Chief Operating Officer / Managing Director
Salary: up to £150,000 + Bonus + Car Allowance + Benefits
Location: London HQ with occasional national travel
About the Role
Our client is a rapidly growing, investor-backed compliance and technical services group operating nationally across the UK. The business is scaling quickly through both organic growth and strategic acquisitions, with ambitious plans to build a market-leading platform within its sector.
The Group comprises specialist operational businesses spanning manufacturing, installation, remediation, and compliance-led service delivery. Backed by a highly entrepreneurial investment platform, the organisation is entering a significant growth phase and is investing heavily in operational capability, systems, and infrastructure.
As part of this growth journey, the business is seeking a Chief Operating Officer / Managing Director to join the Executive Team and take full ownership of day-to-day operations across the Group. Reporting directly to the CEO and operating alongside the CFO and Commercial leadership team, this role will be responsible for leading and scaling the operational platform of the business while delivering exceptional commercial and operational performance.
This is a rare opportunity to take a leadership role within a high-growth, investor-backed platform at a pivotal stage of its evolution.
What You’ll Be Doing
Operational Leadership
- Take full ownership of the day-to-day operational running of the Group, with accountability for operational performance and P&L delivery
- Lead senior divisional leaders across operations, manufacturing, service delivery, HSEQ, and support functions
- Oversee multi-site national operations across manufacturing, operational, and corporate locations
- Drive operational excellence across delivery, workforce planning, fleet, supply chain, and training
Commercial & Strategic Delivery
- Partner closely with the CEO and CFO to deliver the Group’s growth and revenue objectives
- Establish and embed KPI and OKR frameworks across all divisions
- Drive operational efficiency and cost optimisation while maintaining quality and compliance standards
- Support acquisition activity including operational due diligence, integration planning, and post-acquisition embedding
- Contribute to the long-term strategic direction of the Group as part of the Executive Leadership Team
Operating Model & Business Transformation
- Lead the systemisation and scaling of the business through improved processes, governance, and technology adoption
- Build an operating platform capable of integrating future acquisitions effectively
- Drive operational transformation initiatives across systems, reporting, compliance, workforce management, and service delivery
People & Culture
- Act as a visible and people-focused leader across the business, building credibility from boardroom to frontline teams
- Lead organisational capability development, succession planning, and leadership growth
What We’re Looking For
- Proven experience as a COO, Managing Director, or Operations Director within fire safety, construction, engineering services, facilities management, compliance services, or a related operational environment
- Strong track record managing multi-site, national operations within a B2B service-led business
- Full P&L ownership experience within a business of comparable scale and complexity
- Experience leading operational transformation, business systemisation, and scalable operating models
- Experience managing large operational teams through structured divisional leadership
- Strong commercial acumen combined with operational delivery capability
- Excellent leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills
Desirable Experience
- Experience within passive fire, active fire, compliance, or technical services sectors
- Experience integrating acquired businesses into operational platforms
- Management consulting background alongside operational leadership experience
- Familiarity with accredited operational environments and regulated compliance frameworks