Chief Operating Officer

Location: St. Louis, MO or Philadelphia, PA

Reports to: Chief Executive Officer

Employment Type: Full-Time, Exempt

About The Role

The Chief Operating Officer (COO) will serve as a key executive leader responsible for scaling Orchestra Life Sciences’ internal operations, consulting delivery infrastructure, and client engagement processes across North America and Europe. Working in close partnership with the CEO and the other partners, the COO will translate the company’s growth strategy into disciplined execution to scalable enterprise operations by building governance structures, operational systems, and delivery framework, required to support Orchestra’s expanding portfolio of engagements in radiopharmaceuticals, cell and gene therapy, nuclear medicine, and biotechnology.

This is a senior leadership role—an executive, C-suite position—for an experienced operator who thrives in high-growth, technically complex environments. The ideal candidate brings deep knowledge of consulting services with exposure to life sciences, combines strategic thinking with hands‑on execution, and has a proven track record of building operational excellence within organizations navigating rapid scale.

Key Responsibilities

• Oversee and optimize day-to-day operations across all service lines—including business strategy, engineering solutions, capital projects, quality and regulatory, supply chain, and operations excellence.
• Design, implement, and continuously improve operational systems, workflows, and standard operating procedures to support Orchestra’s growth trajectory.
• Lead resource planning and capacity management to ensure the right subject matter experts are deployed to the right client engagements at the right time.
• Partner with the CEO to align operational capabilities with strategic business development priorities and market expansion plans.
• Drive operational and financial performance, including utilization rates, project profitability, and overall project P&L accountability in coordination with senior leadership.
• Establish and monitor key performance indicators across the organization, fostering a culture of data-driven decision-making and continuous improvement.
• Oversee the integration and management of project management tools and business systems that support consulting delivery.
• Lead and develop a high‑performing operations team, including directors and managers across technical operations, field operations and project management.
• Ensure consistent quality and compliance across all client deliverables, working closely with the quality, regulatory, and compliance functions.
• Support the continued build-out of Orchestra’s European operations in coordination with the President and Managing Director of OLS Europe.
• Collaborate with Vice Presidents and Managing Directors to ensure seamless execution across programs, construction, supply chain, and strategic advisory engagements. VPs, PMO, and the execution team report to the COO.
• Champion organizational culture, talent development, and retention strategies to attract and keep top‑tier life sciences professionals in a competitive labor market.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Engineering, Life Sciences, or a related field; MBA or advanced degree strongly preferred.
• 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in consulting services — ideally with exposure to life sciences, pharmaceutical, biotech, or related industries.
• Demonstrated success building and scaling operational infrastructure within a high‑growth consulting or technical services organization.
• Strong financial acumen with experience managing budgets, and resource allocation across multiple concurrent engagements.
• Proven ability to design and implement scalable processes, systems, and governance frameworks across distributed and matrixed teams.
• Strong understanding of professional services operating models, including utilization management, delivery governance, project profitability, and matrix resource planning.
• Exceptional leadership and people management skills with a track record of building, mentoring, and retaining high-performing teams.
• Outstanding communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to engage effectively with partners, clients, executives, and technical subject matter experts.
• Experience operating in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment where agility, resourcefulness, and a hands‑on approach are essential.

Preferred Experience

• Experience in the radiopharmaceutical, nuclear medicine, or cell and gene therapy sectors.
• Background in managing capital projects, facility build-outs, or engineering-driven consulting engagements.
• Familiarity with cGMP environments, FDA regulatory frameworks, and quality management systems.
• Experience leading or supporting international expansion, particularly in European markets.
• Prior C‑suite or VP‑level operational leadership within a professional services or technical consulting firm.
• Track record of integrating technology solutions (ERP, PSA, CRM) to drive operational efficiency.
• Six Sigma, Lean, or other operational excellence certifications.

Why Join Orchestra Life Sciences

• Be part of a mission-driven company accelerating novel treatments for cancer and rare disease.
• Join a rapidly growing consultancy with a global footprint and deep relationships across the advanced therapy ecosystem.
• Work alongside world-class subject matter experts with over 100 years of combined industry experience.
• Play a defining leadership role in building the operational foundation required to support Orchestra’s long-term growth ambitions, competitive compensation, benefits, and equity participation opportunities.

EEO Statement

Orchestra Life Sciences, LLC herein Orchestra, provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, Orchestra complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

Orchestra Life Sciences expressly prohibits any form of workplace harassment based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, or veteran status. Improper interference with the ability of Orchestra’s employees to perform their job duties may result in discipline up to and including discharge.