Chief Operations Officer
The chief operations officer (COO) of a business occupies the second tier below the CEO and/or chairperson, which means that they have incredible influence and responsibility in the company, especially if it’s a large one. It’s an executive position, serving on the board, but the specific responsibilities vary from business to business and sector to sector.
There’s usually just one chief operations officer in a production and operations company, but they will usually be on a par with other executives such as finance, marketing, innovation or specific disciplines that are unique to the company. What makes the COO different is that their role will be to oversee the actual workings of the business, from sourcing resources to manufacture, design and delivery. Needless to say, they’ll have a dedicated team and possibly several layers of management between themselves and the shop floor, but as far as the core operations of the business are concerned, the buck stops with the COO.
In short, their responsibility is to ensure the decisions made by the CEO or chair (or other body depending on the structure of the company) are implemented within the boundaries set by the other executives.
The skills required
Chief operations officer jobs are usually filled by people who are already at the top of their game in the businesses they currently work in, and will be senior persons with highly impressive CVs and track records of delivering successfully wherever they have worked. If you’ve overseen the implementation of complex operations systems that have delivered on corporate goals for your previous employers, there will always be COO jobs with your name on them.
At this level, you’ll also be well connected in your industry and in the wider business world, as you’ll often need to draw on those connections to get things done. You’ll be excellent at communicating the often complicated plans and aims of the company to your subordinates, who may themselves occupy executive positions, while remaining on the ball and able to deeply monitor progress to steer projects in the right direction.
Chief Operations Officer Jobs in Slough
Located in Berkshire, Slough is 22 miles west of London and ten miles from Heathrow airport. The borough is well-placed for travel to other parts of the country - or indeed other parts of the world - and it offers a wide range of options for those seeking Chief Operations Officer vacancies.
Until the 1800s, Slough was mainly an agricultural area with apple orchards and plant nurseries. It was also known for brick manufacture. In fact, the blocks used to build Eton College all came from Slough. However, after the Great Western Railway was built, this part of the economy began to decline and industry was on the rise.
The Slough Trading Estate was established in 1920 and was one of the earliest examples of this kind of commercial property in the UK. At the time, it was used for repairing and reselling ex-army vehicles, after the first world war, and was home to a number of factories.
Since the mid 1990s, Slough's economy has shifted from manufacturing to information technology and the majority of the factories have since been shut down and replaced with offices.
Today, the Slough Trading Estate is the largest of its type in Europe, with more than 600 buildings, 500 companies and around 20,000 people working there on a daily basis. Current resident businesses include Mars, Fiat, LG, Ferrari, Fullers Logistics, Stanley Black and Decker and Telefonica O2.
In addition, Slough is home to various financial and business services organisations, while health and education are also responsible for a significant portion of the region's employment opportunities.
Popular locations
COO jobs are needed now
Companies are always looking for executive level talent to come in and manage radical changes or oversee efficiency drives. These are quite often on an interim or short-term contractual basis, but other times you’ll be steering a company for many years. If you’re an experienced COO and are used to working at this level of pressure and responsibility, please register your details with us by clicking the link below.
If you’re running a business and are looking for a talented chief operations office, please call Cast UK today on 0333 121 3345 and speak to one of our consultants. We only deal with professional level talent, and we’re sure to be able to bring you a superb shortlist.
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