COO driving operational leadership and execution in a publicly listed media and technology company. Leading teams and optimizing operations for sustainable growth and delivery.
Responsibilities
Operational strategy & execution: Translate CEO and Board strategy into clear operational plans, priorities and KPIs; set the cadence for delivery and hold the organisation to account for outcomes.
Delivery leadership: Lead execution across production, distribution, commercial partnerships and customer operations to ensure consistent, high-quality delivery.
Process excellence & systems: Simplify and standardise core operating processes; lead selection, implementation and adoption of operational systems (ERP, project management, ticketing, CRM integrations) to create a single source of operational truth.
P&L stewardship (operational focus): Partner with commercial and finance leaders to forecast and control operating costs, improve gross margins and translate strategy into operational budgets and plans.
People & leadership: Build, coach and hold accountable high‑performing operational teams; define clear roles, responsibilities and reporting lines; set performance standards and development plans for direct reports.
Risk, compliance & controls: Establish and maintain operational controls, business continuity and vendor management frameworks; ensure compliance with relevant laws and contractual obligations.
Cross‑functional partnership: Act as the primary execution partner to the executive leadership team, ensuring operational feasibility of commercial initiatives and enabling rapid, joined‑up decision‑making.
Commercial & partner management: Manage key supplier and partner relationships; negotiate commercial terms, define SLAs and hold partners to agreed performance metrics.
Reporting & performance management: Deliver concise, timely reporting to the CEO and Board covering KPIs, risks, issues and remediation plans; foster a “no surprises” culture through proactive communication.
Continuous improvement: Instil a test‑and‑learn mindset focused on measurable improvements in throughput, quality and cost efficiency.
Integration leadership: Lead operational planning and execution for acquisitions and major integrations to ensure timely, effective outcomes.
Requirements
Proven senior operations experience: Demonstrable track record as a COO, Head of Operations or similar role, leading operations in complex, multi‑division businesses.
Execution focus: Strong bias for action with an ability to translate strategy into operational outcomes and measurable performance improvements.
Scalable mindset: Experience designing and implementing robust frameworks, processes and systems that scale across the business.
Commercial acumen: Comfortable managing vendor/commercial contracts, operational P&Ls and budgeting with a clear focus on margin improvement.
Leadership & influence: Decisive, resilient leader with gravitas; able to build trust with executive peers, operational teams and external partners.
Risk & compliance awareness: Proven experience establishing operational controls, business continuity planning and vendor governance.
Stakeholder management: Excellent communicator with the ability to present clearly to the CEO and Board and to manage demanding internal and external stakeholders.
**Key performance indicators**
Financial delivery: Delivering on‑budget results across multiple operational P&Ls.
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