Chief Operating Officer (COO)

Chief Operating Officer (COO) — Job Description

Summary
The Chief Operating Officer (COO) directs day‑to‑day operations, drives operational excellence, and scales organizational processes to deliver strategic objectives across functions (product, engineering, sales, customer success, finance, HR, and operations).

Key responsibilities

• Operational strategy: Translate CEO and board strategy into executable operating plans, KPIs, and measurable initiatives.
• Process design & optimization: Design, standardize, and continuously improve core business processes (product delivery, sales operations, customer onboarding, finance close, procurement, etc.).
• Cross‑functional execution: Coordinate across product, engineering, sales, marketing, customer success, finance, and HR to ensure aligned execution and timely delivery.
• Performance management: Define and track operational KPIs, OKRs, SLAs; implement performance dashboards and regular reviews to drive accountability.
• Scalability & capacity planning: Build scalable operating models, forecast resource needs, and plan organizational capacity for growth and seasonality.
• Talent & organization design: Partner with HR to structure teams, set operating cadences, recruit senior talent, and develop leaders; oversee succession planning.
• Budgeting & cost control: Own operational budget planning and execution, identify cost efficiencies, and manage vendor/partner relationships and contracts.
• Customer operations & experience: Ensure excellent customer experience via streamlined onboarding, support operations, retention programs, and escalation handling.
• Technology & automation: Drive adoption of operational systems (ERP/CRM/BI/Workflow) and automation to reduce manual work and improve data quality.
• Risk & compliance operations: Ensure operational controls, business continuity, incident management, and regulatory/compliance requirements are embedded in operations.
• Program management & transformation: Lead major transformation programs (M&A integration, major product launches, global expansion) with clear milestones and change management.
• Metrics-driven culture: Promote data-driven decision-making, continuous improvement, and operational rigor across the company.
• Stakeholder communication: Report operational performance and risks to CEO and board; present plans, trade-offs, and resource requests.
• Vendor & partner management: Oversee strategic vendor relationships, SLAs, and outsourcing decisions for cost, quality, and risk.
• Day-to-day leadership: Act as second-in-command to CEO, stepping in to resolve cross-functional blockers and critical incidents.

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in business, engineering, operations, or related field; MBA or advanced degree preferred.
• Experience: 10+ years in operations, general management, or functional leadership with progressive responsibility; prior COO, head of operations, or GM experience preferred, especially at similar company stage (startup, scaleup, enterprise).
• Functional breadth: Demonstrated success across multiple functions (product delivery, sales ops, customer success, finance/FP&A, HR).
• Operational excellence: Experience implementing process frameworks, Lean/Six Sigma, OKRs, and scalable operating models.
• Technology fluency: Familiarity with ERP/CRM/BI/automation tools and ability to manage technical teams and vendors.
• Analytical & financial acumen: Strong data-driven mindset, financial modeling, cost management, and KPI design skills.
• Leadership & communication: Proven ability to lead large teams, influence executives, communicate clearly with board/CEO, and manage change.
• Problem-solving & decisiveness: Comfortable with ambiguity, rapid decision-making, and prioritizing trade-offs under pressure.
• Integrity & resilience: High ethical standards and ability to lead through operational crises.

Performance metrics / KPIs (examples)

• On-time delivery rates for major projects and product releases.
• Operational cost as a percentage of revenue and cost-per-customer metrics.
• Customer satisfaction (NPS/CSAT), churn/retention rates, and time-to-resolution for escalations.
• Cycle times (order-to-cash, onboarding completion), process error rates, and automation gains.
• Employee engagement and leadership bench strength.
• Forecast accuracy and variance to budget.

Working conditions & travel

• Office-based leadership role with frequent cross-functional interaction and moderate travel for key customers, partners, and regional teams.

Equal opportunity statement (brief)

• Employer is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Tailoring tips

• For early-stage startups: emphasize hands-on execution, building processes from scratch, hiring first managers, and high tolerance for ambiguity.
• For scaleups: emphasize establishing repeatable operating cadences, automation, and scaling customer operations.
• For large enterprises: emphasize program management, global process harmonization, and operational governance.

Job Types: Full-time, Permanent

Pay: QAR220.56 - QAR330.95 per hour

Work Location: In person