COO (Chief Operating Officer) - Creative Industry

Provide operational leadership and discipline to a prominent publicly listed media and technology company. The COO will drive execution, optimise end-to-end operations and embed scalable systems and controls to support sustainable growth and reliable delivery across all business units.

Key responsibilities

• Operational strategy & execution: Translate CEO and Board strategy into clear operational plans, priorities and KPIs; set the cadence for delivery and hold the organisation to account for outcomes.
• Delivery leadership: Lead execution across production, distribution, commercial partnerships and customer operations to ensure consistent, high-quality delivery.
• Process excellence & systems: Simplify and standardise core operating processes; lead selection, implementation and adoption of operational systems (ERP, project management, ticketing, CRM integrations) to create a single source of operational truth.
• P&L stewardship (operational focus): Partner with commercial and finance leaders to forecast and control operating costs, improve gross margins and translate strategy into operational budgets and plans.
• People & leadership: Build, coach and hold accountable high‑performing operational teams; define clear roles, responsibilities and reporting lines; set performance standards and development plans for direct reports.
• Risk, compliance & controls: Establish and maintain operational controls, business continuity and vendor management frameworks; ensure compliance with relevant laws and contractual obligations.
• Cross‑functional partnership: Act as the primary execution partner to the executive leadership team, ensuring operational feasibility of commercial initiatives and enabling rapid, joined‑up decision‑making.
• Commercial & partner management: Manage key supplier and partner relationships; negotiate commercial terms, define SLAs and hold partners to agreed performance metrics.
• Reporting & performance management: Deliver concise, timely reporting to the CEO and Board covering KPIs, risks, issues and remediation plans; foster a “no surprises” culture through proactive communication.
• Continuous improvement: Instil a test‑and‑learn mindset focused on measurable improvements in throughput, quality and cost efficiency.
• Integration leadership: Lead operational planning and execution for acquisitions and major integrations to ensure timely, effective outcomes.

Requirements

• Proven senior operations experience: Demonstrable track record as a COO, Head of Operations or similar role, leading operations in complex, multi‑division businesses.
• Execution focus: Strong bias for action with an ability to translate strategy into operational outcomes and measurable performance improvements.
• Scalable mindset: Experience designing and implementing robust frameworks, processes and systems that scale across the business.
• Commercial acumen: Comfortable managing vendor/commercial contracts, operational P&Ls and budgeting with a clear focus on margin improvement.
• Leadership & influence: Decisive, resilient leader with gravitas; able to build trust with executive peers, operational teams and external partners.
• Risk & compliance awareness: Proven experience establishing operational controls, business continuity planning and vendor governance.
• Stakeholder management: Excellent communicator with the ability to present clearly to the CEO and Board and to manage demanding internal and external stakeholders.

Key performance indicators

• Financial delivery: Delivering on‑budget results across multiple operational P&Ls.
• Margin management: Demonstrable gross margin improvement.
• Operational efficiency: Measurable streamlining of systems and processes.
• People & culture: Driving cultural outcomes that support accountability, continuous improvement and cross‑functional collaboration.
• Integration success: Successful and timely integration of acquisitions and major operational changes.

Benefits

Why join us

• Impact: Lead operations at a high‑profile, publicly listed media and technology company during a pivotal growth phase.
• Scope: End‑to‑end operational influence across production, distribution, commercial partnerships and customer operations.
• Collaborative leadership: Work closely with a senior executive team and an engaged Board to shape long‑term strategy and delivery.