Fractional COO / Founding Operations Director

About the role

We are seeking an accomplished and strategic Fractional Chief Operating Officer (COO) / Founding Operations Director to establish, strengthen, and scale our organization's operational infrastructure. This executive-level role will partner closely with the founder and leadership team to translate business objectives into actionable operating plans, improve organizational performance, and build scalable systems that support sustainable growth.

The successful candidate will bring substantial experience in business operations, strategic planning, financial oversight, organizational development, and change management. This individual will help establish operational priorities, improve cross-functional coordination, strengthen leadership accountability, and implement the processes and performance metrics needed to support long-term success.

As a fractional executive, the COO will provide senior-level operational leadership on an agreed part-time basis, focusing on the organization's most important operational priorities and growth initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic and Operational Leadership

• ·Develop and execute operational strategies aligned with the organization's business objectives and long-term growth plans.
• ·Establish scalable operating systems, policies, procedures, and workflows that improve efficiency, consistency, and accountability.
• ·Partner with the founder and executive leadership to define organizational priorities, establish performance targets, and monitor progress.
• ·Identify operational bottlenecks, assess business risks, and implement practical solutions that improve overall performance.
• ·Establish management routines, reporting structures, and performance indicators that support effective decision-making.

Business Growth and Development

• ·Identify opportunities to expand business operations, improve service delivery, and strengthen competitive positioning.
• ·Evaluate strategic partnerships, new markets, business opportunities, and initiatives that support sustainable growth.
• ·Collaborate with leadership on business development priorities, resource planning, and execution strategies.
• ·Align operational capacity, staffing, systems, and budgets with projected business needs.

Financial and Performance Management

• ·Support budgeting, financial forecasting, resource allocation, and operational expense management.
• ·Review profit and loss performance, operating costs, and key financial indicators in collaboration with finance leadership.
• ·Develop operational dashboards and management reports that provide visibility into business performance.
• ·Identify opportunities to improve cost efficiency, resource utilization, and operational returns.
• ·Ensure operational decisions are supported by reliable data, appropriate financial analysis, and clear performance measures.

Organizational Development and Change Management

• ·Lead organizational change initiatives associated with business expansion, process improvement, restructuring, or new operating models.
• ·Establish clear roles, responsibilities, reporting relationships, and accountability standards across business functions.
• ·Guide leadership teams through operational transitions while maintaining business continuity.
• ·Support workforce planning, leadership development, and the implementation of effective management practices.
• ·Foster a culture of continuous improvement, collaboration, accountability, and disciplined execution.

Project and Program Management

• ·Direct high-impact operational projects from planning through implementation and evaluation.
• ·Define project objectives, milestones, resource requirements, ownership, and success measures.
• ·Coordinate cross-functional teams to ensure initiatives remain aligned with strategic priorities, timelines, and budgets.
• ·Monitor progress, address implementation risks, and communicate results to executive leadership.
• ·Introduce standardized project management practices that improve visibility and execution across the organization.

Systems, Processes, and Operational Excellence

• ·Assess existing business processes and recommend improvements that reduce inefficiencies and support scalability.
• ·Implement appropriate systems, tools, and workflows to improve communication, documentation, reporting, and task management.
• ·Establish standard operating procedures and process documentation that reduce dependence on informal or founder-led workflows.
• ·Use operational data and performance analysis to identify trends, evaluate results, and guide continuous improvement.
• ·Develop an operating framework that supports growth without creating unnecessary complexity or overhead.

Executive Collaboration and Leadership

• ·Serve as a strategic operating partner to the founder, CEO, and other senior leaders.
• ·Provide recommendations on organizational structure, operational investments, resource allocation, and strategic execution.
• ·Coordinate department leaders and functional owners to ensure priorities are aligned and commitments are met.
• ·Establish regular leadership reviews and accountability processes to monitor business objectives.
• ·Mentor managers and help develop the internal capabilities required for long-term operational independence.

Qualifications

• ·Extensive experience in executive operations, business management, strategic planning, or organizational leadership.
• ·Demonstrated success building or scaling business operations, implementing systems, and improving organizational performance.
• ·Strong background in process optimization, operational excellence, project management, and cross-functional execution.
• ·Experience overseeing budgets, financial forecasts, operating expenses, and profit and loss performance.
• ·Proven ability to lead organizational change, establish accountability, and guide teams through periods of growth or transition.
• ·Experience working with founders, CEOs, senior executives, or leadership teams to implement strategic initiatives.
• ·Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including the ability to interpret operational and financial data.
• ·Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to influence stakeholders and communicate effectively at the executive level.
• ·Demonstrated ability to prioritize competing initiatives, manage complex programs, and deliver measurable outcomes.
• ·Familiarity with business management systems, project management tools, performance dashboards, and process documentation.
• ·Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Operations Management, Finance, or a related field preferred; an MBA or equivalent executive experience is an advantage.
• ·Ability to work independently in a fractional capacity while maintaining consistent communication, sound judgment, and accountability for agreed deliverables.

Engagement Structure

• ·Fractional, part-time executive engagement with an agreed time commitment and scope of responsibility.
• ·Direct collaboration with the founder and executive leadership.
• ·Clearly defined operational priorities, milestones, performance indicators, and deliverables.
• ·Flexibility to focus on the organization's most pressing operational needs as business priorities evolve.
• ·Remote or flexible working arrangements, subject to business requirements.

Pay: $278,000.00 - $315,000.00 per year

Benefits

• ·401(k)
• ·401(k) matching
• ·Dental insurance
• ·Flexible schedule
• ·Health insurance
• ·Health savings account
• ·Life insurance
• ·Retirement plan
• ·Tuition reimbursement
• ·Vision insurance

Work

Location

Remote