Chief Operating Officer

A high-growth, privately held beverage manufacturer is seeking an experienced Chief Operating Officer to partner directly with the founder and scale operations to the next level. The business is a vertically integrated, multi-format production facility - handling everything from R&D and formulation through filling, packaging, and third-party logistics - producing hundreds of millions of units annually for some of the fastest-growing brands in the consumer beverage space.

The Role

Reporting directly to the Owner, the COO will serve as the operational backbone of the business- owning day-to-day manufacturing execution, driving efficiency across all production lines, and building the systems and team infrastructure needed to support continued growth. This person will be a true operator: someone who is as comfortable on the production floor as they are in a planning meeting.

This is not a role for someone who needs a fully built machine. It's a role for someone who wants to build the machine alongside an entrepreneurial owner.

What You'll Own

• End-to-end manufacturing operations across canning, bottling, flavoring, packaging, and 3PL/fulfillment
• Plant leadership, production planning, and scheduling across a 200,000+ sq. ft. facility
• Supply chain management - vendor relationships, raw material sourcing, and logistics coordination
• Quality, compliance, and regulatory adherence (FDA, cGMP, FSSC 22000)
• Hiring, developing, and retaining operational leaders across all departments
• KPI development, operational reporting, and continuous improvement initiatives
• Capital planning, capacity expansion, and equipment investment decisions
• Cross-functional collaboration with R&D, sales, and customer success teams

What We're Looking For

• 10+ years of progressive operations leadership, with at least 3–5 years in a senior operations or COO-level role
• Direct experience in beverage manufacturing, canning, or co-manufacturing is strongly preferred - ideally with hands-on familiarity with high-speed filling lines (carbonated and/or still), aluminum canning, or PET bottling
• Proven track record of thriving in an owner-led, fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment -you move fast, make decisions with imperfect information, and don't wait for consensus
• Genuine comfort being a player-coach: strategic thinker who can also roll up their sleeves
• Strong people leadership skills- the ability to hold teams accountable while building real culture
• Experience managing complex, multi-SKU production environments with high variability in run types and customer requirements
• Background in FDA-regulated, cGMP, or food/beverage manufacturing environments
• Financial acumen - comfortable owning a P&L, managing cost-per-unit, and making data-driven decisions