Operations Manager
SOS International
Total years of experience :32 years, 3 Months
Manage $108M US Air Force FMS program costs, operations, and logistics for the demolition and construction of infrastructure and facilities in Iraq to support the arrival of new F-16 aircraft for the Iraqi Air Force. Manage multiple functional areas including Operations, A&F, Project Controls, Contracts, Human Resources, Procurement, IT, Property and Safety to develop and implement processes and procedures in an austere work environment.
• Develop communications with management to understand operational needs in order to project spending characteristics, planning, staffing, business development, technological needs and resource management.
• Manage all computer and IT systems including design, implementation and maintenance of laptops, servers, and all other devices including security and access to internal network.
• Develop reporting systems to track and communicate program status, open actions, deliverables, issues and other relevant information.
• Created the deployment guidelines to mobilize personnel through international airports, arranging travel, transportation, security, hotel accommodations, visas and medical processing.
• Develop job descriptions and justifications for all functional areas including Human Resources, Operations, IT, Safety, Security and other administrative and management positions.
Managed all functional areas at employee training center facilities in Dubai and New Delhi supporting multiple worldwide locations. Evaluated all procedures to comply with requirements in the UAE, US, India, Kuwait and other Middle East countries. Managed fiscal responsibilities, evaluated Key Performance Indicators, approved expenditures, and forecast budget estimates including labor, subcontracts, materials, and equipment.
• Successfully transitioned the Deployment Center Business Unit from a major contractor (DynCorp International) to a subcontract service provider (CenterScope Technologies).
• Enhanced operational efficiencies and on-boarding techniques to process over 6, 000 civilians of several nationalities as well as movement of over 15, 000 personnel into multiple areas of operation.
• Developed Statements of Work (SOW), Standard Operation Procedures (SOP), and RFPs, for services including accommodations, transportation, medical services, logistics, staffing, banquet hall, food and beverages, and offices.
• Produced events for employees, clients and government officials to present a wide array of industry-specific information and develop new business revenue.
• Developed marketing strategies to acquire new business including online material and production of print and electronic media as well as identifying appropriate channels to pursue prospective clients.
• Built robust documentation procedures as part of the Quality Management System (QMS) to qualify for corporate ISO 9000 certification as well as safety and security procedures.
• Produced training methods for a multi-cultural workforce including language and semantic differentiation with region-specific examples and developed a Train-the-Trainer Program to increase the effectiveness of all presenters.
Managed multiple functions at employee evaluation, training and deployment center facilities in Kuwait and New Delhi including Training and Orientation, Reporting, Staffing, Travel, Visas, Compliance and Quality. Created data management procedures to track the evaluation process and optimized operations to reduce cost and processing time.
• Successfully established the New Delhi Deployment Center which included the selection of venues for housing and offices, as well as transportation, Internet connectivity, medical services and labor contracts.
• Developed the DynCorp Kuwait to New Delhi Transition Plan which included the Statements of Work for services including medical evaluation, logistics, food and beverage, hotel accommodations and conference facilities; it also included a detailed transition schedule and Project Plan that was successfully implemented.
• Integrated new functions into the Operations Department:
1. Full oversight and management of all Training and Orientation processes including content delivery methods.
2. Full oversight and management of all Travel and Immigration arrangements into and out of New Delhi, Kuwait and Dubai, including cost analysis and flight availability matrix.
• Created training methods and strategies for multiple nationalities to comprehend diverse subject matter including health & safety, military policies, first aid, environmental awareness, human resources, harassment and several others.
• Reduced processing time from 15 days to 6 days for a savings of over US$500, 000 in accommodations and meals.
• Created a visa tracking system to manage over 20, 000 visa applications for employees traveling in and out of Afghanistan, Iraq, Kuwait and Oman.
• Proposed Pre-Arrival standards for Recruiting requirements, resulting in a 90% decrease of candidates being disqualified from employment which also improved the Return On Investment, a leading KPI.
Two roles
Event Coordinator
Managed the daily operations and maintenance of multiple recreation and event facilities. Developed events for the US military, Department of Defense and auxiliary personnel in a war zone. Developed operating procedures to fulfill contractual requirements and client feedback. Supervised a staff of 30 multinational citizens.
• Awarded Certificates of Excellence and Appreciation from the US Army and KBR.
• Managed large US holiday special events for the US Army and Air Force including NFL New England Patriots and Washington Redskins cheerleaders, Robin Williams, and several other celebrities, singers and entertainers.
• Planned the remodeling of an existing recreation and special event structure to meet the needs of the customer and to promote community events for a population of over 20, 000.
• Developed processes to efficiently maintain multiple facilities, schedule personnel and coordinate events.
Managed multi-million dollar project costs and allocations for multiple departments and Regional Embassy sites as part of the United States Embassy Mission in Iraq. Forecasted costs and analyzed data to predict spending trends and their relationship to the current and projected budget.
• Managed US$235 million budget for US Embassy Regional Support in the International Zone, Iraq.
• Analyzed data to de-scope and save US$38 million based on the actual cost of work performed, current mission objectives and estimated budget at completion.
• Developed communications with Department Managers to understand department operations in order to predict future requirements and spending characteristics, including staffing requirements.
• Prepared budget requirements and justifications for proposals, Basis of Estimates (BOEs), and change management regarding defined periods of performance.
• Analyzed labor hours for a workforce of over 1200 employees, tracked overtime and identified trends.
Produced all events, functions, and programs including one of the largest music festivals in central Texas. Evaluated and
selected subcontractors and negotiated contracts for all services including entertainment, security, service providers and
exhibitors. Planned and implemented all infrastructure requirements including power, telecommunications, signage,
transportation, lighting, parking, traffic, pest control, waste management, and construction.
• Successfully transformed a small two-day event into a large five-day multi-stage music festival and carnival with an
attendance of over 40, 000.
• Negotiated corporate sponsorships, including Time Warner Cable, Clear Channel Communications and ExxonMobil
as title sponsors for the Austin Cinco de Mayo Music Festival.
• Developed a business plan to grow the organization and events organically and maintain local culture.
• Created RFPs and Statements of Work for all services including sound and lighting, security, beverages, carnival,
canopies and sponsors.
• Developed and managed all aspects of special events including galas, awards ceremonies, appreciation dinners and
concerts at various venues including convention centers, university arenas, exhibit halls and outdoor fairgrounds.
• Managed a staff of 300 including police, safety, security, operations, logistics, transportation, stage, sound, medical and
support personnel, including crisis management.
• Developed safety and security plan and coordinated with municipal and law enforcement agencies for compliance to
local government laws and regulations.
• Enforced Food and Beverage Health regulations and conducted meetings for all vendors to meet legal requirements.
• Developed advertising and marketing strategies to reach target audiences and expand beyond current attendance levels.
• Developed social media and online campaigns to target specific demographics.
Managed the logistics and setup of several high-profile events for IBM, Dell, Freescale Semiconductor, Motorola and
other clients. Managed the scope of work, change policies, proposal evaluations and allocation of resources including
staff, food and beverage, conference room assignments, etc. Managed all aspects of the Creative/Production
Department including all print, large format posters, banners, wall wraps, flags, and custom productions, as well as
electronic and multimedia presentations, implementation systems and personnel. Created schedules, assigned tasks to
department staff and freelance artists and tracked milestones in the production process.
• Developed environmental branding and communications for several clients including a series of IBM Executive Sales
and Technology conferences in multiple cities across North America, Europe, Africa, and Asia regions.
• Managed pre-event planning and setup including schedule of staff and delivererables, stakeholder expectation and risk
mitigation. Also managed tear down of show and any logistics needed for client equipment and materials.
• Established relationships with all stakeholders including clients, sponsors, service providers, producers and event staff.
• Managed event services including food and beverage, concierge, lodging, and transportation and signage installation.
• Coordinated with venues (i.e. hotels, convention centers, etc.) to deliver power, telecom, and other infrastructure
services needed for meetings, breakout sessions, registration, general sessions, receptions, concerts and special events.
• Created catalogs, programs and other print materials for use during trade shows and conferences like the IBM
Education Business University for 12, 000 IBM employees and partners.
• Developed marketing material to generate new business for conference and special event services.
• Reconciled invoices for environmental branding, exhibits, conference and tradeshow artifacts.