Chief Operating Officer

<p class="text-muted mb-3">SF Partners are working with a business based in West Midlands who are looking for a Chief Operating Officer to join the rapidly growing business.</p>

<p class="text-muted mb-3">Office based</p>

<p class="text-muted mb-3">c£100,000 - £125,000 plus benefits</p>

<p class="text-muted mb-3">You must have worked in a large scale logistics business previously - this is essential</p>

<p class="text-muted mb-3">The Opportunity</p>

<p class="text-muted mb-3">An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced Chief Operating Officer to join a fast-growth, entrepreneurial logistics business in the West Midlands. The organisation has experienced significant growth and has reached a point where it requires an accomplished senior operational leader to help take the business through its next stage of development.</p>

<p class="text-muted mb-3">Working closely with the CEO, the COO will bring greater structure, operational discipline, controls and accountability across the organisation while protecting the entrepreneurial culture and pace that have contributed to the company's success.</p>

<p class="text-muted mb-3">This is not a role for someone who simply wants to oversee an already established corporate infrastructure. The successful individual will need to be comfortable getting close to the operation, identifying what needs to change and personally driving those improvements through the business.</p>

<p class="text-muted mb-3">The Role</p>

<p class="text-muted mb-3">The COO will take a senior leadership role across the operational function, creating the infrastructure and operating disciplines required to support continued growth.</p>

<p class="text-muted mb-3">A key priority will be introducing clear KPIs, processes, controls and performance management, creating greater visibility across the operation and ensuring individuals and teams are held accountable for delivery.</p>

<p class="text-muted mb-3">They will bring an experienced external perspective into the organisation, turning strategic objectives into practical operational delivery.</p>

<p class="text-muted mb-3">The role will suit somebody who has developed their career within a larger, sophisticated logistics organisation and now wants the opportunity to use that experience to make a visible impact within a smaller, fast-moving business.</p>

<h5 class="fw-bold text-success mt-4 mb-3">Key Responsibilities</h5>

<ul class="list-unstyled job-desc-list mb-3">

<li class="d-flex align-items-start mb-2"><i class="mdi mdi-circle-medium text-success fs-15 me-2 mt-1"></i><span>Take overall leadership of the operational function and support the CEO in delivering the company's growth strategy.</span></li>

<li class="d-flex align-items-start mb-2"><i class="mdi mdi-circle-medium text-success fs-15 me-2 mt-1"></i><span>Review the existing operating model and identify opportunities to improve structure, processes, controls and accountability.</span></li>

<li class="d-flex align-items-start mb-2"><i class="mdi mdi-circle-medium text-success fs-15 me-2 mt-1"></i><span>Introduce and embed meaningful operational KPIs and management information across the business.</span></li>

<li class="d-flex align-items-start mb-2"><i class="mdi mdi-circle-medium text-success fs-15 me-2 mt-1"></i><span>Establish clear performance expectations and ensure managers and teams are accountable for delivery.</span></li>

<li class="d-flex align-items-start mb-2"><i class="mdi mdi-circle-medium text-success fs-15 me-2 mt-1"></i><span>Drive operational efficiency, consistency and continuous improvement.</span></li>

<li class="d-flex align-items-start mb-2"><i class="mdi mdi-circle-medium text-success fs-15 me-2 mt-1"></i><span>Develop scalable processes and infrastructure capable of supporting the company's next phase of growth.</span></li>

<li class="d-flex align-items-start mb-2"><i class="mdi mdi-circle-medium text-success fs-15 me-2 mt-1"></i><span>Identify operational risks, bottlenecks and areas of underperformance and implement appropriate solutions.</span></li>

<li class="d-flex align-items-start mb-2"><i class="mdi mdi-circle-medium text-success fs-15 me-2 mt-1"></i><span>Provide strong leadership to operational teams, raising standards and developing management capability.</span></li>

<li class="d-flex align-items-start mb-2"><i class="mdi mdi-circle-medium text-success fs-15 me-2 mt-1"></i><span>Ensure communication and accountability between operational functions and the wider business.</span></li>

<li class="d-flex align-items-start mb-2"><i class="mdi mdi-circle-medium text-success fs-15 me-2 mt-1"></i><span>Work closely with the CEO and senior leadership team to translate commercial strategy into operational plans.</span></li>

<li class="d-flex align-items-start mb-2"><i class="mdi mdi-circle-medium text-success fs-15 me-2 mt-1"></i><span>Challenge existing ways of working constructively and introduce best practice from larger logistics environments where appropriate.</span></li>

<li class="d-flex align-items-start mb-2"><i class="mdi mdi-circle-medium text-success fs-15 me-2 mt-1"></i><span>Lead change programmes from concept through to implementation, ensuring improvements become embedded rather than remaining theoretical.</span></li>

<li class="d-flex align-items-start mb-2"><i class="mdi mdi-circle-medium text-success fs-15 me-2 mt-1"></i><span>Create a culture focused on performance, ownership, service and continuous improvement.</span></li>

<li class="d-flex align-items-start mb-2"><i class="mdi mdi-circle-medium text-success fs-15 me-2 mt-1"></i><span>Remain sufficiently hands-on to understand the detail of the operation and intervene where required.</span></li>

</ul>

<p class="text-muted mb-3">The Person</p>

<p class="text-muted mb-3">We are looking for an experienced senior operations leader with a strong background within logistics, freight, transport or a closely related environment.</p>

<p class="text-muted mb-3">The successful candidate is likely to have held a position such as:</p>

<p class="text-muted mb-3">Chief Operating Officer | Operations Director | Head of Operations | Senior Operations Director</p>

<p class="text-muted mb-3">Experience gained within a larger, process-led logistics organisation would be particularly valuable. However, equally important will be the individual's ability to take what they have learned in a large corporate environment and successfully apply it within a smaller entrepreneurial organisation.</p>

<p class="text-muted mb-3">This transition will be critical. The successful candidate cannot be dependent on large corporate support functions, established systems or significant infrastructure to deliver results.</p>

<p class="text-muted mb-3">Experience & Skills</p>

<p class="text-muted mb-3">The successful candidate will ideally demonstrate:</p>

<ul class="list-unstyled job-desc-list mb-3">

<li class="d-flex align-items-start mb-2"><i class="mdi mdi-circle-medium text-success fs-15 me-2 mt-1"></i><span>Significant senior leadership experience within logistics, freight, transport or supply chain.</span></li>

<li class="d-flex align-items-start mb-2"><i class="mdi mdi-circle-medium text-success fs-15 me-2 mt-1"></i><span>Experience operating within a large, sophisticated and process-driven organisation.</span></li>

<li class="d-flex align-items-start mb-2"><i class="mdi mdi-circle-medium text-success fs-15 me-2 mt-1"></i><span>A strong track record of improving operational performance.</span></li>

<li class="d-flex align-items-start mb-2"><i class="mdi mdi-circle-medium text-success fs-15 me-2 mt-1"></i><span>Experience implementing KPIs, operational controls and performance-management frameworks.</span></li>

<li class="d-flex align-items-start mb-2"><i class="mdi mdi-circle-medium text-success fs-15 me-2 mt-1"></i><span>Evidence of successfully leading significant operational change.</span></li>

<li class="d-flex align-items-start mb-2"><i class="mdi mdi-circle-medium text-success fs-15 me-2 mt-1"></i><span>Strong continuous-improvement and process-improvement capability.</span></li>

<li class="d-flex align-items-start mb-2"><i class="mdi mdi-circle-medium text-success fs-15 me-2 mt-1"></i><span>The ability to create structure within an environment that has grown quickly.</span></li>

<li class="d-flex align-items-start mb-2"><i class="mdi mdi-circle-medium text-success fs-15 me-2 mt-1"></i><span>Strong commercial awareness and an understanding of how operational performance impacts profitability and growth.</span></li>

<li class="d-flex align-items-start mb-2"><i class="mdi mdi-circle-medium text-success fs-15 me-2 mt-1"></i><span>Experience leading and developing management teams.</span></li>

<li class="d-flex align-items-start mb-2"><i class="mdi mdi-circle-medium text-success fs-15 me-2 mt-1"></i><span>The ability to make decisions and drive change without relying on extensive corporate infrastructure.</span></li>

<li class="d-flex align-items-start mb-2"><i class="mdi mdi-circle-medium text-success fs-15 me-2 mt-1"></i><span>Strong communication and stakeholder-management skills.</span></li>

</ul>

<p class="text-muted mb-3">Personal Characteristics</p>

<p class="text-muted mb-3">The environment is fast-moving, entrepreneurial and demanding, so cultural fit will be just as important as technical capability.</p>

<p class="text-muted mb-3">The successful individual will be:</p>

<ul class="list-unstyled job-desc-list mb-3">

<li class="d-flex align-items-start mb-2"><i class="mdi mdi-circle-medium text-success fs-15 me-2 mt-1"></i><span>Hands-on - willing to get into the detail rather than manage purely from a boardroom.</span></li>

<li class="d-flex align-items-start mb-2"><i class="mdi mdi-circle-medium text-success fs-15 me-2 mt-1"></i><span>Commercial - understands that operational improvement must ultimately support business performance.</span></li>

<li class="d-flex align-items-start mb-2"><i class="mdi mdi-circle-medium text-success fs-15 me-2 mt-1"></i><span>Structured - able to bring clarity and discipline to a rapidly growing organisation.</span></li>

<li class="d-flex align-items-start mb-2"><i class="mdi mdi-circle-medium text-success fs-15 me-2 mt-1"></i><span>Resilient - comfortable operating within an environment where priorities can change quickly.</span></li>

<li class="d-flex align-items-start mb-2"><i class="mdi mdi-circle-medium text-success fs-15 me-2 mt-1"></i><span>Pragmatic - able to introduce appropriate processes without over-engineering the business.</span></li>

<li class="d-flex align-items-start mb-2"><i class="mdi mdi-circle-medium text-success fs-15 me-2 mt-1"></i><span>Influential - capable of bringing people with them through periods of change.</span></li>

<li class="d-flex align-items-start mb-2"><i class="mdi mdi-circle-medium text-success fs-15 me-2 mt-1"></i><span>Accountable - sets high standards for themselves and others.</span></li>

<li class="d-flex align-items-start mb-2"><i class="mdi mdi-circle-medium text-success fs-15 me-2 mt-1"></i><span>Adaptable - able to move successfully from a larger corporate environment into a smaller organisation.</span></li>

<li class="d-flex align-items-start mb-2"><i class="mdi mdi-circle-medium text-success fs-15 me-2 mt-1"></i><span>Entrepreneurial - comfortable with ambiguity and able to make decisions without having every process already defined</span></li>

</ul>