Chief Operating Officer

About the Role

This role involves serving as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) for an expansive leadership development and culture transformation consultancy with a global presence across six continents. The consultancy is mission-driven to create inclusive and transformative environments and embrace change they wish to see globally.

The COO will act as a trusted partner to the Founder, overseeing the operational functions and driving sustainable growth while fostering a high-performance culture aligned with core human values.

Key Responsibilities

• Own and manage day-to-day operations involving delivery teams, pillar leads, and various experiential formats.
• Develop scalable programme management systems enhancing visibility, reducing bottlenecks, and introducing consistent execution processes.
• Lead commercial scaling efforts impacting margins, profitability, and forecasting, while establishing clear, documented operations and predictable KPIs.
• Serve as a strategic partner to the Founder by providing thoughtful challenges, prioritizing initiatives, and balancing operational demands.
• Promote an accountable and high-performance culture consistent with the organization’s human-centric values.

Candidate Profile

• Senior operational leader experience as COO, Operations Director or equivalent with end-to-end operational ownership.
• Proven ability to thrive in fast-paced, founder-led, or owner-managed environments with evolving priorities.
• Strong commercial insight combined with process expertise to implement frameworks that enhance accountability without burdening with bureaucracy.
• Emotional intelligence and relational agility, understanding and preserving the unique purpose-driven culture.
• Flexibility to work fully remotely with availability for regular travel to London and South East England for strategic meetings.

Preferred Qualifications

• Formal project management certifications such as PRINCE2, Agile, PMP, or similar credentials.
• Experience related to leadership development, executive coaching, or collaboration with delivery-focused operational leadership.

Additional Details

• Location: Fully remote with frequent travel to London/South East England.
• Salary starts from £95,000, complemented by discretionary annual bonuses and potential future equity participation.
• Permanent full-time position offering a 4-day workweek option (pro-rata).
• Structured and generous handover period, as the incumbent COO will retire June 2027, allowing a smooth transition and deep understanding before full leadership.

Why Join?

This opportunity enables the COO to liberate the Founder to concentrate on growth initiatives, ensure reliable global client delivery, and support a purpose-driven team in their leadership evolution. The role offers an impactful leadership chance within a meaningful, transformational environment.

Further information about the client, company culture, and operational scope will be made available following preliminary discussions with shortlisted candidates.