Chief Operating Officer – Board / C-Suite Appointment
We are recruiting for a newly created Chief Operating Officer opportunity with a highly ambitious, private equity-backed professional services business entering a significant phase of growth and transformation.
This is a senior Board-level appointment, working closely with the CEO, CFO, wider C-Suite and Partner group to help shape the future operating model of the business. The organisation has a strong heritage, an established client base and a clear growth strategy across the South East and London.
The COO will play a key role in driving operational performance, integration, scalability and commercial delivery across the firm. This will include working closely with a large Partner group supporting alignment, accountability and consistency as the business moves into its next phase of growth.The Role
As Chief Operating Officer, you will be responsible for leading and improving the operational infrastructure of the business, ensuring it is fit for future scale.
Key responsibilities will include:
- Working as part of the Board and C-Suite leadership team to deliver the growth strategy.
- Supporting the transition into a more scalable, integrated and professionally managed operating model.
- Working closely with Partners to drive alignment, consistency and commercial accountability.
- Reviewing and improving operational processes, systems, reporting and governance.
- Driving efficiency, productivity, margin improvement and performance visibility.
- Supporting future acquisition integration across people, systems, process, culture and service delivery.
- Creating clear operating rhythms, KPIs and accountability across the business.
- Working closely with finance, HR, commercial and service line leaders to improve performance.
- Supporting change management across a long-established, partner-led professional services environment.
- Helping retain a strong client service culture while creating the infrastructure required for growth.
About You
We are looking for a highly credible senior operational leader who has operated at Board, C-Suite or senior leadership level within a professional services or partner-led business.
You will need to demonstrate operational leadership, stakeholder management, commercial performance and business transformation in a previous role Essential Experience
- Proven senior leadership experience within professional services, accountancy, legal, advisory, consulting or a similar partner-led environment.
- Experience working with Partners, fee earners or senior technical leaders.
- Board, C-Suite or senior management team experience.
- Strong operational, commercial and financial understanding.
- Experience improving process, reporting, governance, systems and business infrastructure.
- Ability to drive change in a collaborative and commercially sensitive way.
- Experience supporting business growth, scalability or transformation.
- Strong stakeholder management skills with the ability to influence at senior level.
- Confident working across multiple departments and leadership groups.
- Comfortable operating strategically while remaining close enough to the detail to deliver change.
Desirable Experience
- Accountancy practice or wider professional services experience.
- Private equity-backed business experience.
- Acquisition integration or buy-and-build exposure.
- Multi-site experience.
- Experience supporting cultural change within an established business.
- Strong understanding of KPIs, utilisation, productivity and margin performance.
Key Skills
- Board-level operational leadership
- Partner engagement and alignment
- Business transformation
- Acquisition integration
- Process improvement
- Commercial performance
- Governance and reporting
- Change management
- Stakeholder influence
- Strategic execution
- KPI development
- People leadership
To apply please submit your CV for confidential consideration.
