Business Operations Specialist

Columbia Safety Services; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

401(k)

Paid time off

Company laptop

Job summary

Columbia Safety Services in Seattle seeks a highly driven individual to own operations and AI-driven process improvements. You will work directly with the CEO and collaborate with operations, accounting, and marketing to deploy new offices, set up fleets, and standardize processes across multiple states.

You will build Claude Projects, automate workflows, and streamline onboarding, licensing, and vendor management while maintaining a clean Microsoft 365 environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree, or a track record that clearly substitutes for one.
• 2+ years owning outcomes, not just tasks.
• Daily use of Claude or comparable AI tools to produce real work.
• Strong Excel skills and ability to build a working model.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft 365 and common business software.
• Ability to interview people and translate insights into better processes.
• Clear, professional written and verbal communication.
• Residence in the Greater Seattle area, in-office role.
• Valid driver’s license and clean driving record.
• Ability to pass a background check and pre-employment drug screen.

Responsibilities

• Own: new office and market setup, including space, phones, internet, furniture and equipment.
• Manage vehicle ordering and fleet maintenance tracking.
• Administer licensing across multiple states; track renewals.
• Handle corporate purchasing, vendor contracts, and renewals.
• Oversee centralized alarm monitoring billing and onboarding logistics.
• Roll out policies and programs across operating companies.
• Support acquisitions with diligence documents and checklists.
• Map current workflows and rebuild for efficiency.
• Build and maintain Claude Projects and AI-assisted workflows for staff use.
• Document standard work to preserve improvements.

Skills

Claude AI

Data analysis

Excel

Process improvement

Professional communication

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Tools

Microsoft 365

Power BI

SharePoint

Acumatica / ERP

Job description

Bargaining Unit Status: Non-union

Travel: Occasional travel to branch offices and new market locations (roughly 10–15%)

About Columbia Safety Services

Columbia Safety Services is the parent company of a growing group of fire and life safety businesses across the Pacific Northwest and Intermountain West:

• Columbia Fire, LLC — Seattle, WA
• Valley Fire Control, LLC — Albany and Newport, OR + Spokane, WA
• FFF Protection — Greater Boise, with an office in Nampa, ID

Our companies design, install, inspect, and service fire sprinkler systems, fire alarm systems, suppression systems, portable extinguishers, and the life safety equipment that protects people and property. We grow both organically and through acquisition, and we are building a formidable platform for the long term.

Our core values guide how we operate: Customer First, Grit, Effective Communication, Own the Outcome, Take Pride in the Work, and Do the Right Thing.

The Opportunity

This is not an administrative job, and we are not looking for someone to process tasks. We are looking for someone unusually driven who thinks clearly and moves quickly — the kind of person who reads a problem, works out what actually needs to happen, and comes back with it done.

You will work directly with the CEO and alongside operations, accounting, and marketing. Some responsibilities will be permanently yours. The rest of the job is being the person leadership hands things to because you get them done.

What You'll Own

• New office and new market setup: space, phones, internet, furniture, signage, equipment, and getting a location functional
• Vehicle ordering and outfitting to company standards, plus fleet maintenance tracking
• Licensing: applications, renewals, and a tracking system that keeps every company and technician current across multiple states
• Corporate purchasing and vendor contracts — sourcing, comparing, negotiating, and managing renewals
• Centralized alarm monitoring billing
• Onboarding logistics: equipment, accounts, access, and making a new hire's first day work
• Policy and program rollouts across the operating companies
• Acquisition support: diligence document collection, integration checklists, and the operational work that follows a close
• Workflow improvement: sitting with administrative staff and middle managers, mapping how work actually gets done today, and rebuilding the parts that waste time
• Building and maintaining Claude Projects and other AI-assisted workflows that our staff can use independently, without you standing over them
• Documenting standard work so improvements outlast the person who made them
• Systems hygiene — keeping our Microsoft 365 environment, shared files, and internal tools organized and usable

Where You'll Plug In

Beyond what you own, you will support wherever the need is greatest:

• Operations — reporting, scheduling support, vendor coordination, process documentation
• Marketing — website updates, recruiting posts, presentation and proposal materials
• Executive — research, analysis, and one-off projects that need a fast, accurate answer

Technology, AI, and Process Improvement

This is a substantial part of the job, not a line we added because it sounds current.

We expect you to already be a heavy Claude user. Not someone who has tried it — someone who reaches for it daily, knows how to get reliable output from it, and understands where it helps and where it does not. You should be comfortable building and maintaining well-structured Claude Projects: clear instructions, the right reference material loaded, and workflows organized well enough that a non-technical employee can use them on their own.

A significant share of this role is sitting down with our administrative staff and middle managers, one at a time, and working out where their time actually goes. Then fixing it. Sometimes that means a better process. Sometimes it means removing a step that no longer earns its place. Often it means building an AI-assisted workflow that turns a two-hour task into a ten-minute one.

You should also be the person who builds the spreadsheet, automates the recurring task, and keeps the shared environment clean.

Who You Are

• Driven — you want real responsibility now and you are willing to earn it
• Analytical — you think before you act and you can explain your reasoning
• Fast and thorough — you understand those are not opposites
• Self-directed — you do not need to be told how, and you follow through without reminders
• Organized — nothing you touch gets dropped or forgotten
• Direct — you ask when you are stuck and you flag problems early
• Gritty — one of our core values, and this seat tests it. The work is not always interesting, and you finish it anyway.
• Curious about how work gets done — you cannot improve a process you did not bother to understand
• Credible with staff — people will only tell you the truth about their workload if they trust you
• Trustworthy — you will see confidential financial and personnel information

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree, or a track record that clearly substitutes for one
• 2+ years in a role where you personally owned outcomes, not just tasks
• Daily, demonstrated use of Claude or comparable AI tools to produce real work — be prepared to show us what you have built
• Strong Excel skills — you can build a working model, not just enter data
• Working command of Microsoft 365 and comfort administering everyday business software
• Ability to interview people about their own work and translate what you hear into a better process
• Clear, professional written and verbal communication
• Residence in the Greater Seattle area, or willingness to relocate before your start date; this is an in-office role
• Valid driver’s license and clean driving record
• Ability to pass a background check and pre-employment drug screen

No fire protection experience is required. We will teach you the industry.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience building AI workflows, prompt libraries, or Claude Projects that other people rely on
• Lean, Six Sigma, or continuous improvement training or hands-on experience
• Experience writing SOPs or standard work documentation
• Experience training non-technical staff on new tools and getting real adoption
• Microsoft 365 or SharePoint administration
• Power BI, Power Automate, or comparable reporting and automation tools
• ERP exposure (Acumatica or similar)
• Experience with licensing, permitting, or regulatory filings
• Prior experience at a small or rapidly growing company where you wore several hats
• Military service
• Interest in operations leadership as a long-term career

Compensation

• Annual salary: $70,000 – $90,000, depending on experience and demonstrated capability
• Classification: full-time, salaried, non-exempt. Hours are tracked, and overtime is paid for hours worked over 40 in a workweek.
• This role is not commission-eligible. Discretionary bonus consideration may apply based on company and individual performance; bonuses are not guaranteed.

Placement within the range reflects experience, technical ability, and evidence that you can operate independently.

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance through Regence BlueShield, Delta Dental of Washington, and VSP — available to employees scheduled 30 or more hours per week, effective the first of the month following or coinciding with your hire date
• The company pays approximately 90% of the employee premium on the HSA-qualified medical plan, plus a substantial share of dependent premiums
• Health Savings Account with a $600 annual company contribution
• 401(k) with Safe Harbor employer match up to 3.5%
• Paid time off starting at 10 days annually and increasing with length of service
• Company-paid basic life and AD&D insurance
• Employee Assistance Program, telehealth access, and optional pet insurance
• Paid training, certifications, and continuing education
• Company laptop and technology package
• Paid access to the AI and software tools you need to do this well
• Full-time, Monday through Friday, in-office at our Seattle location
• Standard business hours, with occasional evening or weekend work around office openings, acquisition closings, and deadlines
• Occasional travel to branch offices and new market locations, roughly 10–15% of the time
• Primarily office-based, with occasional light lifting and time at branch and jobsite locations

Why This Role Works

• Direct access to the CEO and the executive team from day one
• You learn how a multi-state business actually runs, not one narrow function
• Real ownership early, with room to take on more as fast as you can handle it
• A company that wants you to rebuild its processes rather than defend them
• Strong performance gets noticed quickly here
• Long-term career paths across operations, finance, and general management

Columbia Safety Services, LLC is an equal opportunity employer. We value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Reasonable accommodations will be made for qualified individuals with disabilities in accordance with applicable law.

Employment with Columbia Safety Services, LLC is at-will and may be terminated by either party at any time, with or without cause or notice, consistent with applicable law.