Chief of Staff  ·  Director of Business Operations
Blaze
Graham
Strategic Operations & Executive Partnership

Senior operations executive with 15+ years serving as the strategic and executional right hand to senior leadership. I build the systems, operating cadence, and cross-functional infrastructure that allow organizations to scale — and the people within them to lead.

$55M
Revenue Scaled
Headcount Growth
15+
Years Experience

Operator. Strategist.
Force Multiplier.

I'm a Director of Business Operations and Chief of Staff-level operator with 15+ years of experience building the systems, teams, and processes that allow organizations to scale. I specialize in serving as the operational right hand to founders and senior leadership — translating executive vision into coordinated action across the entire business.

My career spans executive operations, project management, and field leadership across high-growth companies. I joined All Electric Construction & Communication as the company's first dedicated operations hire in 2023 and have been central to scaling the business from $10M to $55M in revenue — building the forecasting, reporting, operating cadence, and AI-automation infrastructure that made that growth possible.

I'm a U.S. Army veteran — Sergeant, Operation Iraqi Freedom — and Warrior Leadership Course graduate, top 10% of class. The discipline, accountability, and leadership under pressure that the military instilled shapes how I operate every day.

What I do best
Serve as the connective tissue between leadership and execution — ensuring that strategy translates into action, priorities are clear, and the organization moves as one.
AI-Native Operations
I've led company-wide AI and automation adoption across forecasting, reporting, document generation, contract review, and communications — replacing manual processes with scalable, AI-first workflows.
Currently targeting
Chief of Staff or VP/Director of Operations roles at high-growth technology companies. Remote-first. Compensation commensurate with scope and impact.

Professional
History

All Electric Construction & Communication
Jan 2023 – Present
Milford, CT
Director of Business Operations  ·  Dec 2025–Present
  • Own company operating cadence — weekly leadership reviews, quarterly planning cycles, and executive reporting — keeping strategy, priorities, and execution aligned across the organization.
  • Serve as executive partner to ownership, translating strategic priorities into operating plans across project management, field operations, finance, and vendors.
  • Build and maintain forecasting, reporting, and process infrastructure that improves leadership visibility into performance and risk and supports sustained revenue growth.
  • Partner with ownership on strategic planning and organizational design, including hiring strategy, team structure, and performance management.
  • Lead AI and automation adoption across forecasting, reporting, communications, contract review, and document generation — reducing manual work and standardizing key business processes.
  • Prepare ownership for municipal contract negotiations and institutional RFP presentations by developing executive materials, briefing points, and decision frameworks.
Operations Manager  ·  Jan 2023–Dec 2025
  • As the first dedicated operations hire, built project tracking, reporting, and coordination systems from the ground up — enabling leadership to scale with greater visibility and control.
  • Implemented CRM platform with API integrations, unifying operational data across departments and eliminating manual reporting gaps.
  • Led internal communication platform deployment, establishing structured workflows that improved cross-team visibility and reduced information silos.
RW Dake Construction
Nov 2021 – Jan 2023
Wallingford, CT
Project Manager
  • Held full P&L accountability for a regional market — managing projects, personnel, warehouse operations, and estimating while maintaining cost control and delivery performance.
  • Delivered $10.1M in project volume at 19.1% gross profit in 2022 through disciplined cost management and schedule control.
  • Built a competitive subcontractor network from scratch; recruited and managed 30+ field personnel in a new market.
Pavarini Construction
Sep 2019 – Nov 2021
Stamford, CT
Superintendent
  • Directed workforces of up to 60 people across multiple concurrent commercial projects, managing operations, budget, and schedule performance.
  • Led owner and designer meetings; managed all documentation, RFIs, and stakeholder communications across active projects.
M. Frank Higgins & Co.
Jan 2018 – Sep 2019
Newington, CT
Project Manager
  • Managed project budgets of $7M+ with full accountability for cost control, procurement, and on-time delivery.
  • Maintained strong relationships with contractors, design teams, and end users from kickoff through closeout.
Union Flooring Installations
Oct 2016 – Jan 2018
Watertown, CT
Project Manager / Estimator
  • Managed estimating, subcontractor procurement, and scheduling across commercial installation contracts in Connecticut.
AMC Environmental
Apr 2014 – Oct 2016
Woodbridge, CT
Environmental Project Manager
  • Managed environmental construction and remediation projects from initiation through closeout across budgets, subcontractors, and client communications.
United States Army
Dec 2005 – Dec 2012
Sergeant
Operation Iraqi Freedom  ·  Warrior Leadership Course, Top 10%
  • Completed a twelve-month deployment to Iraq (Operation Iraqi Freedom); received Army Achievement Medal and Army Commendation Medal.
  • Led and trained up to 30 soldiers; graduated Warrior Leadership Course in the top 10% of class.

Core Skills

Executive Leadership
Executive Partnership Leadership Advisory Strategic Planning Executive Communications Stakeholder Management Change Management
Operations
Operating Cadence Design Cross-Functional Execution Forecasting & Reporting Budget & Cost Control Vendor Management Workforce Planning Contract Administration
Systems & Tools
AI & Workflow Automation CRM Implementation SOP Development RFP Strategy Operational Infrastructure Smartsheet Procore

Let's Connect

I'm actively exploring Chief of Staff and VP/Director of Operations roles at high-growth technology companies. If you're building something ambitious and need an operator who can run alongside leadership — I'd love to talk.

Email
blaze@blazegraham.com
Location
Milford, CT  ·  Open to Remote
Ready to talk?
The best way to reach me is directly by email. I respond promptly and am available for introductory calls at most times.