| Detail | For this role |
|---|---|
| Department | Leadership and Senior Management |
| Level | Leadership |
| Reports to | Chief Executive Officer |
| Direct reports | Operations Heads, Supply Chain Head, Plant or Branch Heads, Service Head |
| Experience | 15+ years in operations, with 5 years leading multi-function or multi-site operations |
Chief Operating Officer job description template
Copy this job description, replace the text in square brackets and post it on your careers page or a job portal.
Job title: Chief Operating Officer
Department: Leadership and Senior Management
Reports to: Chief Executive Officer
Location: [City], [office, branch or site]
About the role
A Chief Operating Officer runs the day-to-day operations of the company. They turn the strategy into delivery across functions like operations, supply chain, service and support, and make sure the business runs on time, on quality and on cost. The role is the CEO's right hand for execution. A good COO removes bottlenecks between teams, hits delivery and cost targets, builds processes that scale, and frees the CEO to focus on strategy, capital and the board.
Key responsibilities
- Turn the annual plan into operating targets for each function, and hold teams to delivery, quality and cost.
- Run the operating rhythm: reviews, dashboards and follow-ups that keep the business on plan.
- Remove bottlenecks between functions, and settle cross-team disputes that slow delivery.
- Build and improve processes so the business can grow without breaking or adding waste.
- Own capacity and resource planning across sites, teams and shifts.
- Set and track operational metrics for output, quality, service and cost, and act on the gaps.
- Lead major operational projects, expansions and cost programmes to completion.
- Manage large vendors and partners that the operation depends on.
- Build strong function heads, and hold them accountable for their numbers.
- Report operational performance and risks to the CEO and board each month.
Requirements
- MBA or engineering degree
- Strong record in operations leadership
- Lean or Six Sigma certification is an advantage
- 15+ years in operations, with 5 years leading multi-function or multi-site operations
KRAs and KPIs for a Chief Operating Officer
Key result areas for the appraisal form, each with a KPI you can measure every month or quarter.
| Key result area | How to measure it |
|---|---|
| Delivery | On-time delivery or service levels meet the target across functions |
| Quality | Defect or error rates held below the agreed threshold |
| Operating cost | Cost per unit or per order held within the approved budget |
| Productivity | Output per person or per site grows to the annual target |
| Project delivery | Major operational projects completed on time and within budget |
| Process reliability | Repeat operational failures reduced to the agreed level |
Skills and tools
Tools used day to day: ERP systems, BI dashboards, MS Excel, Project tracking tools, Planning software.
Reporting line and career path
Next roles: Chief Executive Officer, Managing Director
Interview questions for a Chief Operating Officer
- How would you set up an operating rhythm to keep every function on plan?
- Two departments keep blaming each other for missed deliveries. How do you resolve it?
- Walk me through a cost programme you ran and the savings it delivered.
- How do you plan capacity when demand swings sharply through the year?
- How do you decide which process to fix first when many are broken?
- How do you hold function heads accountable without micromanaging their teams?
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What does a Chief Operating Officer do?
A Chief Operating Officer runs day-to-day operations across functions like operations, supply chain and service. They turn strategy into delivery, set operating targets, remove bottlenecks between teams, build processes that scale and control cost. As the CEO's execution partner, they are measured on delivery, quality, cost and productivity.
What is the difference between a COO and a CEO?
A Chief Executive Officer sets the strategy, owns the profit and loss, manages the board and investors, and makes the biggest calls. A Chief Operating Officer executes that strategy day to day across functions. The CEO looks outward and forward, the COO looks inward and now. In many companies the COO is the CEO's successor.
Who does a Chief Operating Officer report to?
A Chief Operating Officer reports to the Chief Executive Officer or Managing Director. Most function heads, plant heads and operational leaders report to the COO. In companies without a separate COO, these responsibilities sit with the CEO or are split among the function heads directly.