Operations Manager Engineer Jobs in Tacoma, WA (NOW HIRING)

Build the future, spark innovation and align your career with purpose.

McKinstry is innovating the waste and climate harm out of the built environment and creating lasting impact. Together, we're building a thriving planet.

Buildings are a leading contributor to the climate crisis, generating nearly 40% of total global energy-related carbon emissions. We're making a lasting impact on our industry and within our communities by addressing the climate, affordability and equity crises through:

• renewables and energy services 
• engineering and design
• construction and facility services 

To get where we're going, we need big thinkers, problem solvers and collaborative mindsets. Does that sound like you?

The Opportunity with McKinstry

At McKinstry, we are committed to advancing innovation in construction by equipping our teams with the tools, insights, and support they need to deliver meaningful impact. We are seeking a Platform Operations Manager (Stratus) to join our Construction Division-someone who brings strong operational insight, a user-first mindset, and a passion for driving technology adoption across fabrication and field teams.

This is a high-impact individual contributor role focused on ensuring the Stratus platform delivers real value across fabrication operations. This role owns the platform's strategic direction, prioritization, and day-to-day operation on behalf of the Construction Division. Unlike traditional product roles, this position is embedded with the people doing the work-owning how the platform is adopted, experienced, and continuously improved in real-world environments.

Reporting directly to the Director - Digital Construction, with a dotted-line relationship to the Business Unit Manager - Network of Shops, this role serves as the voice of the user-partnering directly with detailing teams, fabrication shops, and field leaders to identify needs, set priorities, and ensure the platform performs in practice. In partnership with an enterprise platform administrator who owns backend configuration and integrations, this role leads the frontline experience and ensures platform decisions stay grounded in real-world use.

This is not a traditional product or IT role. It is an operations-focused position with clear ownership of platform outcomes-offering the opportunity to influence strategy, drive adoption, and see the direct impact of your work as McKinstry continues to scale its construction technology capabilities.

This role is based in Seattle, WA and follows a hybrid work schedule, with travel to project and fabrication sites.

Key Responsibilities

• Own the strategic direction and prioritization of the Stratus platform on behalf of the Construction Division; identify opportunities for improvement, functional gaps, pain points, and field needs, and translate them into a prioritized backlog that directs the platform roadmap.

• Own end-user enablement across all Stratus sites: lead end-user training, serve as the first point of contact for new-hire enablement, and maintain the standard operating procedures and end-user documentation for line use of the platform.

• Serve as the user-facing reviewer in the release lifecycle: perform second-line testing and sign-off before each production release, validate that data captured at the line matches business intent, and flag collection gaps and integration breakages observed in the field.

• Triage all line-level issues and own first-line support: log tickets on behalf of users, perform routine user setup and access requests within governance guardrails, and provide field evidence to support vendor escalations driven by the Enterprise platform administrator.

• Maintain tight partnership with the Enterprise Stratus platform administrator through shared rituals (weekly Stratus sync, pre-release reviews, and quarterly platform health reviews), ensuring platform decisions stay anchored to line reality and reporting platform direction and adoption up through the Director of Digital Construction and Shop leadership.

What You Need To Succeed at McKinstry

• Minimum 8 years of experience in fabrication, off-site manufacturing, VDC, or construction operations, with direct hands-on use or support of production technology platforms; Stratus experience strongly preferred.

• Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Information Technology, Business, or related field, or equivalent professional experience.

• Demonstrated ability to operate as the voice of the user: observing workflows, identifying inefficiencies, defining prioritization, and translating field needs into platform direction.

• Experience owning end-user training, documentation, and SOPs for an operational platform across multiple sites or teams.

• Strong troubleshooting and triage skills, with experience logging and managing tickets and coordinating issue resolution with technical and vendor resources.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate effectively across shop-floor users, technical partners, and division leadership.

• Ability to partner effectively with a separate platform-administration function, respecting lane boundaries while championing the needs of the line.

• Proficiency with Microsoft 365 and collaboration tools; familiarity with SharePoint, MS Project, and Power BI are a plus.

• Comfortable working safely in industrial fabrication environments and traveling to project and fabrication sites as needed (estimated travel up to 20% annually), including on-site presence during go-live activities.

• Direct hands-on experience with the Stratus Manufacturing platform preferred.

• Experience in the construction, AEC, mechanical contracting, or off-site manufacturing industries preferred.

• Familiarity with integrated construction systems such as Acumatica, Procore, or related ERP/project platforms preferred.

• Knowledge of software development life cycle (SDLC) and Agile methodologies, and exposure to platform release and configuration governance preferred.

• Certifications such as Lean/Six Sigma or relevant platform/product credentials preferred.

PeopleFirst Benefits 

When it comes to the basics, we have you covered:

• Competitive pay 401(k) with employer match and profit-sharing plan
• Paid time off and holidays
• Comprehensive medical, prescription, dental, and vision with low or zero deductible options and low out of pocket maximum.

People come first at McKinstry and we go beyond the basic benefits with:

• Family formation benefits, including adoption and IVF assistance
• Up to 16 weeks paid parental leave
• Transgender inclusive benefits
• Commuter benefits
• Pet insurance
• "Building Good" paid community service time
• Learning and advancement opportunities via McKinstry University
• McKinstry Moves onsite gyms or reimbursement for remote workers 

See benefit plan documents for complete details. 

If you're driven by our vision to build a thriving planet together, McKinstry is the place to build your career. 

The pay range for this position is $105,030- $185,500 per year; however, base pay offered may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. A bonus may be provided as part of the compensation package, in addition to a full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits, dependent on the position offered. Base pay information is based on market location.

The McKinstry group of companies are equal opportunity employers. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and qualified applicants without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, race, color, creed, marital status, national origin, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other basis protected by law. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment including, but not limited to employment, advancement, assignment, and training. This commitment to Equal Employment Opportunity is made equally as a social responsibility and as an economic and business necessity.

McKinstry is a drug-free workplace. Employment is contingent upon successfully passing a pre-employment drug and alcohol test, complying with the requirements of the Immigration Reform and Control Act and a Confidentiality Agreement, in addition to successful outcomes of background and reference checks.

Applicants for this role will only be considered if they possess current US Work Authorization, and do not require employer-sponsored VISA support to begin or remain in this role.

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