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 St Albans
St Albans is a historic city separated from the north London conurbation by about 6 miles of countryside. The city has had a presence for thousands of years, but it was the construction if its cathedral in the Middle Ages that brought the town to prominence (although it wasn’t formally completed until the nineteenth century). St Albans is supposed to be named after the first British Christian martyr, who was executed by the Romans.
The modern city is what estate agents would describe as full of character. It takes in architecture of many periods, although much of it is twentieth century detached or semi-detached housing or Victorian terrace. The city is served by two railway lines that carry passengers right into the heart of London (one via Watford Junction), and the town is nestles in a U-shape formed by the M1, M25 and A1(M). This ease of travel and the general pleasantness of the city has made it a highly attractive with commuters, and house prices have been kept high because of the demand.
Although many of the inhabitants pack themselves onto trains and head for London every working day, St Albans, with its economically active population, has quite an advanced infrastructure to maintain, which is why it is not unusual for Chief Operations Officer positions to become available either in the city itself or in nearby Watford, Luton or Hemel Hempstead.
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.
Contact us