KLR Executive Search group is proud to partner with a large, privately held, and rapidly growing retail company with over 80 locations across New England. They are seeking a new Chief Operating Officer (COO) to help lead and grow their dynamic organization. Operating primarily in retail, with additional business lines in gas, food service, and heating operations, the Company serves customers across multiple industries with a focus on service, safety, and community impact. As they continue to expand, they are focused on building a sustainable, operationally excellent business that delivers value through people, process, and performance.
The Opportunity:
The COO will be the key operational leader across the Company's diverse and growing portfolio of business lines. This is an amazing opportunity for a tactical operational leader, who has strong experience with bringing a unified approach, can align cross-functional teams, and drive meaningful performance improvements across the enterprise. The ideal candidate will be a proven operator with experience in complex, service-based, multi-location companies and a grounded, ego-free leadership style.
Key Responsibilities:
* Oversee day-to-day operations across multiple business units including gas stations, food service, retail, heating operations (HOPS), and car wash.
* Partner closely with the Training and Safety departments to ensure alignment of processes, onboarding, and compliance initiatives.
* Build, mentor, and empower operations teams; ensure alignment with business goals and company values.
* Drive operational efficiency through data-driven decision making and continuous improvement practices.
* Translate corporate strategy into actionable, aligned operating plans across departments.
* Understand how to build a brand while still achieving aggressive financial goals, balancing people, service, and margin.
* Leverage data to drive accountability, reporting, forecasting, and operational improvement across the company.
Qualifications:
* 10+ years in senior operations roles with privately held, family-owned, or post-acquisition private equity-backed companies.
* Strong track record in multi-unit, multi-line service businesses (retail, HVAC, food service, etc.).
* Proven experience leading and scaling non-tech, people-powered operations.
* Exceptional at process design, implementation, and change management.
* Strong leadership presence: collaborative, grounded, and respected by both executives and frontline teams.
* Excellent analytical skills: can build dashboards, interpret KPIs, and guide decision-making through data.
* High emotional intelligence: able to navigate competing interests, resolve misalignments, and build trust.
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