As COO for our IT services organisation, you will lead and scale the operational engine of the company. You will translate strategy into execution, ensure consistent and efficient delivery of client-facing services, build operational resilience, drive process excellence, and manage cross-functional operations (delivery, support, engineering, infrastructure, vendor management) ensuring excellence in service, profitability, and growth.
You are a strategic operator who can think long-term but roll up your sleeves for execution, continuously improving how the business works.
Key Responsibilities & Accountabilities
Below are typical domains and responsibilities for a COO in an IT Services context. You should tailor or emphasise based on your business model (e.g. managed services, consulting, outsourcing, product + services hybrid).
DomainResponsibilities
Strategy & Execution
- Collaborate with CEO and leadership to define strategic initiatives and translate them into operational plans.
- Prioritise operational projects and investments aligned with business goals.
- Monitor progress, adjust course, and ensure accountability across functions.
Service Delivery & Operations
- Oversee all client delivery activities: project delivery, managed services, support, implementation, field services.
- Implement KPIs, SLAs, metrics, dashboards to monitor performance, quality, utilization, margins.
- Drive continuous improvement, standardisation of delivery methodologies, best practices, automation.
- Ensure operational scalability to support growth.
Engineering / Technical / Infrastructure
- Coordinate with CTO / Head of Engineering to align development, infrastructure, architecture, tools with operational needs.
- Lead capacity planning, infrastructure performance, reliability, disaster recovery, security operations.
- Ensure technical debt is managed, rigour in change control, release management.
Client / Vendor / Partner Management
- Manage key vendor and partner relationships (outsourced operations, technology providers, subcontractors).
- Negotiate contracts, SLAs, pricing, performance metrics.
- Act as escalation point for major client issues, coordinate resolution.
Financial & Commercial Oversight
- Share in P&L responsibility: drive operational efficiency, margin improvement, cost control.
- Collaborate with CFO / Finance to prepare budgets, forecasts, scenario planning.
- Monitor utilisation, resource allocation, project profitability.
People Leadership & Org Design
- Build, lead, mentor senior operations, delivery, support, technical operations teams.
- Define structure, roles & responsibilities; ensure adequate staffing, career plans, KPIs.
- Foster performance culture, accountability, collaboration across functions.
Risk, Compliance & Quality
- Establish and enforce governance, process compliance, operational risk controls.
- Ensure compliance with relevant standards (e.g. ISO, ITIL, GDPR, data protection, security).
- Drive quality assurance, auditing, post-mortem learning.
Change & Transformation
- Lead organisational change initiatives: process reengineering, tool rollouts, digital transformation.
- Champion innovation, automation, new operational capabilities.
Reporting & Stakeholder Engagement
- Report operational performance, risks, opportunities to CEO and Board.
- Engage cross-functionally with sales, product, HR, finance to coordinate execution.
Business Development Support
- Participate in bids and proposals from an operational perspective (estimating delivery feasibility, resource planning, risk assessment).
- Help assess potential M&A, partnerships, integration of new acquisitions from an operational standpoint.
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