About 1st Formations
At 1st Formations, we empower entrepreneurs to start, run, and grow their businesses with confidence.
Running a business shouldn’t be slowed down by company formation, statutory compliance, accounting, or payroll. From day one, these essentials should be seamless, reliable, and intelligently handled — freeing founders to focus on building and scaling.
We’re a leading UK provider of company formation and compliance services, building a modern, fully integrated technology platform that supports founders at every stage of their journey. Our platform brings together formation, compliance, accounting, payroll, and ongoing business support in one cohesive experience.
No stitched-together services.
No legacy workflows disguised as software.
Just a single, scalable platform built for ambitious founders who want to move fast, stay compliant, and grow with confidence.
Why Join Us Now?
You’ll be joining a business with strong momentum, clear direction, and real opportunity for progression.
* £18m annual revenue, including £9m ARR
* Over 1 million companies formed
* Certified B Corp and Carbon Neutral Business
* Forecast to grow 5x–10x over the next three years
The Role
We are seeking a dynamic and commercially minded Chief Operating Officer (COO) to lead operational performance, scalability, and service excellence across all functions at 1st Formations.
This is a high-impact, hands-on leadership role with significant strategic influence, responsible for driving the next stage of growth, innovation, and operational maturity in a fast-paced, customer-centric environment.
The COO will play a critical role in shaping and executing the company’s long-term operational strategy, ensuring regulatory compliance, optimising systems and processes, and building high-performing teams that deliver consistent, measurable results.
Key Responsibilities
* Lead the design and execution of scalable operational strategies that support business growth, regulatory compliance, and exceptional customer service.
* Partner with the executive team to define and implement the company’s long-term vision, commercial objectives, and operational roadmap.
* Oversee and optimise core business functions including compliance, customer operations, and internal support teams to ensure efficiency, accuracy, and service consistency.
* Establish, monitor, and refine clear KPIs and reporting frameworks to drive accountability, cross-functional alignment, and data-led decision-making.
* Build and foster a high-performance culture rooted in ownership, continuous improvement, and operational excellence.
* Drive innovation by evaluating and implementing new tools, platforms, technologies, and partnerships that enhance productivity, scalability, and customer experience.
* Ensure operational resilience, risk management, and adherence to regulatory frameworks within a regulated, service-led environment.
What We Are Looking For
* A commercially astute, systems-oriented operations leader with a proven track record of scaling digital or service-based businesses.
* Demonstrated success balancing strategic leadership with hands-on execution in fast-paced environments.
* Deep understanding of compliance, regulatory frameworks, and customer operations—ideally within professional services or regulated sectors.
* A data-driven decision-maker who proactively identifies opportunities for optimisation and delivers measurable improvements.
* An inspiring and collaborative leader who builds high-performing teams grounded in accountability, trust, and service excellence.
* A strong communicator and problem-solver who embraces innovation, leads change effectively, and continually raises operational standards.
What We Offer
* Competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package
* Office-based
* Real opportunities for progression as the business scales
* The chance to influence both customer experience and product development
* A culture that values ownership, impact, and continuous learning
Equal Opportunities
1st Formations is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. We consider all applicants for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, criminal history, disability, or gender identity. We encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know.