Chief Operating Officer

Key Responsibilities

• Operate the company day-to-day: establish the weekly/monthly/quarterly operating cadence (OKRs, KPI dashboards, business reviews), drive accountability across functions, and ensure commitments on safety, quality, delivery, cost, and cash.
• Lead end-to-end operations: capacity planning, site selection and build-out, factory start-up/scale-up, line design and standard work, OEE/TPM, Lean/Six Sigma, and continuous improvement.
• Drive industrial automation and digital ops (PLC/SCADA, robotics, MES/IIoT) integrated with ERP/MRP, QMS, and CMMS for real-time visibility and traceability.
• Own project delivery from award to commissioning (FAT/SAT) and handover to service; own forecasting, budgets, risk registers, change control, and customer communications.
• Own service/O&M programs: preventive/predictive maintenance, spares/kitting, SLAs, technician training, and field quality—closing the loop to product and process updates.
• Partner with the CFO on operating plans, budgets, and cash; manage OpEx/CapEx, inventory turns, and cost-reduction roadmaps; present performance and investment cases to the CEO/board.
• Lead supply chain and S&OP: strategic sourcing, contracts, vendor development and scorecards, logistics/fulfillment, and risk mitigation across critical parts and equipment.
• Ensure quality and compliance: implement ISO-aligned QMS practices, manage nonconformance and corrective actions, and uphold applicable safety and environmental requirements.
• Cook up G&A enablers: partner with HR on workforce planning and org design; with IT/Security on systems reliability and data protection; with Legal on contracts, risk, and compliance, maintaining policy, SOP, and audit readiness.
• Build, mentor, and scale high-performance teams and leaders; model a high-urgency, roll-up-your-sleeves culture that prizes ownership and bias to action.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Operations, Business, or a related field; advanced degree (e.g., MBA, MS) preferred.
• 10+ years of progressive operations leadership, including 5+ years managing large-scale manufacturing or multi-site operations, with a track record of successfully launching and scaling facilities or programs.
• Expertise in process optimization methodologies (e.g., Lean, Six Sigma, TPM) and program/project management, from strategy development to execution and commissioning.
• Proven experience integrating automation, robotics, or digital operations (e.g., ERP, MES, or similar systems) to drive efficiency and scalability.
• Familiarity with water/wastewater, process industries, or engineered product sectors, with strong knowledge of commissioning, field deployment, or service operations.
• Strong financial acumen, with demonstrated success in improving throughput, cost efficiency, quality, delivery, and cash flow; exceptional leadership and communication skills to thrive in a fast-paced, growth-driven environment.
• Ability to build and lead diverse, high-performing teams, fostering a culture of accountability, innovation, and collaboration.