Chief Operating Officer (COO)
Increase your chances of an interview by reading the following overview of this role before making an application.
Hertfordshire, UK
Our client is a fast-growing, privately-owned retail business in a strong financial position, with ambitious plans for expansion across the UK and internationally. We are looking for a highly seasoned Chief Operating Officer (COO) to join their team. This is a critical new role, reporting directly to the Founder, and working closely with the CFO and other members of the executive leadership team.
The Role
As the first COO, you will be responsible for overseeing the companys operational functions and maturing processes to support rapid growth. You will provide strategic leadership to key corporate functions. Your primary objective will be to enhance operational efficiency, scalability, and profitability, while championing an exceptional customer experience.
Key Responsibilities
* Strategic Leadership: Develop and execute a robust operational strategy that aligns with the company’s ambitious growth plans.
* Operational Oversight: Steer and optimize the various key divisions, ensuring they operate efficiently and effectively.
* Customer Experience: Lead initiatives to improve the end-to-end customer journey, ensuring the brand ethos of warmth and inviting service is reflected across all channels.
* Process Maturity: Implement mature processes and systems to support expansion, ensuring the company can scale effectively without compromising quality.
* Team Management: Oversee and mentor a high-performing team, fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement.
* Financial & Performance Management: Collaborate with the CFO to monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) and financial metrics, ensuring operational activities contribute to the companys financial goals.
* Logistics & Distribution: Leverage knowledge in logistics and distribution to enhance the supply chain, ensuring timely and efficient delivery of products.
What Were Looking For
* Seasoned Experience: You should have a proven track record of success in a senior operational leadership role, within a retail, logistics, FMCG or similar.
* Retail & Logistics Background: A strong background in retail, with significant experience in logistics and/or distribution, is preferred.
* Empathetic Leader: You have a genuine desire to improve the customer experience and possess strong leadership qualities that reflect the companys well-being-focused and warm culture.
* Growth Mindset: You are a strategic thinker with the ability to identify opportunities for improvement and drive change in a dynamic environment.
* Experience with building: We are in a critical growth phase so need someone to have established processes from scratch preferably in a small/medium sized business.
Why Join This Company?
This is a unique opportunity to join a financially stable and rapidly expanding company at a pivotal moment. You will be instrumental in shaping its future and building the foundation for its next phase of growth. The company offers a warm, inviting, and supportive culture that prioritizes employee well-being and a customer-centric ethos. If you are a high-calibre individual who is ready to take this business to the next level, we would love to hear from you.