At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead and scale a fast-growing business education group with a focus on operational excellence.
- Company: Join a dynamic team aiming for significant growth and impact in the business sector.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, performance bonuses, executive benefits, and potential CEO pathway.
- Other info: Work closely with an ambitious founder and lead a high-performance culture.
- Why this job: Be part of building a company, not just managing one, with real growth opportunities.
- Qualifications: Proven executive leadership experience in a £20M+ organisation and strong commercial acumen.
The predicted salary is between 150000 - 200000 £ per year.
- Fractional Chief Operating Officer (COO) / Future CEO
- Location
- Peterborough, Cambridgeshire
Package
- Compensation: £150,000-£200,000 per year (full-time equivalent, negotiable based on days per week)
- Performance Bonus
- Executive Benefits
- EMI Share Options Available
- Potential Future CEO Pathway
- Work Arrangement
- Full-time, In person
The Opportunity
This is not a traditional COO role.
This is an opportunity for a proven executive leader to help scale one of the UK's fastest-growing business education and consulting groups.
We are seeking a commercially minded operator who has previously operated at executive level within a £20M+ organisation and has the ambition, capability and leadership credentials to potentially progress into a future CEO role.
The successful candidate will work directly alongside founder and entrepreneur Joseph Valente, taking responsibility for the day-to-day operation of the business whilst helping build the infrastructure, systems, leadership team and governance required for the next phase of growth.
This role is designed for someone who wants to build a company, not simply manage one.
The Mission
Your mission is simple: Build a business that can scale without the founder being involved in every operational decision.
You will become the leader of the leadership team and ultimately the person responsible for ensuring the business executes at the highest possible level.
Success in this role means
- Leadership team fully accountable
- KPIs measured and managed
- Clear operating rhythm throughout the organisation
- World-class customer experience
- Strong financial discipline
- Recruitment and development of exceptional talent
- Operational excellence across all departments
- Founder focused on vision, growth, acquisitions, partnerships and strategic direction
Key Responsibilities
- Leadership & Accountability
- Lead the Senior Leadership Team
- Hold department heads accountable to targets, KPIs and objectives
- Drive a high-performance culture throughout the organisation
- Ensure company priorities are executed on time and to standard
- Create alignment between all departments
- Build leadership capability across the business
- Operational Excellence
- Design and implement scalable operating systems
- Improve efficiency, productivity and accountability
- Build governance, reporting and management frameworks
- Create operational infrastructure capable of supporting significant growth
- Drive continuous improvement across the organisation
- Growth & Scalings
- Help scale the business towards £100M+ revenue
- Support future acquisitions and integrations
- Build systems capable of supporting rapid expansion
- Prepare the business for institutional investment and future enterprise value creation
- Team Building
- Recruit and develop senior leaders
- Build succession plans across key functions
- Develop managers into high-performing leaders
- Strengthen culture, standards and accountability throughout the business
- Financial Performance
- Work closely with the CFO and executive team
- Improve operational profitability
- Increase efficiency and EBITDA
- Drive performance through data, reporting and accountability
- Ensure resources are allocated effectively to support growth
Essential Experience
Applicants must be able to demonstrate
- Previous COO, CEO, Managing Director or Divisional Director experience
- Executive leadership experience within a business generating a minimum of £20 million annual revenue
- Full P&L responsibility
- Experience leading multi-disciplinary teams across Sales, Marketing, Operations, Finance and Customer Success
- Experience managing and developing senior leadership teams
- Proven experience scaling businesses through significant periods of growth
- Strong commercial and financial acumen
- Experience implementing KPI, reporting and accountability frameworks
- Ability to operate as the second-in-command within a founder-led organisation
- Highly Desirable
- Experience leading a £50M+ business
- Private Equity-backed business experience
- Experience preparing businesses for investment, acquisition or exit
- Experience within education, consulting, professional services, construction, home improvement or service-based industries
- Acquisition and integration experience
- Experience helping founders transition from operator to visionary leadership roles
- Characteristics Required
- High energy
- Exceptional leadership capability
- Commercially minded
- Strong decision-maker
- Results driven
- Highly organised
- Relentless executor
- High standards
- Comfortable with accountability
- Comfortable holding others accountable
- Ambitious and growth-oriented
- Naturally respected by senior leaders
- What Success Looks Like
- Within 12 Months
- Leadership team operating at a significantly higher level
- KPI management embedded throughout the organisation
- Strong management and accountability structures in place
- Improved operational efficiency and profitability Enhanced customer experience and retention
- Founder spending significantly less time in day-to-day operations
- Within 3–5 Years
- Potential progression into Group CEO role
- Responsibility for leading a significantly larger organisation
- Participation in substantial enterprise value creation
- Opportunity to help build one of the UK's most influential business growth companies
- Important
This role is not suitable for candidates whose largest leadership experience has been within a small business environment.
Applicants should have operated at executive level within a business generating a minimum of £20 million annual revenue and be comfortable leading large teams through periods of rapid growth.
We are looking for a proven business leader, not simply an operations manager.
Why Join?
Most COO roles involve maintaining a business.
This role involves helping build one.
You will work directly with a founder who has ambitious plans for growth, expansion and long-term enterprise value creation, whilst being given the autonomy and responsibility to make a genuine impact.
If you are an ambitious operator who wants the opportunity to scale a high-growth company, lead an executive team and potentially progress into a CEO position, we would like to hear from you.
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Chief Operating Officer (COO) in Peterborough employer: Gofractional
Gofractional is an exceptional employer that prioritises a positive candidate experience and fosters a collaborative work culture in the heart of London. With a strong focus on employee growth, you will have the opportunity to enhance your skills while working with cutting-edge recruitment technologies. Join us to be part of a team that values kindness, innovation, and the continuous improvement of hiring practices.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Chief Operating Officer (COO) in Peterborough
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We think you need these skills to ace Chief Operating Officer (COO) in Peterborough
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Us Your Leadership Skills:In the corporate leadership and management field, it's essential to highlight your leadership experience. Use your CV to flesh out examples of how you've led teams to success or managed significant projects. We want to see specific instances where your actions made a tangible difference in your previous roles!
Quantify Your Achievements:Numbers talk, especially in management! When detailing your achievements in your CV or cover letter, don’t just say you improved team performance. Instead, say you boosted productivity by 30% over six months through effective strategy implementation. This makes your application pop and shows us what you can bring to Gofractional.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:Your cover letter is your chance to narrate your professional journey. We’re looking for motivation and a clear understanding of what corporate leadership means to you. Dive into your aspirations and how they align with the values and vision of Gofractional. Make it personal – we want to get to know you!
Tailor Your CV for Management Roles:Ensure your CV reflects the management skills that are essential for this role. Focus on competencies like strategic planning, team building, and problem-solving. Use a clean layout, and don’t forget to align your experiences with those keywords mentioned in the job listing. This will help you stand out from the crowd!
How to prepare for a job interview at Gofractional
✨Showcase Your Leadership Style
You’ll want to thoroughly convey your unique approach to leadership. During the interview with Gofractional, be ready to share real-life examples of how you've inspired and motivated teams in the past. Think about specific achievements that illustrate your strategic thinking and your ability to drive results.
✨Brush Up on Management Theories
Expect some technical questions related to management theories and practices. Brush up on concepts like transformational leadership, servant leadership, or situational leadership. Be prepared to discuss how you would apply these theories to the role at Gofractional, especially in the specific context of the challenges they’re currently facing.
✨Craft Your Vision for the Company
Since this is a full-time leadership role, spending time thinking about your vision for Gofractional could really set you apart. Consider potential strategies for growth and how you would lead teams towards achieving them. This shows not just enthusiasm, but also strategic foresight that they’ll likely be looking for in a candidate.
✨Emphasise Team Dynamics and Culture
In corporate leadership, team dynamics and organisational culture are everything. Be ready to discuss how you've fostered a positive work environment in previous roles. Bring up examples of how you've managed diverse teams effectively—this will resonate well at Gofractional as they’re likely seeking a candidate who can enhance their workplace culture.
