities through inclusive employment. Since 1965, we have built a portfolio of successful businesses, including our Laundry division, to fuel our mission and drive societal change.
We are focused on our collective North: a world where all children have equitable access to education and people with disabilities experience employment parity. Through our social enterprises, we deliver high-quality services while creating workplaces where people of all abilities can learn and work together.
The Role
The Operations Manager provides end-to-end operational leadership for Northwest Center’s Laundry division while supporting contract compliance and operational initiatives within our government portfolio. This role is responsible for day-to-day performance, service quality, and financial outcomes for the Laundry operation, while also contributing to projects and initiatives within IFS, another Northwest Center social enterprise.
Success in this role requires strong operational judgment, disciplined execution, and the ability to lead diverse teams that include employees with disabilities and their support staff. The Operations Manager balances hands-on operational ownership with cross-functional collaboration to ensure services meet customer expectations while advancing Northwest Center’s mission.
Salary Range: $90,000 - $105,000
Benefits
- Competitive and affordable Medical (including hearing & hardware coverage!), Dental, Vision, Disability, and Life Insurance
- Parental Leave & Paid Compassion Leave
- Employment Assistance Program (EAP) via Spring Health
- Mental Wellness Program, including six free therapy sessions per year
- Physical Wellness Reimbursement Program - $25/month
- Student Loan Contribution Program - $50/month
- Pet Insurance Discount Program
What You’ll Do
Operational Leadership
- Lead daily operations for Northwest Center’s Laundry division, ensuring strong performance across service quality, safety, staffing, and customer satisfaction.
- Monitor operational performance, identify risks and opportunities, and implement practical improvements.
- Plan and execute key operational initiatives such as process improvements, equipment upgrades, and facility projects.
- Lead and support a diverse workforce that includes employees with disabilities and job coaches, fostering an inclusive, respectful, and productive work environment.
- Set clear expectations, provide coaching and feedback, and address performance issues in partnership with Human Resources.
Contract Compliance & Customer Support
- Serve as the primary operational contact for assigned government and commercial contracts.
- Ensure compliance with contractual requirements, including safety standards, training, wage determinations, and reporting.
- Manage customer relationships, resolve operational issues, and communicate performance as needed.
Financial & Program Support
- Oversee routine operational financial activities, including invoicing coordination and adherence to contract terms.
- Support audits, contract renewals, and special projects related to operational readiness, safety, and compliance.
What You Bring
- 7+ years of progressive leadership experience in operational environments such as manufacturing, production, logistics, facilities, or similar light industrial settings.
- Experience working in regulated or compliance-driven environments; government contracting experience preferred.
- Working knowledge of financial reporting, payroll, and invoicing processes.
- Strong problem-solving skills with a practical, data-informed approach.
- Demonstrated commitment to inclusion in people leadership and operational practices.
Working Conditions
- Flexibility to work hours aligned with operational needs, but typically day shift, Monday - Friday.
- Ability to travel routinely between multiple local sites (Tacoma and Seattle).
- Ability to obtain and maintain CLLM certification within three months of hire.
Northwest Center is committed to offering reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If a reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact us at [email protected].
At Northwest Center, we do not just accept diversity and inclusion — we celebrate it, support it, live it, and flourish in it to benefit our employees, the community, and our clientele. We believe that our strength lies within our diversity and the forward motion towards a day when people of all abilities can learn and work together.
We believe that curiosity and critical thinking are essential to dialogue and improving decision-making, planning, resource allocation, and how we treat others. Our goal is to create and implement more equitable practices, policies, and culture. To be equitable means to value and respect individuals from all cultural backgrounds, genders, races, identities, and abilities. Northwest Center is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, including disability and veterans’ status.
